What are the major landforms? Write about them in brief [V. Imp.]
The major landforms are mountains, plateaus and plains.
1.Mountains.They are natural elevation of the earth surface. They are higher than the surrounding area. Some mountains are veiy high. They are even higher than the clouds. Some mountains have permanently frozen rivers of ice known as glaciers. Mountains are generally thinly populated regions because the climate is harsh there. Farming is also not easily possible there. But mountains provide us water. They have a rich variety of flora and fauna.
2.Plateaus.They are usually flat-topped table land and are higher than the surrounding area. Plateaus may be young or old. The Deccan plateau in India is one of the oldest plateaus. Plateaus are very useful for mankind. They have rich deposits of minerals such as diamond, gold, iron, manganese etc. Several water falls can be found in the plateau regions.
3.Plains.They are vast stretches of flat land. They are mostly formed by rivers and their tributaries. Plains are usually fertile lands. Hence, thick population is found there. Construction of transport network is easy. Cultivation is also easy. Plains also provide level land for the construction of houses or buildings. In India, the Indo-Gangetic plains are the regions where one can find great concentration of population.
Answer the following 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)Why are mountains thinly populated?
What kind of landforms are found in your state? Based on the reading of this chapter, say how they are of use to the people.
Quite often we use the land in a wasteful manner'. What do gou mean by wasteful manner'?[V. Imp.]
Fill in the blanks.
(a) A………… is an unbroken flat or a low-level land.
(b) The Himalayas and the Alps are examples of…………………… types of mountains.
(c) ……… areas are rich in mineral deposits.
(d) The………… is a line of mountains.
(e) The ……….. areas are most producting for farming.
State whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F).
(i) A rich variety of flora and fauna is found in the mountains.
(ii) The Rope Bridge is in Arunachal Pradesh.
(iii) Plateaus are vast stretches of flat land.
(iv) Plains are very useful because they are rich in mineral deposits.
(v) As we go higher, the climate becomes hotter.
(vi) Mt. Fujiyama in Japan is an example of volcanic mountains.
(vii) It is difficult to carry on construction work in plains.
How many types of mountains are there? Write briefly about each of them with help of diagrams.