Important Questions: Landforms and Life | Social Studies for Class 6 PDF Download

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Very Short Answer Type Questions

Q1: Which two peaks are the highest in the Himalayas?
Ans: Mount Everest and Kanchenjunga are the highest peaks in the Himalayas.

Q2: What is the highest peak of the Andes?
Ans: Mount Aconcagua is the highest peak of the Andes.

Q3: What is the highest mountain in the Alps?
Ans: Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in the Alps.

Q4: Which waterfall is located on the Chhota Nagpur Plateau?
Ans: Hundru Falls is located on the Chhota Nagpur Plateau.

Q5: What is the elevation limit for plains?
Ans: 300 meters above sea level.

Q6: Which desert is known for its cold climate?

Ans: Gobi Desert.

Q7: What term describes water from the atmosphere reaching the ground in forms like rain and snow?
Ans: Precipitation.

Q8: What is the term for the sudden collapse of a mass of earth or rock from a mountainside?
Ans: Landslide.

Q9: What do we call the meeting point of two or more rivers?
Ans: Confluence.

Q10: What is Valley?
Ans: A lower area between hills or mountains, often with a river or stream flowing through it.

Short Answer Type Questions

Q1:  Name three types of landforms.
Ans: Three types of landforms are mountains, plateaus, and plains. Mountains are high and steep, plateaus are flat and high, and plains are flat and low areas of land.

Q2: What type of trees are commonly found in montane forests on mountain slopes?
Ans: The trees commonly found in montane forests are tall and cone-shaped trees like pines, firs, spruces, and deodars. These trees are special because they can grow in the cooler mountain climate.

Q3: Name three animals that live in the mountain environment.
Ans: Three animals that live in the mountain environment are the golden eagle, snow leopard, and black bear. These animals are adapted to survive in the unique mountain conditions.

Q4: What is terrace farming and why is it used in mountains?
Ans: Terrace farming is when farmers cut steps into the steep sides of mountains to grow plants. This method helps stop soil from washing away and makes it easier to farm on rough land.

Q5: What is a floodplain?
Ans: A floodplain is a special kind of plain. It is made by rivers that bring dirt and small rocks from mountains. When these rivers overflow, they spread out the dirt on the plain.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q1: Explain how mountains, plateaus, and plains differ as landforms and shape life.
Ans:

• Mountains, plateaus, and plains differ as landforms and shape life uniquely.
• Mountains, high with steep slopes and peaks like Everest (8,849 m), host montane forests and animals like snow leopards, supporting herding and tourism.
• Plateaus, flat-topped with steep sides like the Deccan, offer mineral-rich soils for mining—iron in Chhota Nagpur—and waterfalls like Hundru Falls.
• Plains, flat and low like the Ganga plain, are fertile from river sediments, ideal for farming rice and wheat for 40 crore people.
• The mountains challenge with rugged terrain, plateaus limit farming but store resources, and plains thrive with agriculture and river travel.
• Each landform’s features—height, soil, water—drive distinct lifestyles, from terrace farming to fishing, across India’s diverse landscapes.

Q2: Discuss how mountains influence climate and human activities, using examples.
Ans:

• Mountains influence climate and human activities significantly.
• High peaks like the Himalayas trap snow, feeding rivers like the Ganga with meltwater, vital for plains below.
• At lower altitudes, snow melts in summer, while high peaks stay snow-capped, creating cold climates with mosses and lichens.
• This shapes activities: rugged slopes limit farming to terraces, as in north India, while herding suits the terrain.
• Tourism thrives on scenic beauty—skiing, hiking, and pilgrimages to sacred sites like Mount Kailash draw visitors.
• Kalidasa’s poem praises the Himalayas’ winds and deodar trees, cooling hunters, showing cultural ties.
• Yet, challenges like landslides and avalanches test mountain life, blending nature’s gifts with human adaptation across ranges like the Alps and Andes.

Q3: Analyze the environmental and economic roles of plateaus.
Ans:

• Plateaus play key environmental and economic roles. 
•  Environmentally, they vary—rocky soils in the Tibetan Plateau (4,500 m) limit farming, while lava-formed Deccan Plateau has rich black soil. 
•  They host waterfalls like Nohkalikai Falls (340 m) in Cherrapunji, shaping local ecosystems. 
•  Economically, plateaus are “storehouses of minerals”—Chhota Nagpur yields iron, coal, and manganese, driving mining, while East Africa’s plateau offers gold and diamonds. 
•  These resources fuel industry, though rocky terrain curbs agriculture, unlike plains. 
•  The Deccan’s ancient volcanic origin and Tibet’s vast span (2,500 km), showing how plateaus blend natural diversity with economic value. 
•  Their steep edges and flat tops create unique habitats and opportunities, distinct from mountains and plains. 

Q4: Evaluate how plains support human life and culture.
Ans:

• Plains support human life and culture richly.
• Flat and fertile from river sediments, like the Ganga plain, they grow crops—rice, wheat, jute—for 40 crore people, over one-fourth of India’s population.
• River fishing and navigation, via boats on the Ganga, boost economies, echoing ancient travel.
• Irrigation from canals and groundwater has raised yields but risks depletion, a modern challenge.
• Culturally, plains hold sacred river confluences, inspiring festivals and rituals, while early civilizations thrived here thousands of years ago.
• The Ganga plain’s green expanse, contrasting mountains’ ruggedness.
• With gentle slopes and no high hills, plains foster dense populations and traditions, linking land fertility to human heritage across India and beyond.

Q5: Explore how humans adapt to challenges and opportunities across landforms, using  examples.
Ans:

• Humans adapt to landform challenges and opportunities creatively.
• In mountains, rugged terrain spurs terrace farming and herding, while tourism—hiking, skiing—brings income, though landslides threaten, as in Fig. 3.6.
• Bachendri Pal’s Everest climb (1984) reflects resilience.
• On plateaus, mining taps Chhota Nagpur’s iron and coal, despite rocky soils, while waterfalls like Jog Falls draw visitors.
• Plains use fertile Ganga sediments for agriculture, shifting to irrigation, though groundwater depletes.
• River travel persists, and sacred confluences host rituals.
• In deserts like the Thar, folk songs enrich culture despite aridity.
• The Tamil tinais—hunting in mountains, farming in plains—highlight this adaptability, proving humans tailor livelihoods and traditions to each landform’s unique features and hurdles.