Major Landforms of the Earth - Solutions

 CBSE Class–VI Social Science

NCERT Solutions
Geography Chapter 6
Major Landforms of the Earth

Question 1: Answer the following questions briefly.

  1. What are the major landforms?
  2. What is the difference between a mountain and a plateau?
  3. What are the different types of mountains?
  4. How are mountains useful to man?
  5. How are plains formed?
  6. Why are the river plains thickly populated?
  7. Why are mountains thinly populated?

Answer:

  1. The major landforms are: mountains, plateaus, and plains.
    Mountains: Mountains are the natural elevation of the earth surface. They are considerably higher than the surface area. They have a rich variety of flora and fauna.
    Plateaus: A plateau is an elevated flat land. It is a flat-topped table land higher than the surrounding area. Plateaus are rich in mineral deposits.
    Plains: Plains are large stretches of flat land. They are mostly formed by rivers and their tributaries. They are very fertile, so they are thickly populated.
  2. MountainPlateau
    A mountain is any natural elevation of the Earth’s surface. It is considerably higher than the surrounding area. For example- The Himalayan mountains.A plateau is an elevated flat land. It is a flat-topped table land standing above the surrounding area. For example- The Deccan plateau.
    Mountains have peaks. Most mountains are formed by folding, faulting or volcanic action.Plateaus are flattened highlands formed mostly due to tectonic or volcanic action and also due to erosion caused by wind and rain.
  3. The different types of mountains are: Fold mountains, Block mountains and Volcanic mountains.
    Fold mountains: The Himalayan mountains and the Alps are young fold mountains with rugged relief and high conical peaks. The Aravali range in India is one of the oldest fold mountain systems in the world.
    Block mountains: Block mountains are created when large areas are broken and displaced vertically. The Rhine valley and the Vosges mountains in Europe are examples of such mountain systems.
    Volcanic mountains: Volcanic mountains are formed due to volcanic activity. Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa and Mt. Fujiyama in Japan are examples of such mountains.
  4. Usefulness of Mountains
    Mountains are a storehouse of water. Many rivers have their source in the glaciers in the mountains. Reservoirs are made to harness this water for consumption, irrigation and generating electricity.
    River valleys and terraces are ideal for the cultivation of crops. Mountains have a rich variety of flora and fauna. Mountain 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.
  5. Plains are the flat and low-lying areas. 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. Plains provide the most fertile agricultural land and the best living conditions.
  6. A lot of flat lands are available for building houses in plains. The available land is generally fertile also. Hence, plains are the most useful areas for human habitation as well as for cultivation. Transport network can also be easily constructed in plains. Thus, river plains are very thickly populated regions of the world.
  7. Mountains have a very harsh cold climate. The slopes of the mountains are very steep. Mountains offer very little land for farming. For these reasons, the mountains are thinly populated.

Question 2: Tick the correct answers.

  1. The mountains differ from the hills in terms of
    1. elevation
    2. slope
    3. aspect
  2. Glaciers are found in
    1. the mountains
    2. the plains
    3. the plateaus
  3. The Deccan plateau is located in
    1. Kenya
    2. Australia
    3. India
  4. The river Yangtze flows in
    1. South America
    2. Australia
    3. China
  5. An important mountain range in Europe is
    1. The Andes
    2. The Alps
    3. The Rockies

Answer:

  1. (i) elevation
  2. (i) the mountains
  3. (iii) India
  4. (iii) China
  5. (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 young fold types of mountains.
  3. Plateau areas are rich in mineral deposits.
  4. The range is a line of mountains.
  5. The plain areas are most productive for farming.