Mountains, hills, plateaus, and plains are the four major types of landforms. Minor landforms include buttes, canyons, valleys, and basins. Most geologists classify a mountain as a landform that rises at least 1,000 feet (300 meters) or more above its surrounding area. A hill is a landform that is higher than the surrounding land and has a visible summit; they're like mountains, only shorter. A plateau is a flat, elevated landform that rises sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. A plain is a broad area of relatively flat land.
