Page 330 - New Medley 5 Semester 1

surface of the Earth. They cover more than 20 per cent of the total area

of landmasses.

At first sight, all mountains look alike,

but they are formed in different ways. The
height and shape of the mountains vary

from region to region. The peaks can be
conical or rounded. All these variations

depend upon the age of the mountains.
Accordingly, the mountains can be young

(Himalayas) or old (Aravallis).
Mountain range covered with snow
The young mountains are high and have

sharp features. The old mountains are low
and have rounded features. At some places,

a number of mountains join together
to form a long range of mountains.

The important mountain ranges are the
Himalayas in Asia, the Andes in South

America and the Rockies in North America.

The climate in the mountains is cooler Mountain resort

than in the plains. Some of the mountain
peaks remain under ice and snow almost throughout the year. The soil
on the mountain slopes is thin and crops cannot be grown easily. It is

difficult to build roads. However, the mountains are important and useful

for human beings in many ways:

1. The mountains do not permit hot or cold winds to enter their area.

2. The slopes of the mountains have thick forests and rich grasslands.

3. Rivers originating from mountains provide water almost throughout
the year.

4. Many health and tourist resorts have developed in the mountains.

5. Some mountains have rich deposits of minerals.

6. Mountains provide stones for constructing buildings and roads.

328