Chapter 6 - Major Landforms of the Earth
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) The major landforms are the mountains, plateaus, and the plains.
b) Mountain - A mountain is any natural elevation of the earth surface. The mountains may have a small summit and a broad base. It is considerably higher than the surrounding area.
Plateau - A plateau is an elevated flat land. It is a flat-topped table land standing above the surrounding area. A plateau may have one or more sides with steep slopes. The height of plateaus often varies from few hundred metres to several thousand metres.
c) There are three types of mountains
• Fold mountains
• Block mountains
• Volcanic mountains
d) Mountains are useful to man as
• The mountains are a storehouse of water. Many rivers have their source in the glaciers in the mountains. Reservoirs are made and the water is harnessed for the use of people.
• Water from the mountains is also used for irrigation and generation of hydro-electricity. The river valleys and terraces are ideal for cultivation of crops.
• Mountains have a rich variety of flora and fauna.
• The forests provide fuel, fodder, shelter and other products like gum, raisins, etc.
• Mountains provide an idyllic site for tourists. They visit the mountains for their scenic beauty. Several sports like paragliding, hang gliding, river rafting and skiing are popular in the mountains.
e) Most of the plains are formed by rivers and their tributaries. The rivers flow down the slopes of mountains and erode them. They carry forward the eroded material. Then they deposit their load consisting of stones, sand and silt along their courses and in their valleys. It is from these deposits that plains are formed.
f) Plains are very fertile due to which the construction of transport network is easy. Thus, these plains are very thickly-populated regions of the world. Some of the largest plains made by the rivers are found in Asia and North America. Example: In Asia, these plains are formed by the Ganga and the Brahmaputra in India and the Yangtze in China. Plains are the most useful areas for human habitation. There is great concentration of people as more flat land is available for building houses, as well as for cultivation. Because of fertile soils, the land is highly productive for cultivation.
g) Mountains are thinly populated because of harsh climate, less people live in the mountain areas. Since the slopes are steep, less land is available for farming.
Question 2: Tick the correct answers.
a) The mountains differ from the hills in terms of
i) elevation
ii) slope
iii) aspect
Answer: i) elevation
b) Glaciers are found in
i) the mountains
ii) the plains
iii) the plateaus
Answer: i) the mountains
c) The Deccan Plateau is located in
i) Kenya
ii) Australia
iii) India
Answer: iii) India
d) The river Yangtze flows in
i) South America
ii) Australia
iii) China
Answer: iii) China
e) An important mountain range of Europe is
i) the Andes
ii) the Alps
iii) the Rockies
Answer: ii) the Alps
Question 3: Fill in the blanks.
1. A ___________ is an unbroken flat or a low-level land.
2. The Himalayas and the Alps are examples of _______________ types of mountains.
3. _____________ areas are rich in mineral deposits.
4. The _________________ is a line of mountains.
5. The ____________ areas are most productive for farming.
Answer:
1. A plain is an unbroken flat or a low-level land.
2. The Himalayas and the Alps are examples of fold types of mountains.
3. Plateaus areas are rich in mineral deposits.
4. The Range is a line of mountains.
5. The plain areas are most productive for farming.
No comments:
Post a Comment