Question 1: 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?
Answer:
(a) Major landforms are:
- Mountains
- Plateaus
- Plains
(b) Differences between Mountains and Plateaus are as follows:
|
Mountains
|
Plateaus
|
|
A naturally elevated surface with summit and broad base.
|
An elevated flat toped table land standing above the surrounding area.
|
|
It is much higher than the surrounding area.
|
It is less higher than the mountain.
|
|
Its height is more than 600m.
|
Its height varies from a few hundred meters to several thousand meters.
|
|
Example: Himalayas
|
Example: Deccan Plateau and Tibet Plateau
|
(c) Different types of mountains are as follows:
- Fold Mountains: Mountains formed by the folding of the strata are called Fold Mountains. For example: Himalayas and Alps are some fold mountains, The Aravalli range in India.
- Block Mountains: Block Mountains are formed when large areas are broken and displaced vertically. The uplifted blocks are known as Horsts and the lowered blocks are called as graben. For example: The Rhine Valley and the Vogues mountain in Europe.
- Volcanic Mountains: Volcanic Mountains are formed due to the volcanic activity. For example: Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa and Mt. Fujiyama in Japan.
(d) Mountains are useful to man in the following ways:
- They are store house of water.
- They provide water to rivers through glaciers.
- River valleys and riven terraces are ideal agriculture.
- Mountains have rich variety of flora and fauna.
- Mountains provide good site for the tourists.
- They are important sites for several games and sports like: Paragliding, hang gliding, skiing, river rafting etc.
(e) Rivers and their tributaries flows down the mountain slopes with sand and silt and deposited it in low lying areas and thus, form plains.
(f) River plains are thickly populated because:
- Plains are fertile, so agriculture is the main occupation of the people. It can sustain a large population easily.
- Roads and railways are easy to be constructed.
- Ideal for human habitation due to flat land.
(g) Mountains are thinly populated because of following reasons:
- Undulating topography
- Harsh climate
- Less land available for farming
- Very few employment opportunities.
- Less developed means of transport.
Add Comment