What is plain and what they look like, they know almost everything, because most of the people living on them.And human activities generally also associated with these forms of relief.At first glance, they all look the same and monotonous, because they are not observed sudden changes in altitude, in the mountainous countries are not taking place terrible earthquake, no avalanches and mudflow streams terrible.
flat or slightly hilly areas of land called the plains.They unlike hot, usually located on the ancient stable crust areas called platforms.Therefore, they are stable and immobile, and the history of their development is usually older and much more difficult than in the mountainous zones of our planet.
To answer the question about what is plain to be aware of their great diversity.They may not only be different origins, and different altitude.Depending on this, is isolated:
- lowlands;
- hill;
- plateau.
By lowlands are areas of land with 200 meters high.In some inland areas of the continents, they may even be below sea level, an example is the Caspian lowland, which reaches minus 28 meters.Large areas they occupy along the coasts of seas and oceans.Everyone knows what the plains, which lie along the Gulf of Mexico - a swampy and often underflooded territory.In some cases, the coastal lowlands are located in areas of the crust, which gradually lowered.At one of these stands the famous Italian city of Venice, slowly leaving the water.Residents of the Netherlands won from the sea coming almost a third of its territory, which is constantly under threat of flooding.
Nekotrye lowlands are platform basins, such as the East-Siberian plain, and is a vast wetland area, which takes one or several major rivers.
Large areas occupied by lowlands in the valleys of major rivers.Amazonian lowlands of South America and West Siberian in the Asian part of Eurasia is considered one of the largest plains of the planet.Mesopotamian - it is the place of origin and the prosperity of one of the most ancient civilizations.
What is plain, relating to elevations can be judged by the great American desert, and the central portions of Australia.Sometimes the hilly upland areas are found the remains of ancient mountain ranges in the form of single elevations.
Highlands by all indications refer to the plains, but raised above them at a considerable height.Often they are separated by deep canyons into separate parts.In its geological history of these plots of land were first leveled and then raised new tectonic movements.A striking example is the Colorado Plateau, located in North America.
Smooth relief, favorable climate, good fertile soil contribute to the intensive development of these forms of relief, many of which are the most densely populated areas of the Earth.In this respect it stands out the Great China Plain, with such major cities as Beijing and Tianjin.
