We explain what a hill is in geography, how they are formed and what their characteristics are. Also, examples from around the world.
What is a hill?
In geography, it is called hill to certain types of elevations of the relief not very high (generally not more than 100 meters high). They are also called hills, buttes, buttes, mounds, alcoves, hills or hills, although the latter term is also used to refer to elevations of up to 3000 meters in height in some Latin American countries. It is also possible that all these names pose very specific differences in each case.
In general, the hills are minor but significant elevations of the relief, which are usually very attractive for the human being, not only for recreational or landscaping purposes: since ancient times, many temples and sacred places were located on the top of a hill or a hill, since in this way it could be symbolically closer to the gods.
Something similar happened with cities and towns built on top of hills and hills, to prevent floods or with the aim of having an overview of the surroundings, in case of military invasions or other dangers.
In fact, the word "hill" comes from the Latin collinus, which in turn derives from the word collis, with which the ancient Romans called the smallest elevations of a mountain. This voice would be related to the verb cellere, "To rise."
Hills are the result of different processes geomorphic Y erosive, such as the emergence of failures that "wrinkle" the Earth crust, erosion from higher elevations such as moutains or peaks, or even sedimentary accumulation, as in the case of moraines and drumlins, of glacial origin. There may even be mounds of artificial origin, usually isolated in plains and other types of topography.
Hills Characteristics
Broadly speaking, the hills are characterized by the following:
- They are elevations of the land of little size, generally not exceeding 100 meters in height.
- They tend to have a rounded shape and blunt tops, unlike mountains.
- Its origins can be geological, erosive and sedimentary, depending on the region and the hill type.
- Since ancient times, they have a cultural and strategic importance.
Examples of hills
Some examples of hills are as follows:
- The Yergueni Hills, located in European Russia, are about 330 km long and at a height of 222 meters.
- The Getaria mouse, located in the Basque Country, Spain, on the shores of the Cantabrian Sea, and also known as Monte San Antón.
- Vaalserberg, Mount Vaals, a 322 meter high hill in the Netherlands, constituting the highest point in the entire region.
- Teufelsberg, Devil's Mountain, a 120-meter-high dump site located in Berlin.
- The seven hills of Lisbon, on which the Portuguese capital sits, which have been given the name of "the city of the 7 hills": San Jorge, San Vicente, San Roque, San Andrés, Santa Catalina, Santa Ana and the Chagas Hill.