Introduction
Imagine you are on an exciting road trip! Starting from the rugged hills of Chhota Nagpur in Jharkhand, driving through the fertile plains of Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, and finally reaching the beautiful, scenic town of Almora in Uttarakhand. On this journey, you will witness the fascinating variety of landscapes, each unique and awe-inspiring. These different types of land are called landforms.
A landform is a natural feature on the Earth’s surface, like mountains, plateaus, and plains. These landforms are not just beautiful to look at; they also have a big impact on the environment and the way we live. Landforms have taken millions of years to form, shaped by natural forces like wind, water, and the movement of the Earth’s crust.
So, landforms are not just shapes on the ground; they are important parts of our planet that affect how we live, the climate we experience, and the plants and animals we see around us.
Mountains
Mountains are tall landforms that stand much higher than the surrounding land. You can recognize a mountain by its wide base, steep sides, and narrow top. Some mountains are so tall that they are covered with snow.
In the summer, the snow on lower mountains melts, turning into water that feeds rivers. On higher mountains, the snow might never melt, keeping them covered in snow all year long.
Hills are like mountains but are shorter, have gentler slopes, and rounded tops. Most mountains in the world are part of mountain ranges, which are long chains of mountains. Examples include the Himalayas in Asia, the Alps in Europe, and the Andes in South America. Some of these ranges stretch for thousands of kilometers.
- Mount Everest, located between Tibet (China) and Nepal, and Kanchenjunga, between Nepal and the Indian state of Sikkim, are the two highest peaks in the Himalayas.
In South America, Mount Aconcagua is the highest peak of the Andes. Mount Kilimanjaro in eastern Africa is a tall, isolated mountain not part of any range.
Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in the Alps in Western Europe. Anamudi, also known as ‘Anai Peak,’ is the highest mountain in South India, located in Kerala.
Mountains with tall, sharp peaks like the Himalayas are considered ‘young,’ meaning they formed recently in Earth’s history, although that still means millions of years ago! Older mountains, like the Aravalli Range, have shorter and more rounded peaks because they have been worn down by erosion over time.
Some mountains, like the Himalayas, are still growing in height due to ongoing natural processes.
Try yourself:
Which mountain is considered the highest peak in South India?
A.
Mount Everest
B.
Mount Kilimanjaro
C.
Mont Blanc
D.
Anamudi
View Solution
Mountain Environment
Mountain slopes are often covered with a special type of forest called montane forest. In these forests, you will find many tall, cone-shaped trees like pines, firs, spruce, and deodar.
These trees have thin, pointed leaves that help them survive in the cooler mountain climate. As you go higher up the mountain, the trees start to disappear, and instead, you’ll find grasses, mosses, and lichen growing.
Mountains are also home to a wide variety of animals. In the deep forests, near rivers, lakes, grasslands, and even in caves, you can find animals like the golden eagle, peregrine falcon, Canadian lynx, snow leopard, ibex, Himalayan tahr, mountain hare, yak, grey fox, and black bear.
These creatures have adapted to live in the unique environment that mountains provide.
The Himalayas in Ancient Poetry
These verses are from a poem written by Kalidasa, a famous poet who lived over 1,500 years ago in ancient India. The poem, Kumarasambhava, starts by praising the Himalayas.
The poem describes the Himalayas as a mighty mountain range that stretches from the west to the east, almost like a living god that covers the Earth.
The wind that blows from the Himalayas carries the mist from the Ganga River, makes the deodar trees shake, and causes the peacocks to spread their feathers. The cool breeze also refreshes the mountain people after they go hunting.
Life in the Mountains
Mountain terrain is usually rough and has steep slopes, so regular farming is mostly done in some valleys.
- Terrace farming is practiced by cutting steps into the slopes for cultivation.
In many mountainous areas, herding animals is more common than farming.
Tourism is a major source of income in the mountains because people are attracted to the fresh air and beautiful scenery.
Tourists often visit for activities like skiing, hiking, mountaineering, and paragliding.
People have also been visiting mountains for religious pilgrimages for many centuries.
However, too many visitors can harm the delicate mountain environment, making it important to find a balance.
Inspiring Mountain Climbers
Bachendri Pal: A Pioneer in Women’s Climbing
Bachendri Pal started climbing mountains when she was young and led many women’s climbing expeditions.
She became the first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest in 1984 and was awarded the Padma Shri that same year and the Padma Bhushan in 2019.
Arunima Sinha: Overcoming Adversity
Arunima Sinha lost a leg in an accident at age 31.
With Bachendri Pal’s support and training, she climbed Mount Everest in 2013 and later climbed the highest peaks on every continent, including Mount Vinson in Antarctica.
She received the Padma Shri in 2015.
Sacred Mountains Around the World
Many traditional communities around the world see mountains as sacred and worship them. Mount Everest, the highest mountain at 8,849 meters, is known by different names.
Tibetans call it ‘Chomolungma,’ meaning ‘Mother Goddess of the World,’ and worship it. Nepalis call it ‘Sagarmatha,’ meaning ‘Goddess of the Sky.’
Mount Kailash in Tibet is also considered sacred by people who follow Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Bon (an ancient Tibetan religion). Respect for mountains as holy places is common in India and many other parts of the world.
Try yourself:
Which mountain range is known as the “Lord of mountains” in ancient poetry?
A.
Alps
B.
Andes
C.
Aravalli Range
D.
Himalayas
View Solution
Plateaus
A plateau is a landform that stands higher than the land around it and has a flat top. Some of its sides are steep. Like mountains, plateaus can be old or young in the Earth’s history.
The Tibetan Plateau is the largest and highest plateau in the world, and the Deccan Plateau is another well-known example. Plateaus can vary in height from a few hundred meters to several thousand meters.
Plateaus are rich in minerals, which is why mining is a major activity in these areas. For example, the East African Plateau is famous for gold and diamond mining, and in India, the Chhota Nagpur Plateau has large reserves of iron, coal, and manganese.
The environment on plateaus is diverse. Many plateaus have rocky soil, which makes farming difficult. However, lava plateaus (formed by volcanic activity) often have rich black soil that is good for farming.
Plateaus are also known for their beautiful waterfalls. Some famous ones include Victoria Falls in southern Africa, Hundru Falls on the Subarnarekha River in the Chhota Nagpur Plateau, Jog Falls on the Sharavati River in the Western Ghats, and Nohkalikai Falls in Meghalaya, which drops 340 meters from the Cherrapunji Plateau.
The Tibetan and Deccan Plateaus
The Tibetan Plateau is very high, with an average height of 4,500 meters, which is why it’s called the ‘Roof of the World.’
It stretches about 2,500 kilometers from east to west, which is the same distance as from Chandigarh to Kanyakumari.
The Deccan Plateau in central and southern India is one of the oldest plateaus in the world, formed by volcanic activity millions of years ago.
Plains
Plains are large areas of flat or gently rolling land without any significant hills or deep valleys. They are usually no more than 300 meters above sea level.
One special type of plain is called a floodplain. Floodplains are formed by rivers that come from mountain ranges. These rivers carry tiny particles of rock, sand, and silt, known as sediments, down to the plains.
When the rivers deposit these sediments, the soil becomes very fertile, making it perfect for growing all kinds of crops. Because of this, agriculture is a major activity in plains. Additionally, plains are home to a wide variety of plants and animals.
Life in the Plains
Thousands of years ago, the first civilizations developed near rivers in fertile plains. Even today, many people live in plains because they are good for farming and other activities.
In India, about 400 million people live in the Ganga plain, also known as the ‘Gangetic plain.’ People in this region mainly work in farming and river fishing.
They grow food crops like rice, wheat, maize, barley, and millets, as well as fiber crops like cotton, jute, and hemp. Traditionally, farming relied on rainfall for water, but in recent years, irrigation has become common, with water brought to fields through canals or pumped from the ground.
While irrigation has helped increase crop production, it has also caused a decrease in groundwater levels, which is a concern for the future.
The Ganga plains also face challenges like high population and pollution.
Rivers have always held cultural importance. Many communities consider a river’s source or the place where rivers meet to be sacred. In India, many festivals and ceremonies are held at these locations.
Because plains have a gentle slope, rivers are easy to navigate, which supports economic activities. In the past, people used rivers to travel, and even today, some stretches of the Ganga are still used for boat travel.
The Five Tinais of Ancient Tamil Sangam Poetry
In ancient Tamil Sangam poetry, the land was classified into five distinct landscapes, known as “tinais.” Each tinai is associated with specific deities, lifestyles, and emotions such as love, longing, or separation. These landscapes also correspond to particular human activities.
The five tinais and their characteristics are as follows:
- Kurinji: Represents mountainous regions where hunting and gathering were the main occupations.
- Mullai: Refers to grasslands and forests, where cattle rearing was common.
- Marudam: Describes fertile agricultural plains, where farming was the primary activity.
- Neydal: Represents coastal regions, where people engaged in fishing and seafaring.
- Palai: Refers to arid, desert-like regions, where journeying and fighting were typical occupations.
Conclusion
In this, we learned about the three main types of landforms. However, the Earth’s surface is very complex, and there are other landforms too, like deserts. Deserts are large, dry areas with little rain and unique plants and animals. Some deserts, like the Sahara in Africa and the Thar in India, are hot, while others, like the Gobi Desert in Asia, are cold. Some experts even consider Antarctica a desert.
Even though deserts have tough living conditions, people have adapted to them. For example, communities in the Thar Desert in India have rich cultural traditions, including folk songs and stories about the desert. The different ways people have made all kinds of landforms their home show how adaptable and resilient we are.
Try yourself:
Why are plateaus often referred to as “storehouses of minerals”?
A.
Due to their flat surfaces
B.
Because they are rich in fertile soil
C.
As they contain vast reserves of minerals
D.
None of the above
View Solution
Key Words
- Altitude: The height of an object above Sea level. Examples: the altitude of a mountain, the altitude of a bird or plane in flight, the altitude of a satellite.
- Precipitation: Water from the atmosphere reaching the ground in any form — rain, snow and hail are the most common forms of precipitation.
- Montane forest: A type of forests that grows in mountainous regions.
- Moss: A small green plant without flowers or true roots, often spreading in a cushion-like cover.
- Lichen: A plant-like organism that generally clings to rocks, walls or tree.
- Terrain: A piece or stretch of land, from the point of view of its physical features.
- Valley: A lower area between hills or mountains, often with a river or stream flowing through it.
- Flash flood: A sudden local flood, often caused by a cloudburst.
- Landslide: The sudden collapse of a mass of earth or rock from a mountainside.
- Avalanche: The sudden fall of snow, ice or rocks from a mountainside; often occurs when the snow starts melting.
- Cloudburst: A sudden violent rainstorm.
- Sea level: The average level of the surface of the oceans, also called ‘mean sea level’.
- Confluence: The meeting point of two or more rivers.
- Resilience: The capacity to meet challenges and difficulties, adapt to them or overcome them.