Hill
A hill is a
Terminology
The distinction between a hill and a mountain is unclear and largely subjective, but a hill is universally considered to be not as tall, or as steep as a mountain.
Geographers historically regarded mountains as hills greater than 1,000 feet (304.8 meters) above
For a while, the US defined a mountain as being 1,000 feet (304.8 m) or more tall. Any similar landform lower than this height was considered a hill. The United States Geological Survey, however, has concluded that these terms do not in fact have technical definitions in the US[9]
The
A hillock is a small hill. Other words include knoll and (in Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England) its variant, knowe.[11] Artificial hills may be referred to by a variety of technical names, including mound and tumulus.
Hills may form through
Various names may be used to describe types of hills, based on appearance and method of formation. Many such names originated in one geographical region to describe a type of hill formation particular to that region, though the names are often adopted by geologists and used in a wider geographical context. These include:
- Brae – North of Englandterm for a hillside or brow of a hill.
- Drumlin – an elongated whale-shaped hill formed by glacial action.
- Butte – an isolated hill with steep sides and a small flat top, formed by weathering.
- Kuppe – a rounded hill or low mountain, typical of Central Europe.
- Tor – a rock formation found on a hilltop; also used to refer to the hill, especially in South West England and the Peak District.
- hill.
- Pingo – a mound of earth-covered ice found in the Arctic and Antarctica.
Historical significance
Many settlements were originally built on hills, either to avoid floods (particularly if they were near a large body of water), for defense (since they offer a good view of the surrounding land and require would-be attackers to fight uphill), or to avoid densely forested areas. For example, Ancient Rome was built on seven hills, helping to protect it from invaders.
Some settlements, particularly in the Middle East, are located on artificial hills consisting of debris (particularly mudbricks) that has accumulated over many generations. Such a location is known as a "tell".[12]
In Northern Europe, many ancient monuments are sited in heaps.[clarification needed] Some of these are defensive structures (such as the hillforts of the Iron Age), but others appear to have hardly any significance. In Britain, many churches at the tops of hills are thought to have been built on the sites of earlier pagan holy places. The Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. has followed this tradition and was built on the highest hill in that city.[citation needed]
Some cities' hills are culturally significant in their foundation, defense, and history. In addition to Rome, hills have played a prominent role in the history of San Francisco, with its hills being central to the city's fog and civil engineering projects today famous as tourist attractions such as the cable cars and Lombard Street.[13]
Military significance
Hills provide important advantages to an army that controls their heights, giving them an elevated view and firing position and forcing an opposing army to charge uphill to attack a
Because of their strategic and tactical values, hills have been the site of many notable battles, such as the
Battles for the possession of high ground have often resulted in heavy casualties to both sides, such as the 1969 Battle of Hamburger Hill during the Vietnam War, the Battle of Stalingrad and Battle of Peleliu during World War II, and the 1969 Kargil War between India and Pakistan.
The Great Wall of China is an enduring example of hilltop fortification. It was built on hilltops to help defend against invaders from the north, such as Mongols.
Sports and games
Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake is an annual event in the West Country of England which involves rolling a wheel of cheese down a hill. Contestants stand at the top and chase the wheel of cheese to the bottom. The winner, the one who catches the cheese, gets to keep the wheel of cheese as a prize.[citation needed]
Cross country running courses may include hills which can add diversity and challenge to those courses.[14]
Notable artificial hills
- Sophienhöhe, Germany (200 m (660 ft))
- Monte Kaolino, Germany (120 m (390 ft))
- Kvarntorpshögen , Sweden (100 m (330 ft))
- Malminkartanonhuippu, Finland (91 m (299 ft))[15]
- Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, China (76 m (249 ft))
- Five Sisters Bing, Scotland (70 m (230 ft))
- Expedition Everest, Florida (61 m (200 ft))
- Monte Stella, Italy (45 m (148 ft))
- Blackstrap Ski Hill, Canada (45 m (148 ft))[16]
- Jingshan Hill, China (45 m (148 ft))
- Silbury Hill, England (40 m (130 ft))
- Grizzly Peak, California (34 m (112 ft))
- Mount Manisty, England (30 m (100 ft))
- Monks Mound, Illinois (30 m (98 ft))
- Mount Gushmore, Florida (27 m (89 ft))
Gallery
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ESO's telescopes.
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Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill is a prominent feature of the skyline of Auckland, New Zealand.
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Hill in Israel
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A coffee plantation on aOrosí, Costa Rica.
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An arrow pointing towards the top of the Malminkartanonhuippu hill in Helsinki, Finland.
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An ant mound, orant-hill, a mound sometimes casually referred to as a hill
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The archaeological hill of Qasr shamamk in Erbil
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Hill upon which the village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence is built, in Southern France
See also
- Abyssal hill – Small hill that rises from the floor of an abyssal plain
- Breast-shaped hill – Hill shaped like a human breast
- Colluvium – Loose, unconsolidated sediments deposited at the base of a hillslope
- Crag and tail – Geographic feature created by glaciation
- Dune – Hill of loose sand built by aeolian processes or the flow of water
- Hill Country– Region of Texas
- Hillock – Small hill
- Hill station – Town located at a higher elevation than the nearby plain or valley
- "Jack and Jill– English nursery rhyme "
- Kame – Mound formed on a retreating glacier and deposited on land
- King of the Hill– Children's game
- Mesa – Elevated area of land with a flat top and sides
- Monolith – Stone block made of one single piece; object made of one single rock piece
- Moor – Type of habitat
- Motte– Medieval fortification
- Mound – Artificial heaped pile of earth, gravel, sand, rocks, or debris
- Tell – Ancient settlement mound
- Witch of Agnesi – Cubic plane curve
References
- ISBN 0-14-051094-X.
- ^
Nuttall, John & Anne (2008). The Mountains of England & Wales - Volume 2: England (3rd ed.). Milnthorpe, Cumbria: Cicerone. ISBN 978-1-85284-037-2.
- ^ "Survey turns hill into a mountain". BBC News. 18 September 2008. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
- ^ a b "A Mountain is a Mountain - isn't it?". www.go4awalk.com. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
- ^ mountain at dictionary.reference.com. Accessed on 3 February 2013.
- ^ Wilson, Peter (2001). "Listing the Irish hills and mountains" in Irish Geography, Vol 34(1), University of Ulster, Coleraine, p. 89.
- ^ What is a "Mountain"? Mynydd Graig Goch and all that… Archived 30 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine at Metric Views. Accessed on 3 February 2013.
- ^ "Rolling Hills". www.eso.org. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
- ^ "What is the Difference Between a Mountain and a Hill?". www.wisegeek.com. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
- ^ Hill at the Great Soviet Encyclopedia.
- ^ Knowe, Random House Dictionary at dictionary.com
- ^ Wilkinson, T.J. Archaeological landscapes of the near east. Tucson: U of Arizona P, 2003, 226.
- ^ Copperman, Amy (19 January 2023). "Answers to the most popular questions about San Francisco's hills". SFGATE. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
- ^ Lancaster, Audrey (2011). "Enhanced Cross Country Running Course Design: A Study of Historic and Recent Courses, Other Landscape-Based Sports, Athlete Psychology, and Course Elements". DigitialCommons. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
- ^ Helsingin karttapalvelu (in Finnish)
- ^ "Blackstrap Provincial Park". Government of Saskatchewan. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
- ^ "The Very Large Telescope". Telescopes and Instruments. ESO. Retrieved 10 August 2011.