Landforms

Finland is the world's largest glacial plateau.

Situated at the foot of a mountain and bounded on the opposite side by a plain or an ocean

Isthmus

This desert is sterile because it is blocked from moisture on both sides by the Andes Mountains and by the Chilean Range.

Iceland is located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, making it geologically active with numerous geysers and hot springs. The island has extensive volcanic activity resulting in lava flows, and its high elevation areas are covered by glaciers and snow fields year-round. Alaska has some features but not as concentrated as Iceland, while Ireland and Finland lack significant volcanic or geothermal activity.

Fjords are long, narrow inlets with steep sides created by glacial erosion. Norway's coastline is world-famous for its numerous and spectacular fjords, carved by ancient glaciers. While Alaska also has fjords, Norway is the classic and most representative example. Spain and Peru do not have significant fjord formations.

Correc answer is (2). 

In a folded mountain region, the typical pattern is anticlinal ridges and synclinal valleys. However, when erosion is more rapid on the ridges than valleys, the relief can invert - creating synclinal ridges and anticlinal valleys. This is known as Ridge and Valley Landscape or Inversion of Relief, commonly seen in the Appalachians. The other terms describe different coastal or erosional features.

Playas are flat, dust-covered areas in deserts that form in the lowest points of interior drainage basins. They are ephemeral lakes that fill with water after rare rainfall and dry up to form hard-packed clay or salt surfaces. While sand dunes are iconic desert features, playas are actually more commonly encountered across desert landscapes as they form in any topographic low. Pediments and pediplains are also desert features but less common.

Correct Answer: (A) - 2, (B) - 1, (C) - 4, (D) - 3

It is an Inselberg.

Glaciated regions are characterized by deranged drainage patterns - irregular, chaotic stream networks with no clear direction or pattern. This occurs because glacial deposition creates irregular topography with numerous kettle lakes, moraines, and other features that disrupt normal drainage. The other options describe different soil and environmental conditions (swamps, slow decomposition due to cold, acidic soils) but not glaciation specifically.

The correct matching is: Asia has the Gobi Desert (4), Africa has the Kalahari Desert (3), North America has the Mojave Desert (2), and South America has the Atacama Desert (1). These are all major desert systems located on their respective continents. The Atacama is one of the driest places on Earth, the Kalahari is a semi-arid savanna, the Mojave is a cold desert in North America, and the Gobi is a large cold desert in East Asia.

The Kalahari is not a true desert but a semi-arid region. Its aridity is primarily due to its location on the western coast within the tropical high-pressure belt (around 30°S), where descending air masses create dry conditions. While cold currents can influence coastal deserts, the Kalahari's position is more significant. The primitive nature of local populations has no effect on climate.

The correct matching is: Stalactites form in limestone caves (2), Solanchak soils are saline/sodic soils (1), Shott (or Chott) refers to salt lakes in North African deserts (4), and Sills are intrusive igneous rock formations (3). Stalactites and stalagmites require limestone, Solanchak is a type of saline soil, Shotts are characteristic salt features in arid regions, and sills form from magma intrusion between rock layers.