In World Geography, Broad Physical Features such as mountains, plateaus, plains, and deserts define the Earth’s diverse topography, sculpted by internal tectonic forces and external processes like erosion.
These second-order relief features profoundly shape global climate, ecosystems, and human civilizations.
There is considerable variation in the shapes of the various landforms visible on the Earth’s surface such as continents, oceans, mountains, plateaus, plains, lakes, deserts, etc. The major topographical forms are divided into three categories.
- First order relief features – continents, oceans
- Second order relief features – mountains, plateaus, plains, deserts
- Third order relief features – valleys, deltas etc.
The various landforms of the Earth’s crust are formed as a result of the interaction of the Earth’s internal and external forces.
In this chapter, we will study the following important topics:
Broad Physical Features: Mountains, Plateaus, Plains, Deserts /
