Each of us saw the mountains in reality or in the picture. These natural masses also delight poets. Pushkin and Lermontov enthusiastically described them in their poems. Three hundred years later, Vladimir Vysotsky sang about the mountains. But let's approach the problem of mountains and hills not from a creative point of view, but from a scientific point of view. The surface of our planet has the most diverse relief. Among its surfaces there are plains, hills and mountains. Views of all these elevations create beautiful landscapes. But not everyone knows the difference between a mountain and a hill. Let's figure it out together.
The definition of word "mountain"
With the term "mountain", each student meets at school in a geography lesson. As a rule, in the 5th or 6th grade, depending on the curriculum. So, a mountain is a protruding outgrowth of relief above the Earth, a outgrowth is characterized by a sharp elevation of the terrain. But one can understand how a hill differs from a mountain and a cliff only when you see firsthand these natural objects.
We continue to understand further how the mountain differs from the hill. The mountain has pronounced foot and slopes. In addition, the mountain has a peak. Mountains can have both peak-like and plateau-like peaks. In addition to this classification, geologists have developed another. It is based on the theory of the origin of natural objects. According to this theory, mountains are volcanic, as well as whole, folded and vaulted. But the dry lines from the textbook are not always clear to children. They approach their parents and say: "Dad, explain how the hill differs from the mountain?"
The definition of word "hill"
With this word, everything is much simpler. In its structure, the hill has all the same components as the mountain. But there are a number of signs that make up noticeable differences.
What is the difference between a mountain and a hill
The most important sign by which a hill is distinguished from a mountain is their height. A mountain is called a relief formation with a height of more than two hundred meters. Everything below is already the hills.
There is another criterion by which you can understand how the mountain differs from the hill. This is a characteristic of slopes. At the mountains they are steep, can have quite sharp ledges. At the hills the slopes are gentle, gradually decreasing, as well as with soft outlines. The hills are round or oval due to smooth lines. Regarding the foot, it should be noted that at the hill this part is weakly expressed. The mountain, in turn, is visually separated from the plain by a bright line of the foot. You should know that mountains have areas of stone deposits - these are rocks. Vegetation is rarely present here. And the hill is covered with soil and vegetation.
All of the above criteria will help you understand the difference between a mountain and a hill.