Question

The Gobi Desert stretches across China and Mongolia. Farther north, in Mongolia, is the Mongolian Plateau. This plateau is a tableland that ranges from 3,000 to 5,000 feet above sea level. A tableland is a plateau that drops off suddenly, as a table does. The Plateau of Tibet, in western China, is another example of a tableland.

Plains

Between the Himalayas and the Indian Peninsula lie the Plains of Hindustan. The plains cover the border between Pakistan and India in the west and between India and Nepal in the east. Two major rivers flow through these plains. They are the Indus in Pakistan and the Ganges in India. These rivers help make both areas centers of agriculture. Between these two areas of plains lies the Thar Desert. It is also called the Great Indian Desert. This region is very dry and warm.

Southern Burma, Thailand, and Vietnam are mainly alluvial plains. An alluvial plain is formed by the mud and soil carried by rivers. Alluvial plains are among the most fertile lands in the world.

Islands

All the islands in both Indonesia and the Philippines are volcanic. This means that they were formed when underwater volcanoes erupted. A volcano is a vent in Earth’s crust that can throw out molten (melted) rock, rock pieces, gases, and ash. The volcanoes threw up enough material to extend above the surface of the water. There are still active volcanoes on these islands. So they could erupt again in the future.

The Japanese islands are also volcanic. Therefore, most of Japan has a rugged terrain. Nearly 80 percent of Japan is covered with mountains. Many of these mountains are active volcanoes.

The island of Taiwan is divided by a central mountain range. The range runs north to south. It rises steeply on the east coast. Then it falls gradually to a broad plain in the west.

Terraced Farmlands

Terraced Farmlands

Hills

Southeastern China is mainly hills. Farmers in this area have terraced the hills. Terracing is an agricultural system in which farmers cut into the sides of hills to make stepline surfaces. They then build walls or banks around the level areas. The walls keep rainfall from running down the hillside. Terracing also prevents erosion, the carrying away of topsoil. In northeast China, the land consists of hills, mountains, and large stretches of plains.

In Real LifeMany people put up fences or walls to protect themselves from outsiders. The Great Wall of China was built for the same reason. The Great Wall was built over 2,000 years ago by the first emperor of China. It was intended to protect China from its enemies. The wall stretches for 1,500 miles, from western China to the Yellow Sea. That makes it the longest wall in the world. Now the wall is a peaceful tourist attraction.

Practice 6: Landforms

Choose the letter of the correct answer to each of the following questions.

The Himalayas stretch through the northern part of which region?
the Indian Subcontinent
Southeast Asia
Indonesia
the Indian Ocean
Which landform covers northern China and much of Mongolia?
the Himalayas
the Gobi Desert
the Tibetan Plateau
the Kunlun Mountains
What landform covers much of central India?
the Himalayas
the Hindu Kush Mountains
the Deccan Plateau
the Thar Desert
Which type of landform covers much of mainland Southeast Asia?
mountains
lakes
deserts
plains
What type of landform is created by mud and soil carried by rivers?
plateaus
alluvial plains
mountains
islands
Which part of East Asia is made up of volcanic islands?
Japan
Mongolia
Taiwan
China

Answer 1

1. A — the Indian Subcontinent
2. B — the Gobi Desert
3. C — the Deccan Plateau
4. D — plains
5. B — alluvial plains
6. A — Japan