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What is a mountain?

A lake at the bottom of a mountain range

Mountains are areas of land that are much higher than the land around them.

There are many mountains across the UK.

A lake at the bottom of a mountain range

Watch: Learn about the tallest mountains in the UK

Find out more about the tallest mountains in the UK.

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The tallest mountains

A range of mountains around a lake

Some of the highest mountains of the UK are found in Scotland. The tallest mountain in the UK is Ben Nevis, which is 1345 metres high.

Here are the tallest mountains in the UK:

Ben Nevis in Scotland

Scafell Pike in England

Slieve Donard in Northern Ireland

Snowdon in Wales

A range of mountains around a lake
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Features of a mountain

All mountains have the following features:

  • They have a rocky landscape.

  • They are taller than hills.

  • They are at least 600 metres high.

  • They have either rounded or sharp peaks.

Mountains that are close to each other are called mountain ranges.

Some of the mountain ranges in the UK including the tallest mountains
Figure caption,
Some of the mountain ranges in the UK including the tallest mountains
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Did you know?

Mountains are found on every continent and even under the sea.

There's actually thousands of mountains under the sea!

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Parts of a mountain

Here are the different parts of a mountain.

An illustration of a mountain showing the summit, face, ridge, valley and base

The summit is the highest point of a hill or a mountain.

The face is the visible side of the mountain.

The ridge is an elevated crest along the top of the mountain.

The valley is the low area between mountains.

The base is the bottom part of the mountain where it meets the ground.

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Types of mountains

There are different types of mountains, depending on the way they were formed. Here are some examples of the types of mountain found in the UK.

Fold Mountains: The Highlands of Scotland
Image caption,
Fold Mountains: The Highlands of Scotland

Fold mountains

Fold mountains are created by pieces of the Earth鈥檚 crust crashing into each other.

These are the tallest mountain ranges in the UK.

A volcanic mountain  Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh
Image caption,
A volcanic mountain: Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh

Volcanic mountains

A volcanic mountain used to be an .

They are made when rocks reach the surface of the Earth, break through and then cool down, turning it solid.

Every time the mountain erupts, new layers of are added. This makes the mountain bigger.

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Mountains and people

Mountains are important for people, because they provide jobs, and .

Jobs

A quarryworker with a pick axe

Some of the jobs include:

  • mountain rescue worker

  • forestry worker

  • worker

  • mountain guide

  • farmer

  • park ranger

A quarryworker with a pick axe

Natural resources

Ceren pointing to the right

The natural resources that can be found in mountains include:

  • water

  • minerals such as iron, gold, quartz or copper

  • wood

Recreation

A walker with a walking pole and rucksack

These are some of the recreational activities that can take place at a mountain:

  • skiing

  • camping

  • rock climbing

  • hiking

  • photography

  • paragliding

A walker with a walking pole and rucksack
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Activities

Quiz: Mountain features

Quiz: UK mountains

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