Answer thefollowing questions briefly.
(a)What are the major landforms?
(b)What is the difference between a mountain and a plateau?
(c)What are the different types of mountains?
(d)How are mountains useful to man?
(e)How are plains formed?
(f)Why are the river plains thickly populated?
(g) Whyare mountains thinly populated?
Answer thefollowing questions briefly.
(a)What are the major landforms?
(b)What is the difference between a mountain and a plateau?
(c)What are the different types of mountains?
(d)How are mountains useful to man?
(e)How are plains formed?
(f)Why are the river plains thickly populated?
(g) Whyare mountains thinly populated?
(a)The major landforms are: mountains, plateaus and plains.
(b)
Mountain
Plateau
A mountain is any natural elevation of the Earth’s surface. It is considerably higher than the surrounding area.
A plateau is an elevated flat land. It is a flat-topped table land standing above the surrounding area.
Mountains have peaks.
Plateaus are flattened highlands.
(c)The different types of mountains are: fold, block and volcanic.
(d)
Usefulness of Mountains
Mountains are a storehouse of water. Many rivers have their source in the glaciers. Reservoirs are made to harness this water for consumption, irrigation and generating electricity.
River valleys and terraces are ideal for cultivation of crops.
Mountains have a rich variety of flora and fauna.
Mountains provide an idyllic site for tourists.
(e)Most of the plains are formed by rivers and their tributaries. Therivers flow down the slopes of mountains and erode them. They carryforward the eroded material. Then they deposit their load (consistingof stones, sand and silt) along their courses and in their valleys.It is from these deposits that plains are formed.
(f)A lot of flat lands are available in plains. Also, the available landis generally fertile. Hence, plains are the most useful areas forhuman habitation as well as for cultivation. Transport network canalso be easily constructed in plains. Thus, plains are very thicklypopulated regions of the world.
(g)Mountains have very harsh cold climate.The slopes of the mountains are very steep. Also, mountains offervery little land for farming. For these reasons, mountains are thinlypopulated.
(a)The major landforms are: mountains, plateaus and plains.
(b)
| Mountain | Plateau |
| A mountain is any natural elevation of the Earth’s surface. It is considerably higher than the surrounding area. | A plateau is an elevated flat land. It is a flat-topped table land standing above the surrounding area. |
| Mountains have peaks. | Plateaus are flattened highlands. |
(c)The different types of mountains are: fold, block and volcanic.
(d)
| Usefulness of Mountains |
| Mountains are a storehouse of water. Many rivers have their source in the glaciers. Reservoirs are made to harness this water for consumption, irrigation and generating electricity. |
| River valleys and terraces are ideal for cultivation of crops. |
| Mountains have a rich variety of flora and fauna. |
| Mountains provide an idyllic site for tourists. |
(e)Most of the plains are formed by rivers and their tributaries. Therivers flow down the slopes of mountains and erode them. They carryforward the eroded material. Then they deposit their load (consistingof stones, sand and silt) along their courses and in their valleys.It is from these deposits that plains are formed.
(f)A lot of flat lands are available in plains. Also, the available landis generally fertile. Hence, plains are the most useful areas forhuman habitation as well as for cultivation. Transport network canalso be easily constructed in plains. Thus, plains are very thicklypopulated regions of the world.
(g)Mountains have very harsh cold climate.The slopes of the mountains are very steep. Also, mountains offervery little land for farming. For these reasons, mountains are thinlypopulated.
