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What is the composition of a high mountainous plateau where only 3% of the area is farmland, while the majority is covered by bare rock?

User Steph Rose
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Final answer:

A high mountainous plateau with minimal farmland is often rocky and barren, with sparse vegetation and human habitation, as seen in places like the Tibetan Plateau, and shares characteristics with mountainous regions globally.

Step-by-step explanation:

The composition of a high mountainous plateau where only 3% of the area is farmland, while the majority is covered by bare rock, is often characterized by sparse vegetation and minimal human habitation. This topography is exemplified by regions such as the Tibetan Plateau, often referred to as "the Roof of the World," which sits over three miles above sea level and features a landscape that is rocky and barren. The challenges of agriculture in such a terrain are compounded by limited precipitation, which, in the case of the Tibetan Plateau, frequently arrives in the form of hailstorms mixed with wind.

Bare rock and minimal vegetation are also characteristics shared by various regions across the globe, including the mountainous topography of the Korean Peninsula, the glaciers and rock outcrops in Marie Byrd Land of Antarctica, and the highland terrain of other terrestrial planets as observed in the southern hemisphere. Additionally, the existence of high mountain ranges across the globe, such as those found in New Guinea, can lead to similarly challenging conditions for sustaining large-scale agriculture. Overall, these regions are united by their geological features, which include mostly barren landscapes with limited arable land, high elevations, and in some cases, permanent ice and snow cover.

User Ravi Limbani
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