Importance of peninsular plateau and importance of coastal plain?

Question

Importance of peninsular plateau and importance of coastal plain?

Answer 1

I take here Indian peninsular plateau & coastal plains as example.

Plateaus are normally flanked by a long wall like mountain range of good height. The range causes good rainfall. Plateau being elevated rocky land with gentle slope, it aids in the formation of river systems. Rivers normally flow through cut-like gorges and at times deep canyons. Though there is underlying rock, plateau has good mineral rich soils formed and moisture is retained longer. These are suitable for cultivation of coarse cereals, grasses and fruit bearing trees. At places immediately behind the mountains there are rain shadow regions where water needs to be drawn up from the rivers by damming them at higher reaches. Rocks being old formations (called continental 'shield') are rich in a variety of minerals. Being at comforatble heights these table-lands offer salubrious climate for comforatble living. Proper land use, exploiting the minerals associated with geological old rock and judicious use of 'abundant land/scarce water'

combination can lead to prosperity of industrial kind.

On the margins of plateaus towards the coast are lands formed by alluvial deposits of the rivers that run through and join the sea. These are hot and sweaty in tropical belts of the globe, but preferred for large human settlements. Wide deltas are also formed due to the weathred old rock of plateau adding fertile silt as load to the river. All this and easy availability of water makes agriculture the preferred economic activity. Coastal areas are very important thus for agiculture, fisheries (sea and inland). Also the sea and ports are essential for trade, export/import and the associated commerce (shipping, transport, marketing of agricultural produce, insurance, banking and such services).

All coastal areas are not that well endowed just as there are bone-dry plateaus. In mid-latitudes (25 to 38 degrees) on western continental margins the cold sea waters of those latitudes creates no moist sea winds resulting in desertification of coasts right into the interior. Starting from Makran coast (Pakistan) to west - Iran, Persian Gulf coasts, are examples.