(a) What are the major landforms?
Answer
The major landforms of the earth are Mountains, Plateaus and Plains.
(b) What is the difference between a mountain and a plateau?
Answer
Mountain Plateau
It is a naturally elevated surface of the earth. It is an elevated flat land.
It is higher than the surrounding area. It is a flat-topped land that stands above the surrounding area.
Mountains have peaks Plateaus are flattened highlands
(c) What are the different types of mountains?
Answer
The different types of mountains are fold, block and volcanic.
(d) How are mountains useful to man?
Answer
Mountains useful to man in following ways:
• Mountains are a storehouse of water. Many rivers have their source in the glaciers in the mountains. Water from the mountains is also used for irrigation and generation of hydro-electricity.
• They 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.
• Several sports like paragliding, hang gliding, river rafting and skiing are popular in the mountains.
(e) How are plains formed?
Answer
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) Why are the river plains thickly populated?
Answer
The river plains thickly populated as more flat land is available for building houses, as well as for cultivation.
(g) Why are mountains thinly populated?
Answer
The mountains are thinly populated because of harsh climate. Also, the slopes are steep, less land is available for farming.
2. Tick the correct answers.
(a) The mountains differ from the hills in terms of
(i) elevation
(ii) slope
(iii) aspect
► (i) elevation
(b) Glaciers are found in
(i) the mountains
(ii) the plains
(iii) the plateaus
► (i) the mountains
(c) The Deccan Plateau is located in
(i) Kenya
(ii) Australia
(iii) India
► (iii) India
(d) The river Yangtze flows in
(i) South America
(ii) Australia
(iii) China
► (iii) China
(e) An important mountain range of Europe is
(i) the Andes
(ii) the Alps
(iii) the Rockies
► (ii) the Alps
3. Fill in the blanks.
1. A ___________ is an unbroken flat or a low-level land.
► plain
2. The Himalayas and the Alps are examples of _______________types of mountains.
► fold
3. _____________ areas are rich in mineral deposits.
► Plateau
4. The _________________ is a line of mountains.
► range
5. The ____________areas are most productive for farming.
► plain