Landforms and Life — Class 6 Social Science
Exploring Society: India and Beyond · Chapter 3
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5- Mathematics
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- Space weighted by chapter size
- Charts from the book's own data
- Traps corrected
- Space weighted by chapter size
- Charts from the book's own data
- Traps corrected
- Space weighted by chapter size
- Charts from the book's own data
- Traps corrected
- Space weighted by chapter size
- Charts from the book's own data
- Traps corrected
- Space weighted by chapter size
- Charts from the book's own data
- Traps corrected
Chapter summary
Key ideas & terms
- Landform
- A physical feature on the Earth's surface, formed over millions of years; the three main types are mountains, plateaus and plains.
- Plateau
- A landform that rises above the surrounding land and has a more or less flat top, often with steep sides.
- Plain
- An extensive flat or gently undulating landform, usually less than 300 m above sea level.
- Terrace farming
- Cultivation on hill slopes by cutting steps into the slope, common in mountainous regions.
- Tributary
- A river that flows into and joins a larger river, such as the Yamuna joining the Ganga.
- Sediments
- Particles of rock, sand and silt carried and deposited by rivers, making floodplains fertile.
Extra questions & answers
What are the three main types of landforms?
Mountains, plateaus and plains are the three main types of landforms.
How can you recognise a mountain?
A mountain is much higher than the surrounding land, with a broad base, steep slopes and a narrow summit.
Which are the two highest peaks of the Himalayas?
Mount Everest and Kanchenjunga are the two highest peaks of the Himalayan range.
Why are young mountains sharp and old mountains rounded?
Young mountains like the Himalayas are recently formed and have sharp peaks, while older ones like the Aravallis have been rounded by long erosion.
What is terrace farming and why is it used in mountains?
Terrace farming cuts steps into a slope so crops can be grown; it is used because mountain terrain is rugged with steep slopes.
Why are plateaus called ‘storehouses of minerals’?
Plateaus are rich in mineral deposits such as iron, coal, gold and diamond, so much of the world's mining takes place on them.
Which plateau is called the ‘Roof of the World’?
The Tibetan Plateau, with an average altitude of about 4,500 m, is called the ‘Roof of the World’.
Why are floodplains good for farming?
Rivers deposit fertile sediments on floodplains, making the soil ideal for growing crops of all kinds.
About how many people live in India's Ganga plain?
About 40 crore people — more than one-fourth of India's population — live in the Ganga plain.
Name two challenges of living in the mountains.
Landslides, avalanches, flash floods, cloudbursts, heavy snowfall and cold weather are challenges of mountain life.
LET'S EXPLORE
As a class activity, form groups of four or five students and observe the school's surroundings. What kind of landscape do you see? Will the landscape change a few kilometres away? Or within some 50 kilometres? Compare with other groups.
This is a class observation activity. Look around your school and note the landform. For example, if your school is in the northern plains you will see flat land, fields, roads and a river nearby. Within a few kilometres the landscape may look similar, but within about 50 kilometres you may notice changes such as low hills, a plateau edge, or a river valley depending on where you live. Different groups can compare their observations to understand local variation.
In the same groups, discuss a journey that any of you has made through a region of India. List the different landscapes seen on the way. Compare with other groups.
This is a sharing activity. For example, a journey from Delhi to Shimla starts in the flat Gangetic plains with farms and cities, then enters the lower hills of the Shiwaliks and finally the high Himalayan mountains with steep slopes, forests and valleys. Another journey, such as from Bengaluru to Goa, goes from the Deccan Plateau with rocky uplands to the coastal plains and beaches. Sharing shows India has mountains, plateaus and plains.
LET'S EXPLORE
These images (Fig. 3.6 on page 50) depict a few challenges that people living in the mountains may face. Discuss them in groups in the class and write one paragraph on each. Also discuss why, despite many such challenges, people still choose to live in the mountains.
Challenges shown in Fig. 3.6 include: 1. Landslide - sudden collapse of earth or rock blocks roads and can damage houses. 2. Avalanche - snow and ice sliding down can bury villages and travellers. 3. Flash flood and cloudburst - sudden heavy rain causes rivers to overflow and wash away fields and bridges. 4. Heavy snowfall and cold weather - makes travel, farming and daily life difficult in winter. 5. Uncontrolled tourism - traffic jams, waste and pressure on water and fragile slopes. Despite these, people live in mountains because they have lived there for generations, have adapted with terrace farming and herding, find the air, water and scenery pleasant, earn from tourism and pilgrimage, and have strong cultural and sacred ties to the mountains.
LET'S EXPLORE
Use the colour code in Fig. 3.8 to add a landform to each name. For instance, ‘Tibetan plateau’, ‘Rocky range’, ‘Nile plain’. (You do not have to remember the names in this map.)
Using the map legend: Mountain Range - Himalaya, Andes, Alps (Ural), Rockies, Alaska. Plateau - Tibetan, Mongolian, East African, Patagonian. River Plain - Indus, Ganga & Brahmaputra, Yangtze, Nile, Mississippi, Amazon. So examples are Himalayan range, Tibetan plateau, Mongolian plateau, Ganga & Brahmaputra plain, Indus plain, Nile plain, Rocky range, Andes range, Amazon plain, East African plateau.
LET'S EXPLORE
The picture in Fig. 3.9 has been taken from a satellite. It captures a portion of north India from a high altitude. Observe and discuss the image as a class activity. — Which colour is the Ganga plain?
In the satellite image the Ganga plain appears green, because it is flat, fertile and covered with crops and vegetation watered by the Ganga and its tributaries.
The picture in Fig. 3.9 has been taken from a satellite. It captures a portion of north India from a high altitude. Observe and discuss the image as a class activity. — What does the white expanse represent?
The white expanse at the top of the image is the snow-covered Himalayan mountains, which remain white due to permanent snow and glaciers at high altitude.
The picture in Fig. 3.9 has been taken from a satellite. It captures a portion of north India from a high altitude. Observe and discuss the image as a class activity. — What does the brown expanse at the bottom left of the image represent?
The brown expanse at the bottom left represents the plateau region of central India, including the Chhota Nagpur and Deccan areas, which are higher, drier and rockier with less green vegetation, so they appear brownish.
LET'S EXPLORE
Can you give examples of river sources or confluences from your region that are regarded sacred by any community?
Yes. Many rivers are considered sacred. For example, the source of the Ganga at Gangotri and Yamunotri in the Himalayas, and the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna at Prayagraj (Triveni Sangam), are worshipped. Other examples are the source of the Narmada at Amarkantak and the confluence of the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda at Devprayag. People hold festivals and take holy baths at these places.
Visit a nearby river and observe all activities there, whether economic or cultural. Note them down and discuss with your classmates.
At a nearby river you can see economic activities like fishing, farming on the floodplain, drawing water for irrigation and drinking, boating and transport, and sand collection. Cultural activities include bathing, prayers, offerings, festivals on the ghats, and fairs at confluences. Observing and noting these helps understand how rivers support both livelihood and culture.
Name some popular tourist destinations in India and identify the category of landform they are associated with.
Examples: Shimla, Manali, Darjeeling and Leh - mountains; Mount Abu - plateau and hill on plateau; Hyderabad and Bengaluru - Deccan Plateau; Panchmarhi - plateau; Varanasi, Prayagraj and Patna - plains (Ganga plain); Jaisalmer - desert plain; Puri and Chennai beaches - coastal plains.
Questions, activities and projects
1. In what type of landform is your town / village / city located? Which features mentioned in this chapter do you see around you?
Answer depends on where you live. For example, if you live in Lucknow or Patna you are in the Ganga plains and you will see flat land, fertile fields of wheat and rice, slow rivers used for irrigation and transport, and dense population. If you live in Ranchi you are on the Chhota Nagpur Plateau with rocky ground, minerals and waterfalls nearby. If you live in Dehradun or Shimla you are in the mountains with valleys, steep slopes, terrace farms and forests of pine and deodar.
2. 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 in Jharkhand is a plateau - an uplifted flat area with hard rock, minerals like iron and coal, and waterfalls. Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh is in the Ganga plains - flat, low land made fertile by river sediments, ideal for farming rice, wheat and other crops, and densely populated. Almora in Uttarakhand is in the Himalayan mountains - high elevation with broad base and narrow snowy peaks, steep slopes, montane forests, terrace farming and risks like landslides and snowfall.
3. List a few famous pilgrimage spots in India along with the landforms in which they are found.
Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, Yamunotri and Vaishno Devi - Himalayan mountains; Amarnath cave - mountains; Mount Kailash region - mountains; Ujjain and Varanasi - Ganga and other river plains; Prayagraj Triveni Sangam - plains confluence; Tirupati - Eastern Ghats hills on plateau; Shravanabelagola, Srisailam - Deccan Plateau; Dwarka and Puri - coastal plains; Golden Temple at Amritsar - plains.
4. State whether true or false — The Himalayas are young mountains with rounded tops.
False. The Himalayas are young mountains but they have tall and sharp peaks. Older mountains like the Aravallis have rounded tops due to long erosion.
4. State whether true or false — Plateaus usually rise sharply at least on one side.
True. A plateau rises up from surrounding land and has steep slopes on at least one side with a flat top.
4. State whether true or false — Mountains and hills belong to the same type of landform.
True. Hills are lower highlands with less steep slopes and rounded tops, but they belong to the same mountain type of landform category.
4. State whether true or false — Mountains, plateaus and rivers in India have the same types of flora and fauna.
False. Each landform has different climate and habitat, so flora and fauna differ. Mountains have montane forests and animals like yak and snow leopard, plateaus have rocky scrub and mining areas, plains have fertile fields and river life.
4. State whether true or false — Ganga is a tributary to the Yamuna.
False. Yamuna is a tributary of the Ganga. The Ganga is the main river about 2500 km long formed by many tributaries joining it.
4. State whether true or false — Deserts have unique flora and fauna.
True. Hot deserts like Thar and Sahara and cold deserts like Gobi have special plants and animals adapted to very little precipitation.
4. State whether true or false — Melting snow feeds rivers.
True. At lower altitudes snow melts each summer and the melt water feeds rivers originating in the mountains.
4. State whether true or false — Sediments from rivers deposited in the plains makes the land fertile.
True. Rivers carry sand, silt and rock particles called sediments and deposit them on floodplains, making the soil very fertile for agriculture.
4. State whether true or false — All deserts are hot.
False. Some deserts are hot like Sahara and Thar, others are cold like the Gobi, and even Antarctica is considered a cold desert.
Mount Everest
climbing
rafting
river
camels
desert
plateau
roof of the world
Gangetic plains
rice fields
waterway
Ganga
Mount Kilimanjaro
Africa
Yamuna
tributary