CHAPTER3 MOUNTAINS, PLAINS AND PLATEAUS © Look at these figures. Which of these | “ looks like the area where you live? © Describe these four figures. Can you “point out the similarities and ifferences between them? Of the figures given on this page, one is of a plateau, one of a mountain, one of a plateau surrounded by mountains and one of plains. In the plains, the’land is level as far as the eye can see. The ground is not very uneven. Mountains have high peaks and steep slopes onall sides. A plateau does not have such steep slopes as the mountains. [f you are on a plain you have to climb the steep slopes of the escarpment to reach the top of the plateau. Here the land is almost flat compared to the mountains but is also somewhat uneven and undulating. In this way plateaus share some features of both the plains and the mountains. Some plateaus are surrounded by mountains and have hills on all four sides. "Gan you récognise which figure is- - “plain; plateau;: mountain; plateau [surrounded by mountains. — Your Region name, for instance, plains of the’ Narmada Valley, Malwa Plateau ar SS Satpura hills? 2 yo oss | ©... Hang the physical. mapofyour state on the wall of your classroom... © Locale the.area*which shows:yout®’ istrict or.tehsile sxe: gee. ste ©, Ask your teacher to hélp youto fini out’ on which,plain, plateau or:mountain’ solr village is sithatedi.00 3: Wine 86Where Do People Settle? Whether it is a plain, mountain or plateau, people live where they can find drinking water, land to cultivate crops and materials for building hous * What are the main items in the diet of the people of your area? 1. The main cereal: (like wheat, rice, ete.) 2. Dal: | 4 Meat: | 4. Spices: 5. Fish: 6. Vegetables: 7. Eggs/chicken: Nh 8. Oil: i 9. Fruits: 10. Salt * Apart from these, sugar, jaggery and salt are also important in the diet. * Which of these food items are grown or produced in your area? Make a list. Would it be correct to say that people mosily cat those food items that are easily available in their locality? For example, people who produce wheat mostly eat chapati. Where rice is grown, it becomes the staple food. Human beings cannot survive without water. Water is not easily available in all places. Villages and towns are built only after carefully considering the possib finding water. Would it be correct to say that a house is usually built of materials found in the locality because they can be carried easily to the construction site? How do people live in the plains, mountains and plateaus? As you have already seen, all three are different from each other. Each offer different kinds of possibilities and pose different kinds of difficulties. | most convenient for people to live in | and in which area is it the most difficult? Discuss the reasons. —On the previous page you saw a picture which shows some part of the hills, plateaus and plains of Madhya Pradesh. What do you recognise in the picture? Which mountains do you see in the picture? Which plains do you see? Which plateaus do you see? Does the plateau have steep slopes on its sides or is it surrounded by mountains? In the picture, which river has the biggest plain? Does any other river meet this river? What is its name? Is there any village near this river? , Which towns have been shown on the plains of the Narmada? Js Bhopal located on a mountain or a plateau? On the side slopes of which plateau is the village of Balampur located? In this picture, which village and which town are surrounded by hills? Come, let us visit villages on the plains of the Narmada, in the hills of Satpura and on the Bhopal-Vidisha plateau. 88