LANDFORMS

GEOMORPHOLOGY: focuses on the physical landscape.

It is the study of:
The formation of physical features such as rocs and soils.
The de!elopment of landforms" rocs and soil o!er time# and"
Ho$ these features and landforms affect the physical landscape
LANDFORMS
Landforms are the different topo%raphical features of the land. E&amples include:
mountains" !alleys" hills" plains and plateau&.
The lar%er 'ari((ean islands )e.%. *amaica and Guyana+ ha!e fairly hi%h mountains and
these mountains affect the rainfall patterns of these countries. )e&plain+. ,here there are
hi%h le!els of rainfall" areas near the mountains are !ery fertile for a%riculture. -or that
reason most of the (anana farms in *amaica are located close to the .lue Mountain Ran%e
)/"0112+.
There are liely to (e !alleys or plains ad3oinin% mountains. Plains pro!ide fertile land
for farmin%# they enhance the (uildin% of roads and support dense settlements. Ho$e!er"
plains are prone to floodin%" resultin% in the destruction of crops" li!estoc and property.
Historically lar%e estates o$ned (y companies o$n most of the fertile plains# poorer
farmers ha!e (een rele%ated to steep" hilly" infertile lands. )Peasant farmin%+.
How landforms has influenced way of life
4+ -ishin% is often a social and cultural response to land that is inhospita(le to
human settlement.
5+ In islands $ith mountainous interior" coastal people often for%e stron% lins $ith
other islands across the $ater.)for e.%. 6ominica and Martini7ue+
8+ Settlement patterns in the Lesser Antilles show a clear distinction between
east and west. Most of the capital cities are located on the $est coast. Part of the
reason for this is that there are lar%e pocets of lo$lands in the $est suita(le for
culti!ation. This also has to do $ith the interaction of relief and $eather
phenomena. The $est coasts en3oy a sheltered location )(ecause of the
mountainous (ac(one+ from the $eather systems that are (rou%ht $ith the north
east trades" e.%. easterly $a!es" tropical storms and hurricanes. These systems
(rin% much rainfall and hea!y $inds to eastern locations.
9+ Plains and coastal lo$lands historically ha!e (een densely populated (ecause
these areas offer the opportunity to esta(lish societies and cultures.
0+ Mountains" hi%h plateau&" as $ell as the $ind:$ard slopes of the Lesser ;ntilles"
are sparsely settled (ecause of the difficulties for (uildin%" transport" accessin%
fresh $ater and culti!atin%.
<+ The soil is also a factor in settlement on lo$lands. =oils tend to (e thic and
fertile on plains and lo$lands (ut thin and prone to erosion on steeper slopes.