# Hill > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Hill > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Hill.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill > Source revision: 1349790813 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Landform that extends above the surrounding terrain}} {{Other uses}} {{redirect-multi|2|Hills|Braes}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}} [[File:Uliveti monte cinto.JPG|thumb|[Euganean Hills](/source/Euganean_Hills) in [Italy](/source/Italy)]] A '''hill''' is a [landform](/source/landform) that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct [summit](/source/summit), and is usually applied to peaks which are above elevation compared to the relative landmass, though not as prominent as [mountains](/source/Mountain). Hills fall under the category of [slope landform](/source/slope_landform)s. ==Terminology== [[File:Puijon mäki.JPG|thumb|[Puijo Hill](/source/Puijo) in [Kuopio](/source/Kuopio), [Finland](/source/Finland)]] [[File:Bohol - Chocolate Hills.jpg|thumb|[Chocolate Hills](/source/Chocolate_Hills) of the [Philippines](/source/Philippines)]] [[File:تل_علياوا_(2).jpg|thumb|Hill of Aliawa in [Erbil Governorate](/source/Erbil_Governorate), [Kurdistan Region](/source/Kurdistan_Region)]] The distinction between a hill and a [mountain](/source/mountain) is unclear and largely subjective, but a hill is universally considered to be not as tall, or as [steep](/source/Grade_(slope)) as a mountain. Geographers historically regarded mountains as hills greater than {{Convert|1000|ft|m|1|abbr=none|sp=us}} above [sea level](/source/sea_level). In contrast, [hillwalker](/source/hillwalker)s have tended to regard mountains as peaks {{Convert|2000|ft|m|lk=}} above sea level. The ''[Oxford English Dictionary](/source/Oxford_English_Dictionary)'' also suggests a limit of {{Convert|2000|ft|m}} and WhittowWhittow, John (1984). ''Dictionary of Physical Geography''. London: Penguin, 2004, p. 352. {{ISBN|0-14-051094-X}}. states "Some authorities regard eminences above {{convert|600|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} as mountains, those below being referred to as hills." Today, a mountain is usually defined in the UK and Ireland as any summit at least {{convert|2,000|ft|m|disp=or|sp=us}} high, {{cite book | last=Nuttall | first=John & Anne | title=The Mountains of England & Wales - Volume 2: England | edition=3rd | year=2008 | publisher=Cicerone | location=Milnthorpe, Cumbria | isbn=978-1-85284-037-2}} {{cite web|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/north_west/7623904.stm|title=Survey turns hill into a mountain|publisher=BBC News|date=18 September 2008|access-date=3 February 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://www.go4awalk.com/uk-mountains-and-hills/a-mountain-is-a-mountain.php|title=A Mountain is a Mountain - isn't it?|publisher=www.go4awalk.com|access-date=3 February 2013}}[http://dictionary.reference.com///browse/mountain ''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. while the UK government's [Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000](/source/Countryside_and_Rights_of_Way_Act_2000) defined mountainous areas (for the purposes of open access legislation) as areas above {{convert|600|m|ft|0|abbr=none|sp=us}}.[http://metricviews.org.uk/2008/09/what-is-a-mountain-mynydd-graig-goch-and-all-that/ ''What is a "Mountain"? Mynydd Graig Goch and all that…''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130330062754/https://metricviews.org.uk/2008/09/what-is-a-mountain-mynydd-graig-goch-and-all-that/ |date=30 March 2013 }} at Metric Views. Accessed on 3 February 2013. Some definitions include a [topographical prominence](/source/topographical_prominence) requirement, typically {{convert|100|ft|m|1}} or {{convert|500|ft|m|1}}. In practice, mountains in [Scotland](/source/Scotland) are frequently referred to as "hills" no matter what their height, as reflected in names such as the [Cuillin](/source/Cuillin) Hills and the [Torridon Hills](/source/Torridon_Hills). In Wales, the distinction is more a term of land use and appearance and has nothing to do with height. [[File:Rolling Hills Paranal.jpg|thumb|Rolling Hills [Paranal](/source/Paranal_Observatory){{cite web|title=Rolling Hills|url=https://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1650a/|website=www.eso.org|access-date=12 December 2016}}]] For a while, the US defined a mountain as being {{convert|1000|ft|m|1}} or more tall. Any similar landform lower than this height was considered a hill. The [United States Geological Survey](/source/United_States_Geological_Survey), however, has concluded that these terms do not in fact have technical definitions in the US.{{cite web|url=https://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-a-mountain-and-a-hill.htm|title=What is the Difference Between a Mountain and a Hill?|publisher=www.wisegeek.com|access-date=3 February 2013}} The ''[Great Soviet Encyclopedia](/source/Great_Soviet_Encyclopedia)'' defined "hill" as an upland with a [relative height](/source/relative_height) of up to {{convert|200|m|abbr=on}}.[https://web.archive.org/web/20151009150601/http://bse.sci-lib.com/article119498.html Hill] at the [Great Soviet Encyclopedia](/source/Great_Soviet_Encyclopedia). A [hillock](/source/hillock) is a small hill. Other words include knoll and (in Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England) its variant, knowe.[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/knowe Knowe], ''Random House Dictionary'' at dictionary.com Artificial hills may be referred to by a variety of technical names, including [mound](/source/mound) and [tumulus](/source/tumulus). [[File:Judea 2 by David Shankbone.jpg|thumb|Hills of the [Judean Desert](/source/Judean_Desert)]] Hills may form through [geomorphic](/source/Geomorphology) [phenomena](/source/phenomena): [faulting](/source/Geologic_fault), [erosion](/source/erosion) of larger landforms such as mountains and movement and deposition of [sediment](/source/sediment) by [glacier](/source/glacier)s (notably [moraine](/source/moraine)s and [drumlin](/source/drumlin)s or by erosion exposing solid rock which then weathers down into a hill). The rounded peaks of hills results from the [diffusive](/source/diffusion) movement of [soil](/source/soil) and [regolith](/source/regolith) covering the hill, a process known as [downhill creep](/source/downhill_creep). 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 [geologist](/source/geologist)s and used in a wider geographical context. These include: * Brae – [Scots](/source/Scots_language), [Ulster](/source/Ulster), and [North of England](/source/North_of_England) term for a hillside or brow of a hill. * [Drumlin](/source/Drumlin) – an elongated whale-shaped hill formed by glacial action. * [Butte](/source/Butte) – an isolated hill with steep sides and a small flat top, formed by [weathering](/source/weathering). * ''[Kuppe](/source/Kuppe)'' – a rounded hill or low mountain, typical of [Central Europe](/source/Central_Europe). * [Tor](/source/Tor_(rock_formation)) – a rock formation found on a hilltop; also used to refer to the hill, especially in [South West England](/source/South_West_England) and the [Peak District](/source/Peak_District). * [Puy](/source/Puy) – used especially in the [Auvergne](/source/Auvergne_(region)), [France](/source/France), to describe a [conical](/source/conical_hill) [volcanic](/source/volcano) hill. * [Pingo](/source/Pingo) – a mound of earth-covered ice found in the [Arctic](/source/Arctic) and [Antarctica](/source/Antarctica). ==Historical significance== [[File:Clouds over hills.jpg|thumb|Clouds over hills in [Steptoe, Washington](/source/Steptoe%2C_Washington)]] [[File:Mysore 1 06.jpg|thumb|Hill in [Mysore](/source/Mysore)]] [[File:Vineyards in Piemonte, Italy.jpg|thumb|[Vineyards in Langhe and Montferrat, Piedmont](/source/Vineyard_Landscape_of_Piedmont%3A_Langhe-Roero_and_Monferrato). Italy is the world's [largest wine producer](/source/List_of_wine-producing_countries), and has the widest variety of indigenous [grapevine](/source/Vitis)s.{{Cite web|date=25 November 2018|title=L'Italia è il maggiore produttore di vino|url=http://www.inumeridelvino.it/2018/11/la-produzione-di-vino-nel-mondo-2018-prima-stima-oiv.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211111224545/http://www.inumeridelvino.it/2018/11/la-produzione-di-vino-nel-mondo-2018-prima-stima-oiv.html|archive-date=11 November 2021|access-date=11 November 2021|language=it}}; {{Cite web|date=3 June 2017|title=L'Italia è il paese con più vitigni autoctoni al mondo|url=https://giornalevinocibo.com/2017/06/03/italia-prima-assoluta-per-vitgni-autoctoni-ecco-i-dati-dei-vari-stati|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211101044918/https://giornalevinocibo.com/2017/06/03/italia-prima-assoluta-per-vitgni-autoctoni-ecco-i-dati-dei-vari-stati|archive-date=1 November 2021|access-date=11 November 2021|language=it}}]] 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](/source/Ancient_Rome) was [built on seven hills](/source/Seven_hills_of_Rome), helping to protect it from invaders. Some settlements, particularly in the Middle East, are located on artificial hills consisting of debris (particularly [mudbricks](/source/Mudbrick)) that has accumulated over many generations. Such a location is known as a "[tell](/source/tell_(archaeology))".Wilkinson, T.J. ''Archaeological landscapes of the near east''. [Tucson](/source/Tucson%2C_Arizona): [U of Arizona P](/source/University_of_Arizona_Press), 2003, 226. In [Northern Europe](/source/Northern_Europe), many ancient monuments are sited in heaps.{{clarify|date=December 2018}} Some of these are defensive structures (such as the [hillforts](/source/Hillfort) of the [Iron Age](/source/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](/source/Washington_National_Cathedral) in [Washington, D.C.](/source/Washington%2C_D.C.) has followed this tradition and was built on the highest hill in that city.{{citation needed|date=August 2018}} 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](/source/San_Francisco), with [its hills](/source/List_of_hills_in_San_Francisco) being central to [the city's fog](/source/San_Francisco_fog) and civil engineering projects today famous as tourist attractions such as the [cable cars](/source/San_Francisco_cable_car_system) and [Lombard Street](/source/Lombard_Street_(San_Francisco)).{{Cite web |last=Copperman |first=Amy |date=2023-01-19 |title=Answers to the most popular questions about San Francisco's hills |url=https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/san-francisco-hills-17700185.php |access-date=2023-04-12 |website=SFGATE |language=en-US}} ==Military significance== [[File:Bunker Hill by Pyle.jpg|thumb|right|British soldiers advancing uphill in the [Battle of Bunker Hill](/source/Battle_of_Bunker_Hill)]] 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 [fort](/source/fort) or other position. They may also conceal forces behind them, allowing a force to lie in wait on the crest of a hill, using that crest for cover, and firing on unsuspecting attackers as they broach the hilltop. As a result, conventional military strategies often demand possession of high ground. Because of their tactical value, hills have been the site of many notable battles, such as the [Battle of Alesia](/source/Battle_of_Alesia) in 52 BC and the first recorded military conflict in Scotland, the [Battle of Mons Graupius](/source/Battle_of_Mons_Graupius) in AD 83. Modern era conflicts include the 1775 [Battle of Bunker Hill](/source/Battle_of_Bunker_Hill) (which was actually fought on [Breed's Hill](/source/Breed's_Hill)) in the [American War of Independence](/source/American_War_of_Independence); and [Cemetery Hill](/source/Cemetery_Hill) and [Culp's Hill](/source/Culp's_Hill) in the 1863 [Battle of Gettysburg](/source/Battle_of_Gettysburg), the turning point of the [American Civil War](/source/American_Civil_War). The [Battle of San Juan Hill](/source/Battle_of_San_Juan_Hill) in the 1898 [Spanish–American War](/source/Spanish%E2%80%93American_War) won the Americans control of [Santiago de Cuba](/source/Santiago_de_Cuba) but only after suffering heavy casualties inflicted by a much smaller force entrenched on the hill top. Battles for the possession of high ground have often resulted in heavy casualties to both sides, such as the 1969 [Battle of Hamburger Hill](/source/Battle_of_Hamburger_Hill) during the [Vietnam War](/source/Vietnam_War), the [Battle of Stalingrad](/source/Battle_of_Stalingrad) and [Battle of Peleliu](/source/Battle_of_Peleliu) during [World War II](/source/World_War_II), and the 1969 [Kargil War](/source/Kargil_War) between India and Pakistan. The [Great Wall of China](/source/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](/source/Mongols). ==Sports and games== [[File:Beinn dearg torridon.jpg|thumb|right|Hillwalkers on [Beinn Dearg](/source/Beinn_Dearg_(Torridon)), Scotland]] [[File:Golf bunkers Filton.jpg|thumb|right|An example of a [golf course](/source/golf_course) in [England](/source/England) that has hills]] [Hillwalking](/source/Hillwalking) is a [British English](/source/British_English) term for a form of [hiking](/source/hiking) which involves the ascent of hills. The activity is usually distinguished from [mountaineering](/source/mountaineering) as it does not involve ropes or technically difficult [rock climbing](/source/rock_climbing), although the terms mountain and hill are often used interchangeably in Britain. Hillwalking is popular in hilly areas such as the English [Peak District](/source/Peak_District) and the [Scottish Highlands](/source/Scottish_Highlands). Many hills are categorized according to relative height or other criteria and feature on lists named after mountaineers, such as [Munro](/source/Munro)s (Scotland) and [Wainwrights](/source/Hill_lists_in_the_British_Isles) (England). Specific activities such as "[peak bagging](/source/peak_bagging)" (or "Munro bagging") involve climbing hills on these lists with the aim of eventually climbing every hill on the list. [Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake](/source/Cooper's_Hill_Cheese-Rolling_and_Wake) is an annual event in the [West Country](/source/West_Country) of [England](/source/England) which involves rolling a wheel of [cheese](/source/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|date=August 2018}} [Cross country running](/source/Cross_country_running) courses may include hills which can add diversity and challenge to those courses.{{Cite web |last=Lancaster |first=Audrey |date=2011 |title=Enhanced Cross Country Running Course Design: A Study of Historic and Recent Courses, Other Landscape-Based Sports, Athlete Psychology, and Course Elements |url=https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1935&context=etd |access-date=October 13, 2022 |website=DigitialCommons}} ==Notable artificial hills== ===Mound=== {{main|Mound}} *[Sophienhöhe](/source/Sophienh%C3%B6he), Germany ({{convert|200|m|ft|abbr=on}}) *[Monte Kaolino](/source/Monte_Kaolino), Germany ({{convert|120|m|ft|abbr=on}}) * Kvarntorpshögen, Sweden ({{convert|100|m|ft|abbr=on}}) * [Malminkartanonhuippu](/source/Malminkartanonhuippu), Finland ({{convert|91|m|ft|abbr=on}})[http://kartta.hel.fi/link/2mLsv1 Helsingin karttapalvelu] (in Finnish) * [Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor](/source/Mausoleum_of_the_First_Qin_Emperor), China ({{convert|76|m|ft|abbr=on}}) * [Five Sisters Bing](/source/Polbeth), Scotland ({{convert|70|m|ft|abbr=on}}) * [Monte Stella](/source/Monte_Stella_(Milan)), Italy ({{convert|45|m|ft|abbr=on}}) * [Blackstrap Ski Hill](/source/Blackstrap_Ski_Hill), Canada ({{convert|45|m|ft|abbr=on}}){{cite web |url=http://www.tpcs.gov.sk.ca/Blackstrap |title=Blackstrap Provincial Park |publisher=Government of Saskatchewan |access-date=19 February 2011 |archive-date=10 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100610095039/http://www.tpcs.gov.sk.ca/Blackstrap |url-status=dead }} * [Jingshan Hill](/source/Jingshan_Park), China ({{convert|45|m|ft|abbr=on}}) * [Silbury Hill](/source/Silbury_Hill), England ({{convert|40|m|ft|abbr=on}}) * [Mount Manisty](/source/Mount_Manisty), England ({{convert|100|ft|m|order=flip|abbr=on}}) * [Monks Mound](/source/Monks_Mound), Illinois ({{convert|30|m|ft|abbr=on}}) ===Man-made mountain=== * Shanghai Expo Park Mountains ({{convert|40|m|ft|abbr=on}}){{cite news |title=China's record-high artificial nature-inspired mountain to open in Shanghai |url=https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202409/09/WS66dedd3ea3103711928a6fd8.html |access-date=22 September 2024 |publisher=China Daily}} ==Gallery== File:Snow at Paranal Observatory.jpg|[Cerro Paranal](/source/Cerro_Paranal) in Chile is a privileged place for astronomical observation,{{cite web|title=The Very Large Telescope|url=https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/vlt.html|work=Telescopes and Instruments|publisher=ESO|access-date=10 August 2011}} and home of [ESO](/source/ESO)'s telescopes. File:One_Tree_Hill_Auckland._(8953921433).jpg|[Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill](/source/Maungakiekie_%2F_One_Tree_Hill) is a prominent feature of the skyline of [Auckland](/source/Auckland), New Zealand. File:Giv'at Seled, near Tzafririm.jpg|Hill in Israel File:Vigneti Val di Foro - panoramio.jpg|Hill in [Abruzzo](/source/Abruzzo), Italy File:DirkvdM orosi hill plantation.jpg|A coffee plantation on a [conical hill](/source/conical_hill) near [Orosí](/source/Oros%C3%AD), [Costa Rica](/source/Costa_Rica). File:Malminkartanonhuippu4.jpg|An arrow pointing towards the top of the [Malminkartanonhuippu](/source/Malminkartanonhuippu) hill in [Helsinki](/source/Helsinki), Finland. File:Xn ant hill.jpg|An ant mound, or [ant-hill](/source/ant-hill), a mound sometimes casually referred to as a hill File:تل_شمامك_الأثري_في_أربيل.jpg |The archaeological hill of Qasr shamamk in [Erbil](/source/Erbil) File:Vue du village de Saint-Paul-de-Vence depuis la route de La Colle.jpg|Hill upon which the village of [Saint-Paul-de-Vence](/source/Saint-Paul-de-Vence) is built, in [Southern France](/source/Southern_France) ==See also== {{Portal|Mountains}} {{div col}} * {{annotated link|Abyssal hill}} * {{annotated link|Breast-shaped hill}} * {{annotated link|Colluvium}} * {{annotated link|Crag and tail}} * {{annotated link|Dune}} * {{annotated link|Hill Country}} * {{annotated link|Hillock}} * {{annotated link|Hill station}} * {{annotated link|Kame}} * {{annotated link|Mesa}} * {{annotated link|Monolith}} * {{annotated link|Moorland|Moor}} * {{annotated link|Motte}} * {{annotated link|Mound}} * {{annotated link|Tell (archaeology)|Tell}} * {{annotated link|Witch of Agnesi}} {{div col end}} ==References== {{Reflist|2}} ==External links== {{wiktionary|hill}} {{Commons category|Hills|lcfirst=yes}} {{Wikiquote|hills}} * [https://archive.org/details/earthsculpture00geikgoog/page/n108 Earth Sculpture; Or, The Origin of Land-forms] * [https://books.google.com/books?id=nkE2AAAAMAAJ&dq=hill+landform&pg=PA49 The International Geography] {{Authority control}} Category:Hills Category:Slope landforms --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Hill](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.