Final answer:
A mountainous area is characterized by elevated landforms with significant height variance, often resulting from tectonic plate activity, and can have diverse climates and ecosystems. These areas typically experience sparse human settlement due to challenging terrains and may include regions with high peaks such as the Himalayas or the Western Highlands.
Step-by-step explanation:
A mountainous area is a geographic region characterized by elevated landforms with significant height variance, typically including high peaks and ridges. These regions are often the result of tectonic activities, such as the movement of Earth's crust caused by plate tectonics, leading to the creation of mountain ranges. For example, the Himalayas are home to the highest peak in the world, being a prominent result of such geological processes. Similarly, the Western Highlands of Europe display rugged mountains with sparse populations due to their challenging terrains that are less conducive to large-scale agriculture.
Furthermore, mountainous regions can possess unique ecological and soil characteristics. Areas with gentler slopes may accumulate thicker soil horizons while steeper slopes commonly experience significant erosion. In addition, climates can vary greatly with altitude, and some mountainous areas, such as those found along the equator, can even harbor permanent ice and glaciers at extremely high elevations.
Mountainous areas often exhibit great diversity in flora and fauna and can have notable cultural and linguistic diversity, as seen in regions like Switzerland. Nonetheless, the challenging terrain and climate often lead to sparse human settlements, usually concentrated in more accessible valleys and by rivers, as is the case on the Tibetan Plateau, which is largely barren and sparsely populated.