Major Plateaus of the World

Major Plateaus of the World is an important topic in World Geography, focusing on the distribution, formation, and physical characteristics of large plateau regions across different continents. Plateaus influence climate, river systems, mineral resources, and human settlement patterns. Understanding their global significance helps in analyzing physical landforms and geographical processes.

Major Plateaus of the World

North America

Major Plateaus of the World

Plateau

Country/ Region

Features

Columbia- Snake Plateau

Northwestern USA (Washington, Oregon, Idaho)
  • Bounded by the Cascade Range and Rockies.
  • Traversed by the Columbia River.

Colorado Plateau

Southwestern USA (Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado)
  • Grand Canyon

Ozark Plateau

Central USA (Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma)
  • Karst topography

Appalachian Plateau

Eastern USA (New York to Alabama)

Allegheny Plateau

Northeastern USA (New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia)
  • Subdivision of Appalachian Plateau

Chihuahuan Plateau

Northern Mexico and Southwestern USA (Texas, New Mexico)

Bolson de Mapimí Plateau

Northern Mexico

Mesa Central (Central Plateau)

Central Mexico
  • Surrounded by Sierra Madre Occidental & Oriental.

Yucatán Plateau

Southeastern Mexico
  • Karst region with cenotes (sinkholes).
  • The ancient Maya civilization region.

Canadian Shield (Laurentian Plateau)

Covers most of Canada, parts of Greenland and northern USA (Great Lakes region, Minnesota)
  • Precambrian crystalline shield
  • Oldest geological formation (3 billion years)
  • Heavily glaciated and eroded surface

Piedmont Plateau

Eastern USA
  • Situated between the Atlantic Coastal Plain (east) and the Blue Ridge Mountains & Appalachian mountains(west)

Edwards Plateau

South central Texas
  • karst topography

South America

Major Plateaus of the World

Plateau

Location

Features

Guiana Highlands (Guiana Plateau)

Northern South America — Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Northern Brazil
  • Source of major rivers: Orinoco, Amazon.
  • Mount Roraima (table mountain).
  • World’s highest waterfall: Angel Falls.

Brazilian Highlands (Brazilian Plateau)

Central, Eastern, and Southern Brazil
  • Divided into sub-plateaus: Mato Grosso, Campos, Cerrados, Catingas, Goias, Serra do Mar, Serra do Mantiqueira, Borborema

Mato Grosso Plateau

Western-Central Brazil
  • Covered by Cerrado (savanna vegetation).
  • Important for agriculture and ranching.

Cerrados Plateau

Central Brazil
  • Savanna-type ecosystem

Borborema Plateau

Northeastern Brazil

Altiplano/Bolivian Plateau

Central Andes — Bolivia, Peru, Northern Chile, Argentina
  • World’s second-highest plateau 
  • Contains Lake Titicaca.

Patagonia Plateau

Southern Argentina & Chile
  • Basaltic lava plateau

Europe

Major Plateaus of the World

Plateau

Location

Features

Central Plateau (Massif Central)

France

Meseta Central

Spain
  • Surrounded by the Sierra Morena and Cantabrian Mountains.
  • Important for dry farming (wheat, barley).

Bohemian Massif / Bohemian Plateau

Czech Republic, parts of Germany, Austria and Poland

Swiss Plateau (Mittelland)

Switzerland
  • Lies between Jura Mountains (north) and Alps (south)

Bavarian Plateau (Bavarian Highlands)

Southern Germany
  • Lies between Danube River and Alps.

Scandinavian Plateau (Scandinavian Highlands)

Norway, Sweden, Finland
  • Formed by ancient Precambrian shield.
  • Rugged terrain with fjords along Norway coast.

Iberian Plateau/Meseta Central

Spain

Finnish Lakeland Plateau

Finland

Valdai Plateau

Western Russia
  • Source of major rivers: Volga, Dnieper, Daugava

Podolian Plateau

Ukraine

Africa

Plateau

Location

Features

Tademaït Plateau

Algeria (Central Sahara)
  • Part of the Sahara Desert (Hamada)

Tassili n’Ajjer / Hoggar Plateau

Southern Algeria
  • Hoggar Mountains.
  • Known for prehistoric rock art

Air Plateau

Niger (Central Sahara)

Darfur Plateau

Western Sudan

El Djouf Plateau

Mauritania and Mali (Western Sahara region)

Fouta Djallon Plateau

Guinea (West Africa)
  • Source of major West African rivers: Niger, Senegal, Gambia

Loma Plateau

Sierra Leone

Jos Plateau

Central Nigeria

Adamawa Plateau

Nigeria, Cameroon

Ethiopian Highlands

Ethiopia, Eritrea
  • “Roof of Africa”

East African Plateau

Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania
  • Divided by the Great Rift Valley.
  • Volcanic peaks: Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya

Muchinga Plateau

Zambia
  • Source of the Luangwa and Chambeshi rivers.
  • Part of the Zambezi Basin

Katanga Plateau (Shaba Plateau)

Southern Democratic Republic of Congo

Bie Plateau

Central Angola
  • Source of major rivers: Cuanza, Zambezi

High Veld Plateau

Central South Africa
  • Divided into the Great Karoo and the Little Karoo.
  • Surrounded by the Drakensberg Mountains.

Asia

Plateau

Location

Features

Anatolian Plateau

Turkey (between Pontine and Taurus Mountains)
  • Continental climate
  • High seismic (earthquake) zone

Armenian Plateau

Between Black Sea and Caspian Sea (Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan)
  • Mount AraratSource of Aras River

Iranian Plateau

Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan
  • One of the largest plateaus in Asia
  • Arid climate
  • Bounded by Elburz and Zagros ranges

Arabian Plateau

Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, UAE, Jordan

Tibetan Plateau

China (extended to India, Nepal)
  • World’s highest and largest plateau
  • Source of major rivers — Indus, Brahmaputra, Mekong, Yangtze, Yellow(Huang He).

Yunnan Plateau

South western China
  • Karst landscape with limestone caves, sinkholes

Loess Plateau

North-Central China (along Yellow River)
  • Formed by wind-blown loess (fine silt) deposits
  • Very fertile, but highly erodible
  • Cradle of Chinese civilization.

Mongolian Plateau

Mongolia
  • Steppe and semi-desert

Turan Plateau

Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan

Ust Yurt Plateau 

Western Kazakhstan, northwestern Uzbekistan
  • Between the Caspian Sea and the Aral Sea

Kazakh Plateau

Central Kazakhstan
  • Between Ural & Altai range

Central Siberian Plateau

Russia (Siberia)
  • Covered by taiga forests.
  • Between Yenisei & Lena Rivers

Khorat Plateau

Northeastern Thailand
  • Sandstone plateau drained by Mekong River

Shan Plateau

Eastern Myanmar (Burma)
  • Extension of Yunnan Plateau

Lhasa Plateau

Southern Tibet (China)
  • Central part of the Tibetan Plateau around Lhasa city

Yamal Plateau

North Western Siberia (Russia)
  • Located in Yamal PeninsulaTundra vegetationPermafrost region

Dhofar Plateau

Southern Oman (Arabian Peninsula)
  • Famous for frankincense trees.

Qaidam Basin

Northwestern China

Korazim Plateau

Northern Israel

Kobdo

Western Mongolia
  • Bounded by Altai Mountains

Karakum

Turkmenistan

Bamiyan

Central Afghanistan
  • Site of ancient Buddha statues
  • Part of the Hindu Kush mountain range
  • Historically on Silk Route

Putorana Plateau

North Western Siberia (Russia)

Australia

PlateauLocation
Kimberley PlateauNorth Western Australia
Arnhem PlateauNorthern Australia
Barkly TablelandNortheastern Australia
Buckland TablelandNortheastern Queensland (Australia)
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