NCERT Textbook: Landforms and Life | Geography for UPSC CSE PDF Download

 Page 1


41
3 – Landforms and Life
Landforms and Life
CHAPTER
3
Free from the burden of human beings, may the Earth 
with many heights, slopes and great plains, bearing plants 
endowed with varied powers, spread out for us and show 
us her riches! … The Earth is my mother and I am her 
child.
— Atharva Veda, Bhumi Sukta (‘Hymn to the Earth’)
1. What are the major types of 
landforms and their significance 
to life and culture? 
2. What are the challenges and 
opportunities of life associated 
with each landform?
The Big 
Questions
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Page 2


41
3 – Landforms and Life
Landforms and Life
CHAPTER
3
Free from the burden of human beings, may the Earth 
with many heights, slopes and great plains, bearing plants 
endowed with varied powers, spread out for us and show 
us her riches! … The Earth is my mother and I am her 
child.
— Atharva Veda, Bhumi Sukta (‘Hymn to the Earth’)
1. What are the major types of 
landforms and their significance 
to life and culture? 
2. What are the challenges and 
opportunities of life associated 
with each landform?
The Big 
Questions
3-100724_v7A.indd   41 3-100724_v7A.indd   41 11-Jul-24   4:21:43 PM 11-Jul-24   4:21:43 PM
42
Exploring Society: India and Beyond  
India and the World: Land and the People
Introduction
Humans, like most mammals, live on land. Land, as you may 
have noticed, has many forms and features; its appearance 
changes a lot from one region to another. Suppose that you 
are travelling by road from the region known as Chhota 
Nagpur in Jharkhand, reach Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, 
and go on to Almora in Uttarakhand. On the way, you will 
see very different landscapes. In fact, you will encounter 
three major landforms, which we will now explore.
LET’S EXPLORE
 Æ 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.
 Æ 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.
A landform is a physical feature on the surface of our  
planet Earth. Landforms take shape over millions of years 
and have a significant connection with the environment 
and life. They can broadly be divided into three categories 
— mountains, plateaus and plains (Fig. 3.1). 
These landforms have different climates and are home to 
a variety of flora and fauna. Humans have adapted to all 
landforms, but the number of people living on different 
kinds of landforms varies throughout the world. 
Mountains 
Mountains are landforms that are much higher than the 
surrounding landscape. They can be recognised by a broad 
base, steep slopes and a narrow summit. Depending on 
their height, some mountains are covered with snow. At 
lower altitudes, the snow melts every summer and turns 
Altitude:  
The height 
of an object 
above 
s e a l e v e l .   
Examples: 
 the altitude  
of a 
mountain, 
the altitude 
of a bird 
or plane in 
flight, the 
altitude of a 
satellite.
3-100724_v7A.indd   42 3-100724_v7A.indd   42 11-Jul-24   4:21:43 PM 11-Jul-24   4:21:43 PM
Page 3


41
3 – Landforms and Life
Landforms and Life
CHAPTER
3
Free from the burden of human beings, may the Earth 
with many heights, slopes and great plains, bearing plants 
endowed with varied powers, spread out for us and show 
us her riches! … The Earth is my mother and I am her 
child.
— Atharva Veda, Bhumi Sukta (‘Hymn to the Earth’)
1. What are the major types of 
landforms and their significance 
to life and culture? 
2. What are the challenges and 
opportunities of life associated 
with each landform?
The Big 
Questions
3-100724_v7A.indd   41 3-100724_v7A.indd   41 11-Jul-24   4:21:43 PM 11-Jul-24   4:21:43 PM
42
Exploring Society: India and Beyond  
India and the World: Land and the People
Introduction
Humans, like most mammals, live on land. Land, as you may 
have noticed, has many forms and features; its appearance 
changes a lot from one region to another. Suppose that you 
are travelling by road from the region known as Chhota 
Nagpur in Jharkhand, reach Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, 
and go on to Almora in Uttarakhand. On the way, you will 
see very different landscapes. In fact, you will encounter 
three major landforms, which we will now explore.
LET’S EXPLORE
 Æ 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.
 Æ 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.
A landform is a physical feature on the surface of our  
planet Earth. Landforms take shape over millions of years 
and have a significant connection with the environment 
and life. They can broadly be divided into three categories 
— mountains, plateaus and plains (Fig. 3.1). 
These landforms have different climates and are home to 
a variety of flora and fauna. Humans have adapted to all 
landforms, but the number of people living on different 
kinds of landforms varies throughout the world. 
Mountains 
Mountains are landforms that are much higher than the 
surrounding landscape. They can be recognised by a broad 
base, steep slopes and a narrow summit. Depending on 
their height, some mountains are covered with snow. At 
lower altitudes, the snow melts every summer and turns 
Altitude:  
The height 
of an object 
above 
s e a l e v e l .   
Examples: 
 the altitude  
of a 
mountain, 
the altitude 
of a bird 
or plane in 
flight, the 
altitude of a 
satellite.
3-100724_v7A.indd   42 3-100724_v7A.indd   42 11-Jul-24   4:21:43 PM 11-Jul-24   4:21:43 PM
43
3 – Landforms and Life
Fig. 3.1. This drawing illustrates three landforms — mountains in the 
background (two of them snow-capped), a plateau on the left and a plain in 
the foreground, with a river emerging from the mountains.
into water that feeds rivers. At high altitudes, the snow 
may never melt, leaving the mountain permanently snow-
capped. 
Other highlands with a lower height, less steep slopes and 
rounded tops are called hills.
THINK ABOUT IT
What is snow? Unless you live in a Himalayan region (such  
as Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, 
Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh), you may never have seen  
snow! In the rest of India, most precipitation is in the form 
of rain and hail. But at higher altitudes, if it is cold enough,  
snow will fall, covering the landscape in a soft and beautiful 
white blanket. Snow and hailstones are nothing but 
precipitation of water in a solid state.
Precipitation: 
Water 
from the 
atmosphere 
reaching the 
ground in any 
form — rain, 
snow and 
hail are the 
most common 
forms of 
precipitation.
3-100724_v7A.indd   43 3-100724_v7A.indd   43 11-Jul-24   4:21:44 PM 11-Jul-24   4:21:44 PM
Page 4


41
3 – Landforms and Life
Landforms and Life
CHAPTER
3
Free from the burden of human beings, may the Earth 
with many heights, slopes and great plains, bearing plants 
endowed with varied powers, spread out for us and show 
us her riches! … The Earth is my mother and I am her 
child.
— Atharva Veda, Bhumi Sukta (‘Hymn to the Earth’)
1. What are the major types of 
landforms and their significance 
to life and culture? 
2. What are the challenges and 
opportunities of life associated 
with each landform?
The Big 
Questions
3-100724_v7A.indd   41 3-100724_v7A.indd   41 11-Jul-24   4:21:43 PM 11-Jul-24   4:21:43 PM
42
Exploring Society: India and Beyond  
India and the World: Land and the People
Introduction
Humans, like most mammals, live on land. Land, as you may 
have noticed, has many forms and features; its appearance 
changes a lot from one region to another. Suppose that you 
are travelling by road from the region known as Chhota 
Nagpur in Jharkhand, reach Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, 
and go on to Almora in Uttarakhand. On the way, you will 
see very different landscapes. In fact, you will encounter 
three major landforms, which we will now explore.
LET’S EXPLORE
 Æ 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.
 Æ 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.
A landform is a physical feature on the surface of our  
planet Earth. Landforms take shape over millions of years 
and have a significant connection with the environment 
and life. They can broadly be divided into three categories 
— mountains, plateaus and plains (Fig. 3.1). 
These landforms have different climates and are home to 
a variety of flora and fauna. Humans have adapted to all 
landforms, but the number of people living on different 
kinds of landforms varies throughout the world. 
Mountains 
Mountains are landforms that are much higher than the 
surrounding landscape. They can be recognised by a broad 
base, steep slopes and a narrow summit. Depending on 
their height, some mountains are covered with snow. At 
lower altitudes, the snow melts every summer and turns 
Altitude:  
The height 
of an object 
above 
s e a l e v e l .   
Examples: 
 the altitude  
of a 
mountain, 
the altitude 
of a bird 
or plane in 
flight, the 
altitude of a 
satellite.
3-100724_v7A.indd   42 3-100724_v7A.indd   42 11-Jul-24   4:21:43 PM 11-Jul-24   4:21:43 PM
43
3 – Landforms and Life
Fig. 3.1. This drawing illustrates three landforms — mountains in the 
background (two of them snow-capped), a plateau on the left and a plain in 
the foreground, with a river emerging from the mountains.
into water that feeds rivers. At high altitudes, the snow 
may never melt, leaving the mountain permanently snow-
capped. 
Other highlands with a lower height, less steep slopes and 
rounded tops are called hills.
THINK ABOUT IT
What is snow? Unless you live in a Himalayan region (such  
as Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, 
Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh), you may never have seen  
snow! In the rest of India, most precipitation is in the form 
of rain and hail. But at higher altitudes, if it is cold enough,  
snow will fall, covering the landscape in a soft and beautiful 
white blanket. Snow and hailstones are nothing but 
precipitation of water in a solid state.
Precipitation: 
Water 
from the 
atmosphere 
reaching the 
ground in any 
form — rain, 
snow and 
hail are the 
most common 
forms of 
precipitation.
3-100724_v7A.indd   43 3-100724_v7A.indd   43 11-Jul-24   4:21:44 PM 11-Jul-24   4:21:44 PM
44
Exploring Society: India and Beyond  
India and the World: Land and the People
Fig. 3.2. Pictures of six mountains of the world
Mount Aconcagua
Mount Anamudi 
Mount Everest
Mount Kanchenjunga
Mont Blanc
Mount Kilimanjaro
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Page 5


41
3 – Landforms and Life
Landforms and Life
CHAPTER
3
Free from the burden of human beings, may the Earth 
with many heights, slopes and great plains, bearing plants 
endowed with varied powers, spread out for us and show 
us her riches! … The Earth is my mother and I am her 
child.
— Atharva Veda, Bhumi Sukta (‘Hymn to the Earth’)
1. What are the major types of 
landforms and their significance 
to life and culture? 
2. What are the challenges and 
opportunities of life associated 
with each landform?
The Big 
Questions
3-100724_v7A.indd   41 3-100724_v7A.indd   41 11-Jul-24   4:21:43 PM 11-Jul-24   4:21:43 PM
42
Exploring Society: India and Beyond  
India and the World: Land and the People
Introduction
Humans, like most mammals, live on land. Land, as you may 
have noticed, has many forms and features; its appearance 
changes a lot from one region to another. Suppose that you 
are travelling by road from the region known as Chhota 
Nagpur in Jharkhand, reach Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, 
and go on to Almora in Uttarakhand. On the way, you will 
see very different landscapes. In fact, you will encounter 
three major landforms, which we will now explore.
LET’S EXPLORE
 Æ 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.
 Æ 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.
A landform is a physical feature on the surface of our  
planet Earth. Landforms take shape over millions of years 
and have a significant connection with the environment 
and life. They can broadly be divided into three categories 
— mountains, plateaus and plains (Fig. 3.1). 
These landforms have different climates and are home to 
a variety of flora and fauna. Humans have adapted to all 
landforms, but the number of people living on different 
kinds of landforms varies throughout the world. 
Mountains 
Mountains are landforms that are much higher than the 
surrounding landscape. They can be recognised by a broad 
base, steep slopes and a narrow summit. Depending on 
their height, some mountains are covered with snow. At 
lower altitudes, the snow melts every summer and turns 
Altitude:  
The height 
of an object 
above 
s e a l e v e l .   
Examples: 
 the altitude  
of a 
mountain, 
the altitude 
of a bird 
or plane in 
flight, the 
altitude of a 
satellite.
3-100724_v7A.indd   42 3-100724_v7A.indd   42 11-Jul-24   4:21:43 PM 11-Jul-24   4:21:43 PM
43
3 – Landforms and Life
Fig. 3.1. This drawing illustrates three landforms — mountains in the 
background (two of them snow-capped), a plateau on the left and a plain in 
the foreground, with a river emerging from the mountains.
into water that feeds rivers. At high altitudes, the snow 
may never melt, leaving the mountain permanently snow-
capped. 
Other highlands with a lower height, less steep slopes and 
rounded tops are called hills.
THINK ABOUT IT
What is snow? Unless you live in a Himalayan region (such  
as Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, 
Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh), you may never have seen  
snow! In the rest of India, most precipitation is in the form 
of rain and hail. But at higher altitudes, if it is cold enough,  
snow will fall, covering the landscape in a soft and beautiful 
white blanket. Snow and hailstones are nothing but 
precipitation of water in a solid state.
Precipitation: 
Water 
from the 
atmosphere 
reaching the 
ground in any 
form — rain, 
snow and 
hail are the 
most common 
forms of 
precipitation.
3-100724_v7A.indd   43 3-100724_v7A.indd   43 11-Jul-24   4:21:44 PM 11-Jul-24   4:21:44 PM
44
Exploring Society: India and Beyond  
India and the World: Land and the People
Fig. 3.2. Pictures of six mountains of the world
Mount Aconcagua
Mount Anamudi 
Mount Everest
Mount Kanchenjunga
Mont Blanc
Mount Kilimanjaro
3-100724_v7A.indd   44 3-100724_v7A.indd   44 11-Jul-24   4:21:50 PM 11-Jul-24   4:21:50 PM
45
3 – Landforms and Life
Most of the world’s mountains are grouped in mountain 
ranges, such as the Himalayas in Asia, the Alps in Europe 
and the Andes in South America. Some of these ranges 
stretch for thousands of kilometres.
Fig. 3.3. A sketch showing the relative heights of six mountains of the world
Fig. 3.2 shows pictures of six mountains of the world.  
Fig. 3.3 brings them together to give a visual impression of 
their relative heights from top to bottom. Mount Everest 
(between Tibet (China) and Nepal) and Kanchenjunga 
(between Nepal and the Indian state of Sikkim) are the two 
highest peaks of the Himalayan range. Mount Aconcagua 
(in South America) is the highest peak of the Andes. Mount 
Kilimanjaro in eastern Africa is an isolated mountain that 
is not part of any range. Mont Blanc in Western Europe 
is the highest mountain of the Alps. Anamudi (in Kerala, 
also known as ‘Anai Peak’) is the highest mountain in south 
India. 
1000 m
2000 m
3000 m
4000 m
5000 m
6000 m
7000 m
8000 m
9000 m
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