A mountain is any natural elevation of the earth surface. The mountains may have a small summit and a broad base. It is considerably higher than the surrounding area. While a plateau is an elevated flat land. It is a flat topped standing above the surrounding area. A plateau may have one or more sides with steep slopes. The height of plateaus often varies from few hundred metres to several thousand metres.

Additional information: Plateaus like mountains, may be young or old. The Deccan Plateau in India is the oldest plateau.