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In the past, especially, the landforms in a region affected people’s way of

life. They influenced the kind of food that was available and how people

obtained it. Landforms affected how people travelled and the kinds of

structures they built for shelter.

Today, landforms continue to affect the size and layout of our buildings

and communities. The forces that created shields and mountains also

helped to create the deposits of minerals that we now depend on, for

example, gold, nickel, and iron ore. Figure 1.2 shows the major landforms

around the world. A shield is the flat, rocky base created when an ancient

the mountain region has been worn away. Mountains are areas of land that rise

high above the surrounding land. Movements under Earth’s surface create

high, flat plateaus.

Plains are generally flat to gently rolling stretches of land. Valleys are

depressions in the land created by running water, moving ice, or the

movement of the land. We use these fertile regions to grow food. We enjoy using

the features of different landforms for recreational activities, such as skiing

and camping.

The land supports us and provides the resources that we need. But the

land is always changing. Most of the changes are taking place over millions

of years and are too slow for people to notice in one lifetime. But sometimes

The changes are sudden and severe. They may cause great damage or even

loss of life.

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