Plateaus

A plateau is an elevated flat land.It is a flat topped table land standing above the surrounding areas.A plateau may have one or more sides with steep slopes.The height of plateaus often varies from few hundred meters to several thousand meters.Plateaus like mountains may be young or old.Deccan plateau in India is one of the oldest plateaus.The East African Plateau in Kenya ,Tanzania and Uganda and the western plateau of Australia are other examples.The Tibet plateau is the highest plateau in the world with a height of 4000 to 6000 metres above the mean sea level.

Plateaus are very useful because they are rich in mineral deposits.As a result many of the mining areas in the world are located in the plateau areas.The African plateau is famous for gold and diamond mining.In India huge reserves of iron,coal and manganese are found in the Chhotanagpur.In the plateau areas there are several waterfalls as the river falls from a great height.In India the Hundru falls in the Chhotanagpur plateau on the river Subarnarekha and the Jog Falls in Karnataka are examples of such waterfalls.The lava plateaus are rich in black soil that are fertile and good for cultivation.Many plateaus have scenic spots and are of great attraction to tourists.