NCERT Solutions for Class 6th Social Science Chapter 3 Landforms And Life
Updated on 2026-09-19
About this chapter
A landform is a physical feature on the surface of the Earth. Landforms take shape over millions of years and fall into three broad categories — mountains, plateaus and plains (Fig. 3.1). Each has its own climate, its own flora and fauna, and its own way of life. Mountains are much higher than the land around them, with a broad base, steep slopes and a narrow summit . Young mountains like the Himalayas have tall, sharp peaks and are still rising; old ones like the Aravalli Range have been rounded by erosion. Lower highlands with gentle slopes and rounded tops are hills . A plateau rises above the surrounding land and has a more or less flat top , often with steep sides. Plateaus are ‘storehouses of minerals’ — the Chhota Nagpur Plateau has iron, coal and manganese — and they carry spectacu
- Chapter opening
- Introduction
- Snow, hail and precipitation
- Two verses from Kālidāsa's Kumārasambhava
- Challenges of life in the mountains (Fig. 3.6, page 50)
- The world map of landforms (Fig. 3.8)
- A satellite view of the Ganga plain (Fig. 3.9)
- Rivers, sacred sites and tourist destinations
- The chapter in three points
- End-of-chapter exercise
Quick revision
| Term | What it means | Where it appears in the chapter | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landform | A physical feature on the surface of the Earth | Page 42, Fig. 3.1 | Mountains, plateaus and plains |
| Altitude | The height of an object above sea level | Margin note, page 42 | The altitude of Mount Everest is 8,848 m |
| Mountain | A landform much higher than the land around it, with a broad base, steep slopes and a narrow summit | Page 42 | Kanchenjunga, between Nepal and Sikkim |
| Hill | A highland lower than a mountain, with less steep slopes and a rounded top | Page 43 | The rounded hills of the Aravalli Range |
| Mountain range | A connected line or group of mountains | Page 45 | The Himalayas, the Alps, the Andes |
| Precipitation | Water from the atmosphere reaching the ground in any form | Margin note, page 43 | Rain, snow and hail |
| Montane forest | The type of forest that grows on mountain slopes | Page 46 | Pine, fir, spruce and deodar |
| Terrace farming | Cultivation on steps cut into a slope | Pages 48–49, Fig. 3.5 | Rice terraces in Uttarakhand and the North-East |
| Plateau | A landform that rises above the surrounding land and has a more or less flat top | Page 51 | The Deccan Plateau; the Tibetan Plateau |
| Plain | An extensive flat or gently undulating landform, generally under 300 m above sea level | Page 53 | The Ganga plain |
| Sediments | Particles of rock, sand and silt carried and dropped by a river | Page 53 | The silt that makes the Ganga plain fertile |
| Confluence | The meeting point of two or more rivers | Margin note, page 55 | The Ganga and the Yamuna at Prayagraj |
Exercises
- Chapter opening — The Big Questions Page 41
- Introduction — LET'S EXPLORE Page 42
- Snow, hail and precipitation — THINK ABOUT IT Page 43
- Two verses from Kālidāsa's Kumārasambhava — In-text Questions Page 46
- Challenges of life in the mountains (Fig. 3.6, page 50) — LET'S EXPLORE Page 49
- The world map of landforms (Fig. 3.8) — LET'S EXPLORE Page 53
- A satellite view of the Ganga plain (Fig. 3.9) — LET'S EXPLORE Page 54
- Rivers, sacred sites and tourist destinations — LET'S EXPLORE Page 55–56
- The chapter in three points — Before we move on … Page 57
- End-of-chapter exercise — Questions, activities and projects Page 58