Plateaus
Class 6 Social Science · Chapter 3: Landforms and Life · NCERT Exploring Society: India and Beyond section 3.2
Learn
A plateau is a raised area of land with a fairly flat top and steep sides, like a table standing on the ground. Much of southern India is the huge Deccan Plateau. The Chhota Nagpur Plateau in Jharkhand is another one.
Plateaus are often rich in minerals like coal, iron ore and mica, so many mines are found there. Where rivers flow off the edge of a plateau, they make beautiful waterfalls, such as the Hundru Falls in Jharkhand.
Some plateaus have black soil made from old lava rock, which is good for growing cotton. Others are dry and rocky and are used for grazing animals. People on plateaus farm, mine, and build dams on the rivers for water and electricity.
The Tibetan Plateau, north of the Himalayas, is the highest and largest plateau in the world. It is so high that it is called the "Roof of the World".
Explore: which landform is it?
- Sort each card into mountain, plateau or plain.
Remember
- A plateau is high land with a flat top, like the Deccan Plateau.
- Plateaus are often rich in minerals and have waterfalls at their edges.
Quick check
What makes a plateau different from a mountain?
- It has a flat top
- It is always lower than the sea
- It has no rocks
- It is made of water
Answer
It has a flat top. Both are high, but a plateau is flat on top while a mountain rises to a peak.
Think about it
Why are many factories that use iron and coal built near the Chhota Nagpur Plateau?
One answer
Because the raw materials are mined nearby, so they don't have to be carried far. This saves time and money.
Practice
Practise with fresh questions at three levels (easy, medium, hard), some answered hands-on, with hints and worked answers. Get 4 of your last 5 right to finish the topic.