Mountains & Plateaus

NCERT Exploring Society: India and Beyond | Chapter 3: Landforms and Life

Introduction — The Many Faces of the Land

The surface of our planet is far from uniform. If you were to travel by road from the Chhota Nagpur region in Jharkhand, pass through Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, and continue to Almora in Uttarakhand, you would encounter dramatically different landscapes. The terrain changes from a rocky, mineral-rich plateau^? to an expansive, flat plain^?, and finally to the towering mountains^? of the Himalayas. These three broad categories of land features — mountains, plateaus, and plains — are the major landforms^? on Earth.

Mountains — The Mighty Heights

Mountains are landforms that rise significantly above the surrounding landscape. They are recognised by their broad base, steep slopes, and narrow summit at the top. Depending on their altitude^?, some mountains remain covered in snow throughout the year. At lower heights, the snow melts each summer and feeds rivers. Other elevated areas with lower heights, gentler slopes, and rounded tops are called hills — they belong to the same family of landforms as mountains.

Mountain Ranges of the World

Most mountains occur in groups called mountain ranges that stretch across vast distances. The Himalayas in Asia, the Alps in Europe, and the Andes in South America are all prominent mountain ranges, some stretching thousands of kilometres.

Mountains with tall, sharp peaks, such as the Himalayas, are relatively young in geological terms — although they were still formed millions of years ago. Shorter, more rounded mountains and hills, like the Aravalli Range, are much older and have been worn down by erosion^? over time. Interestingly, some mountains, including the Himalayas, are still growing in height due to ongoing geological processes.

Mountain Environment

Mountain slopes are often blanketed by montane forests^?, where conifer trees such as pine, fir, spruce, and deodar grow tall in cone shapes with thin, pointed leaves. Higher up the slopes, trees give way to grasslands, mosses, and lichen.

Deep forests, flowing rivers, lakes, grasslands, and caves in mountain regions are home to a rich variety of wildlife, including the golden eagle, peregrine falcon, Canadian lynx, snow leopard, ibex, Himalayan tahr, mountain hare, yak, grey fox, and black bear.

Life in the Mountains

Mountain terrain^? is usually rugged, with steep slopes that make regular farming difficult. Cultivation is practised on slopes through terrace farming — steps cut into the mountainside. In many mountainous regions worldwide, herding animals is preferred over crop farming.

Tourism provides an important source of income for mountain communities. The crisp mountain air, scenic beauty, opportunities for skiing, hiking, mountaineering, and paragliding attract visitors. For centuries, people have also travelled to mountain holy sites on pilgrimages. However, excessive tourism can put pressure on the fragile mountain environment, and finding the right balance remains challenging.

Plateaus — Storehouses of Minerals

A plateau is a landform that rises above the surrounding area and has a mostly flat surface, often with steep sides. Like mountains, plateaus can be geologically young or old. Two notable examples are the Tibetan Plateau (the largest and highest in the world) and the Deccan Plateau in India. The height of plateaus ranges from a few hundred metres to several thousand metres.

Plateaus have been called 'storehouses of minerals' because they are rich in mineral deposits. Mining is a major activity on many plateaus. The East African Plateau is famous for gold and diamond mining. In India, the Chhota Nagpur Plateau holds huge reserves of iron, coal, and manganese.

The plateau environment is diverse. Many plateaus have rocky soil, which is generally less fertile than that of plains, making farming harder. However, lava plateaus (formed by volcanic activity) often have rich black soil that supports agriculture well.

Plateaus also host spectacular waterfalls. The Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River in southern Africa, the Hundru Falls on the Subarnarekha River in the Chhota Nagpur Plateau, the Jog Falls on the Sharavati River in the Western Ghats, and the Nohkalikai Falls (dropping 340 metres from the Cherrapunji Plateau in Meghalaya) are all examples of plateau waterfalls.