What are Landforms?
- Landforms are natural physical features of the Earth’s surface created by internal and external forces.
- They result from tectonic activity, erosion, weathering, deposition, and volcanic activity.
- Major landforms include mountains, plateaus, plains, valleys, deserts, and coastal features.
Types of Landforms
1. Mountains
- High elevation landforms with steep slopes and peaks.
- Formed by tectonic activity, volcanic eruptions, or erosion.
- Examples: Himalayas, Alps, Andes.
- Types:
✅ Fold Mountains – Himalayas, Alps.
✅ Block Mountains – Sierra Nevada (USA), Black Forest (Germany).
✅ Volcanic Mountains – Mount Fuji (Japan), Mount Kilimanjaro (Tanzania).
2. Plateaus
- Flat elevated landforms, usually with steep sides.
- Formed by volcanic activity or uplift of Earth’s crust.
- Examples:
✅ Deccan Plateau (India) – Formed by lava flows.
✅ Tibetan Plateau – Highest plateau, called “Roof of the World”.
✅ Columbia Plateau (USA) – Formed by volcanic eruptions.
3. Plains
- Flat and low-lying land, formed by deposition of sediments by rivers, wind, or glaciers.
- Types:
✅ Alluvial Plains – Formed by rivers (e.g., Indo-Gangetic Plain, Mississippi Plain).
✅ Coastal Plains – Near oceans/seas (e.g., Eastern Coastal Plains of India).
✅ Loess Plains – Formed by wind deposition (e.g., Loess Plateau in China).
4. Deserts
- Dry, barren landforms with little rainfall and extreme temperatures.
- Types:
✅ Hot Deserts – Sahara (Africa), Thar (India), Arabian Desert.
✅ Cold Deserts – Gobi Desert (China), Antarctica.
5. Valleys
- Low areas between mountains or hills, often formed by rivers or glaciers.
- Types:
✅ V-Shaped Valleys – Formed by river erosion (e.g., Grand Canyon, Indus Valley).
✅ U-Shaped Valleys – Formed by glaciers (e.g., Yosemite Valley, Kashmir Valley).
6. Coastal Landforms
- Formed by wave action, tides, and coastal erosion.
- Examples:
✅ Beaches – Sandy coastal landforms.
✅ Cliffs & Caves – Formed by coastal erosion (e.g., White Cliffs of Dover, Elephanta Caves).
✅ Deltas – River mouth deposits (e.g., Sunderbans Delta).
7. Islands
- Land surrounded by water, formed by volcanic activity, coral reefs, or continental drift.
- Examples:
✅ Volcanic Islands – Hawaii, Iceland.
✅ Coral Islands – Lakshadweep (India).
✅ Continental Islands – Greenland.
MCQs on Landforms
1. Which of the following is the highest plateau in the world?
a) Deccan Plateau
b) Tibetan Plateau
c) Colorado Plateau
d) Loess Plateau
Answer: b) Tibetan Plateau
2. How are fold mountains formed?
a) Volcanic eruptions
b) Erosion by wind
c) Collision of tectonic plates
d) Deposition of sediments
Answer: c) Collision of tectonic plates
3. Which is the largest desert in the world?
a) Sahara
b) Gobi
c) Thar
d) Kalahari
Answer: a) Sahara
4. What type of valley is formed by river erosion?
a) U-Shaped Valley
b) V-Shaped Valley
c) Rift Valley
d) Glacial Valley
Answer: b) V-Shaped Valley
5. The Indo-Gangetic Plain is an example of which type of landform?
a) Plateau
b) Desert
c) Mountain
d) Alluvial Plain
Answer: d) Alluvial Plain
6. Which landform is created by the deposition of sediments at a river’s mouth?
a) Plateau
b) Delta
c) Canyon
d) Loess Plain
Answer: b) Delta
7. Which of the following is a volcanic island?
a) Greenland
b) Iceland
c) Maldives
d) Sri Lanka
Answer: b) Iceland
8. The Grand Canyon in the USA is an example of which landform?
a) Plain
b) Plateau
c) Valley
d) Cliff
Answer: c) Valley
Short Answer Questions
1. What are the major landforms of the Earth?
The major landforms include mountains, plateaus, plains, valleys, deserts, coastal features, and islands.
2. What is the difference between a plateau and a plain?
- A plateau is a raised flatland with steep sides, while a plain is a low-lying flat land.
- Example of Plateau: Deccan Plateau, Tibet Plateau.
- Example of Plain: Indo-Gangetic Plain, Mississippi Plain.
3. How are deserts formed?
Deserts are formed due to low rainfall, extreme temperatures, and dry winds. They can be hot (Sahara) or cold (Gobi).
4. What is a delta?
A delta is a triangular landform at the mouth of a river, formed by sediment deposition. Example: Sunderbans Delta (Ganges-Brahmaputra).
5. How are valleys formed?
Valleys are formed by river erosion (V-shaped valleys) or glacier movement (U-shaped valleys).
Conclusion
Landforms shape the physical geography of Earth and influence climate, agriculture, human settlements, and biodiversity. Their formation, types, and significance are key topics in geography and competitive exams.
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