Major Landforms of the Earth: Plains and Landforms and the People << Learners Hobby

                                                                                                 PLAINS
LEVEL  AREA
    A relatively flat or low lying land surface is called a plain. Plains are generally not more than 200 metres above mean sea level. Depending on how they are formed, plains may be level or have a rolling, wave-like surface, i.e., undulating. Plains are formed by deposition process of rivers, winds and glaciers and by uplift or emergence from the sea  like the Great Plains of USA.


TYPES
    Types of plains are named after the mode of formation, for e.g. plains formed by wind deposition are called loess plains. The Loess Plain of China is one of the largest of its kind.

    The plains are generally productive as those formed by river sediments. The areas formed by the deposition of sediments are called floodplains. Such plains are known as alluvial plains. Alluvium means soil or sediments, hence, the termed 'alluvial soil/plains'. Emerged plains are also found near sea coasts and are called coastal plains. Plains are also made by the actions of glaciers and winds.
RIVERS

    A river has three main stages in its course. Rivers originating in mountains are in the youthful stage, they have their middle and mature stage in the plains. In the upper course, the flow of water may be rapid and many smaller rivers may join the main river. Such rivers are called tributaries.
    River Ganga and its  tributaries have formed the extensive Indo-Gangetic Plain of India, Pains of Nile of Egypt and Yangtzee Plains of China are examples of alluvial plains.
    In the mature stage in the plains, a river may face many obstructions. It results in deposition of sediments. Besides formation of landforms a river divides into many streams which may never join the main river again. Such streams are called distributaries. Together with main river, the distributaries may form many landforms like delta. Ganga-Brahmaputra delta is one of the largest delta in the world. Many rivers end their courses near the sea coast. This last stage of the river is known as its mouth.
ADVANTAGES
    Plains are most useful for human habitation. Since its inception human settlements have taken place at the banks of rivers because of the availability of water and fertile soil. The deposition of alluvium and availability of water, makes these plains extremely fertile and ideal for human habitation and cultivation of crops. Indeed, the first civilizations of the world evolved along the river banks.
POLLUTION
    Human beings are one of the major agents causing water pollution apart from using it in a wasteful manner. Water is important for sustaining life on the planet. It is our duty to make Earth a better place to live and we must take care of our great heritage - the rivers.

                                                                       LANDFORMS AND THE PEOPLE
USES OF LANDFORMS
    We make use of land and water in different ways. For example, people prefer to live in plains, hill and other mountainous areas. Life is very difficult in the hilly regions e.g. Arunachal Pradesh. People travel using Rope-Bridge.

LIMITED LAND
    The geographic extent of India has remained the same for past 62 years whereas the population of human and their cattle has increased several-fold since then. A large proportion of land is occupied by mountains. From abundant resources like land, water and minerals we have moved towards scarcity due to their limited availability.
WASTEFUL USES

    We often put these limited resources like land and water to many wasteful uses. For example, houses are constructed on fertile land. Water and air are used in a careless manner. Further we often pollute these resources of land, water and air.