3. Landforms and Life

Opening Thought

The Atharva Veda describes Earth as a nurturing mother with mountains, slopes, and plains that provide abundance. Humans are her children who depend on her landforms.

Introduction

  • Humans, like other animals, live on land, which has different shapes and features.

  • The appearance of land changes from one region to another.

  • Example: A journey from Chhota Nagpur (Jharkhand) → Prayagraj (U.P.) → Almora (Uttarakhand) shows three distinct landforms.

  • Definition: A landform is a natural feature on Earth’s surface, shaped over millions of years.

  • Main types: Mountains, Plateaus, Plains.

  • Each landform has its own climate, vegetation, animals, and human settlements. Population distribution varies across them.

1. Mountains

  • Features: High landforms with broad base, steep slopes, narrow peak.

  • Some are snow-covered permanently (high altitudes); others melt snow seasonally to feed rivers.

  • Smaller highlands with rounded tops = hills.

  • Snow & Precipitation: At high altitude, water falls as snow or hail instead of rain.

Famous Mountain Ranges

  • Himalayas (Asia) – world’s highest range.

    • Mount Everest (8,849 m, Nepal–Tibet border).

    • Kanchenjunga (Sikkim–Nepal).

  • Andes (South America) – Mount Aconcagua.

  • Alps (Europe) – Mont Blanc.

  • Africa – Mount Kilimanjaro (isolated peak).

  • India (South) – Anamudi (Kerala, highest in South India).

  • Aravallis – one of the oldest, rounded by erosion.

  • Young mountains = tall, sharp (Himalayas).

  • Old mountains = short, rounded (Aravallis).

Mountain Environment

  • Vegetation = Montane forests with conifers (pine, fir, spruce, deodar).

  • Higher altitudes → grasses, mosses, lichens.

  • Animals: snow leopard, ibex, yak, lynx, falcon, golden eagle, hare, fox, black bear, tahr, etc.

Life in the Mountains

  • Terrain: Rugged, steep slopes → farming difficult.

  • Terrace farming (steps cut on slopes) used for crops.

  • Occupation: Herding common; tourism important (skiing, trekking, pilgrimage).

  • Challenges: Avalanches, landslides, flash floods, heavy snow, cold, cloudbursts, excessive tourism.

  • Cultural Significance: Many mountains considered sacred (e.g., Mount Kailash, Everest as Chomolungma/Sagarmatha).

Inspirational Figures

  • Bachendri Pal – first Indian woman to climb Everest (1984).

  • Arunima Sinha – amputee who climbed Everest (2013) and peaks on all continents.

2. Plateaus

  • Definition: High flat landform, often with steep sides.

  • Examples:

    • Tibetan Plateau – highest & largest (avg. 4,500 m, “Roof of the World”).

    • Deccan Plateau – one of the oldest, volcanic origin.

  • Minerals: Storehouses of minerals (gold, diamonds, iron, coal, manganese).

    • East African Plateau – gold & diamond mining.

    • Chhota Nagpur Plateau – iron, coal, manganese.

  • Soil: Rocky and less fertile, except lava plateaus (black soil, fertile).

  • Waterfalls: Victoria Falls (Africa), Hundru Falls (Jharkhand), Jog Falls (Karnataka), Nohkalikai Falls (Meghalaya).

3. Plains

  • Definition: Flat/gently rolling land, less than 300 m above sea level.

  • Formation: Created by rivers depositing sediments (silt, sand, rock particles).

  • Floodplains = fertile soil, best for farming.

  • Agriculture: Major economic activity – rice, wheat, maize, barley, millet, cotton, jute, hemp.

  • Population: Most densely populated landform; Ganga plain supports over 40 crore people.

  • Irrigation: Earlier rainfed; now canal & groundwater irrigation. Leads to groundwater depletion.

  • Cultural Role of Rivers: Sacred sources & confluences (Ganga, Yamuna, Ghaghara, Son).

  • Navigation: Gentle slopes → rivers used for transport and fishing.

4. Deserts (Additional Landform)

  • Definition: Large, dry regions with little rainfall.

  • Types:

    • Hot deserts – Sahara, Thar.

    • Cold deserts – Gobi, Antarctica.

  • Flora & Fauna: Specially adapted.

  • Human Life: Despite harshness, people adapt with rich traditions (e.g., folk songs, legends in Thar).

5. Human–Nature Connection

  • Sangam Tamil Literature (Tiṇai concept): Five landscapes tied to life, emotions, and deities.

    • Kuriñji – mountains (hunting).

    • Mullai – forests/grasslands (cattle rearing).

    • Marudam – fertile plains (farming).

    • Neydal – coasts (fishing).

    • Pālai – deserts (warfare, travel).

Summary Points

  1. Three main landforms = Mountains, Plateaus, Plains.

  2. Each has unique climate, vegetation, wildlife, resources, and human activities.

  3. Deserts also exist as extreme landforms.

  4. Landforms influence settlement, economy, and culture.

  5. Human life adapts with resilience and creativity.


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Answers to Questions, Activities and Projects (Page 58)

Q1. In what type of landform is your town / village / city located? Which features mentioned in this chapter do you see around you?

👉 Answer will vary depending on your location.

  • Example (if living in Odisha plains): My town is located in a plain region. The land is flat, fertile, and suitable for agriculture. Rivers provide water for irrigation, and crops like rice and vegetables are grown. The population density is also high here.

  • Example (if living in hilly/plateau region): My town lies in a plateau region. The land is elevated with rocky soil. Minerals are available nearby, and the terrain is uneven. Farming is less common compared to plains.

Q2. Let us go back to our initial trip from Chhota Nagpur to Prayagraj and Almora. Describe the three landforms you came across on the way.

  • Chhota Nagpur → Plateau (rocky land, rich in minerals).

  • Prayagraj → Plain (flat fertile land, part of Ganga plain).

  • Almora → Mountain (hilly, high altitude, covered with forests).

Q3. List a few famous pilgrimage spots in India along with the landforms in which they are found.

  • Kedarnath, Badrinath (Uttarakhand) – Mountains (Himalayas).

  • Vaishno Devi (Jammu & Kashmir) – Mountains.

  • Varanasi (U.P.) – Plains (Ganga plain).

  • Rameswaram (Tamil Nadu) – Coastal plain/island.

  • Mount Kailash (Tibet) – Sacred Mountain.

Q4. State whether true or false —

  1. The Himalayas are young mountains with rounded tops. → False (They are young with sharp peaks).

  2. Plateaus usually rise sharply at least on one side. → True.

  3. Mountains and hills belong to the same type of landform. → True.

  4. Mountains, plateaus and rivers in India have the same types of flora and fauna. → False (different types of flora and fauna).

  5. Ganga is a tributary to the Yamuna. → False (Yamuna is a tributary of Ganga).

  6. Deserts have unique flora and fauna. → True.

  7. Melting snow feeds rivers. → True.

  8. Sediments from rivers deposited in the plains makes the land fertile. → True.

  9. All deserts are hot. → False (some are cold, like Gobi, Antarctica).

Q5. Match words in pairs:

  • Mount Everest → Climbing

  • Rafting → River

  • Camels → Desert

  • Plateau → Roof of the World (Tibetan Plateau)

  • Gangetic plains → Rice fields

  • Waterway → Ganga

  • Mount Kilimanjaro → Africa

  • Yamuna → Tributary


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