What hemisphere are the Himalayas in? Height of the Himalayan mountains. Himalayas - the highest mountains

The Himalayas in India and China are the highest mountains on earth.

Where is it located and how to get there

Geographical coordinates:Latitude:29°14′11″N (29.236449), Longitude:85°14′59″E (85.249851)
Travel from Moscow-Come to China or India and there is a stone's throw. Don't Forget Your Mountain Equipment
Travel from St. Petersburg: You come to Moscow and then you come to China or India and there it's a stone's throw. Don't Forget Your Mountain Equipment
Distance from Moscow-7874 km., from St. Petersburg-8558 km.

Description in the encyclopedic dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron (published on the border of the 19th-20th centuries)

Himalayan mountains
(Himalaja, in Sanskrit - a winter or snow dwelling, among the Greeks and Romans Imans and Hemodus) - the highest mountains on Earth; separate Hindustan and the western part of Indochina from the Tibetan Plateau and extend from the place where the Indus exits them (at 73 ° 23 ′ E GMT) in a southeast direction to the Brahmaputra (at 95 ° 23 ′ E) over 2375 km with a width of 220-300 km. The western part of the Himalayas (hereinafter referred to as G.) at 36 ° N. sh. so closely connected in one mountain knot (the greatest on Earth) with the beginning of the Karakorum ridge (see), which is almost parallel to it, which stretches at an insignificant distance from it, with the Kuen-Lun ridge, which limits Tibet from the north, and with the Hinduku, that all these four mountain ranges are part of one hill. The mountains make up the southernmost and highest of these ranges. The eastern end of the G. mountains passes approximately 28 parallels to the north. parts of the British province of Assam and Burma into the Yun-Ling Mountains, which already belong to China. Both mountain masses are separated from each other by the Brahmaputra, which cuts the mountains here and makes a bend from N to SW. If we imagine a line running south from Lake Mansarovar, which lies between the sources of the Settlej and the Brahmaputra, then it will divide the G. mountains into the west. and east. half and at the same time will serve as an ethnographic boundary between the Aryan population of the Indus basin and the population of Tibet. The average height of a city is 6941 m; numerous peaks well above this line. Some of them are higher than all the peaks of the Andes and represent the highest points earth's surface. Up to 225 of these peaks have been measured; of these, 18 rise over 7600 m, 40 over 7000, 120 over 6100. The highest of all Gaurisankar, or Mount Everest (Mount-Everest), with a height of 8840 m, Kanchinjinga (Kantschinjinga) at 8581 m and Dhawalagiri at 8177 m. They all lie in eastern half G. mountains. The average height of the snow line in the G. mountains is approximately 4940 m to the south. slope and 5300 m to the north. Of the huge glaciers, some descend to 3400 and even 3100 m. The average height of the passages (Ghâts) leading through the mountains through G., of which 21 are known, is 5500 m; the height of the highest of them, the passage of Ibi Gamin, between Tibet and Garhwal, is 6240 m; the height of the lowest, Bara-Latscha, is 4900 m. The mountains do not constitute one completely continuous and continuous chain, but consist of a system of more or less long ridges; partly parallel, partly intersecting between which lie wide and narrow valleys. There are no real plateaus in the G. mountains. Generally southern. the G. side of the mountains is more fragmented than the northern side; there are more spurs and side ridges, between which lie the states of Kashmir, Gariwal, Kamaon, Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan, more or less dependent on the Indo-British government. To the south On the side of the G. mountains, the tributaries of the Indus originate: Dzhelam, Shenab and Ravi, the Ganges with its left tributaries and the Jamuni.
G. mountains more than all other mountains on the globe rich in majestic beauties of nature; they present a particularly picturesque view from the south. As for the geological structure of the GG, sandstones and detrital rocks are predominantly visible near the sole. Above, up to approximately 3000-3500 m in height, gneiss, mica, chlorite and talc schist predominate, often cut through by thick veins of granite. Above - the peaks are composed mainly of gneiss and granite. Volcanic rocks it does not occur on the mountains in G. and in general there are no signs of volcanic activity at all, although there are various hot springs (up to 30 in number), the most famous of which are in Badrinat (see). The vegetation is extremely diverse. At the southern sole of the east. half stretches unhealthy and unsuitable for settlement marshland, called Tarai, 15-50 km wide, overgrown with impenetrable jungle and giant grass. It is followed, up to a height of about 1000 m, by extremely rich, tropical and especially Indian vegetation, followed by forests of oaks, chestnuts, laurel trees, etc., up to a height of 2500 m. Between 2500 and 3500 m, the flora corresponds to that central Europe; conifers predominate, namely Pinus Deodora, P. excelsa, P. longifolia, Aties Webbiana, Picea Morinda, etc. Border woody vegetation passes higher to the north. side (the last species of trees here is birch), than to the south. (here, one species of oak, Quercus semicarpifolia, rises above all). The next area of ​​shrubs then reaches the border of snow and sowing. side ends with one type of Genista, to the south. - several species of Rhododendron, Salix and Ribes. Grain cultivation on the Tibetan side rises to 4600 m, on the Indian side only up to 3700; grasses grow up to 5290 m on the first one, and up to 4600 m on the second. The mountain fauna is also extremely interesting and very rich. To the south side up to 1200 m it is specially Indian; its representatives are the tiger, elephant, monkeys, parrots, pheasants and beautiful views chickens. AT middle region mountains meet bears, musk deer and different kinds antelope, and sowing. side adjacent to Tibet - wild horses, wild bulls(yaks), wild sheep and mountain goats, as well as some other mammals belonging to the fauna Central Asia and especially Tibet. The G. mountains not only constitute the political boundary between the Anglo-Indian possessions and Tibet, but in general also the ethnographic boundary between the Hindu Aryans living south of the G. mountains and the inhabitants of Tibet belonging to the Mongol tribe. Both tribes spread through the valleys deep into the G. mountains and mixed with each other in various ways. The population is most dense in extremely fertile valleys, at an altitude of 1500 to 2500 m. At an altitude of 3000 it becomes already rare.
History of the name (toponym)
Himalayas, from the Nepalese himal, "snow mountain".

Himalayas- this is the highest mountain system of our planet, which stretches in Central and South Asia and is located on the territory of such states as China, India, Bhutan, Pakistan and Nepal. There are 109 peaks in this mountain range, their average height reaches more than 7 thousand meters above sea level. However, one of them surpasses them all. So let's talk about the highest peak. mountain system Himalayas.

What is it, the highest peak of the Himalayas?

Mount Chomolungma, or Everest, is the highest peak in the Himalayas. It rises in the northern part of the Mahalangur Himal ridge, the highest mountain range on our planet, which can only be reached after arriving at. Its height reaches 8848 m.

Chomolungma is the name of the mountain in Tibetan, which means "Divine Mother of the Earth". In Nepali, the peak sounds like Sagarmatha, which translates as "Mother of the Gods." Everest was named after George Everest, a British research scientist who led the geodetic service in the surrounding areas.

The shape of the highest peak of the Chomolungma Himalayas is a trihedral pyramid, in which the southern slope is steeper. As a result, that part of the mountain is practically not covered with snow.

Conquest of the highest peak of the Himalayas

The impregnable Chomolungma has long attracted the attention of the Earth climbers. However, unfortunately, due to adverse conditions mortality here is still high - there were more than 200 official death reports on the mountain. At the same time, almost 3,000 people successfully climbed and descended Everest. The first ascent to the summit occurred in 1953 by Nepalese Tenzing Norgay and New Zealander Edmund Hillary using oxygen devices.

The Himalayas are the highest and most powerful mountain system on the entire globe. It is assumed that tens of millions of years ago, the rocks that make up the Himalayan mountains formed the bottom of the ancient Tethys pra-ocean. The peaks began to gradually rise above the water as a result of the collision of the Indian tectonic plate with the Asian mainland. The growth process of the Himalayas took many millions of years, and not a single mountain system in the world can compare with them in terms of the number of peaks - "seven-thousanders" and "eight-thousanders".

Story

Researchers who studied the history of the origin of this in many respects unusual mountain system came to the conclusion that the formation of the Himalayas took place in several stages, according to which the regions of the Shivalik Mountains (Anti-Himalayas), the Lesser Himalayas and the Greater Himalayas are distinguished. The Great Himalayas were the first to break through the water surface, the hypothetical age of which is approximately 38 million years. After about 12 million years, the gradual formation of the Lesser Himalayas began. Finally, relatively recently, “only” seven million years ago, the “younger” mountains of Shivalik saw the sowing.

It is interesting that people climbed the Himalayas in ancient times. First of all, because these mountains have long been endowed magical properties. According to ancient Buddhist and Hindu legends, many mythological creatures lived here. In classical Hinduism, it is generally accepted that Shiva and his wife once lived in the Himalayas. Shiva is the god of creative destruction, one of the three most revered gods in Hinduism. If Shiva is some kind of reformer, saying modern language, then the Buddha - who achieved enlightenment (bodhi) - was born, according to legend, at the southern foothills of the Himalayas.
Already in the 7th century, in the rugged Himalayas, the first trade routes connecting China and India. Some of these routes still play an important role in the trade of these two countries (of course, these days we are talking not about multi-day pedestrian crossings, but about road transport). In the 30s of the XX century. there was a plan to make transport links more convenient, for which it is necessary to lay railway through the Himalayas, but the project was never implemented.
However, serious research Himalayan mountains began only in the period of the XVIII-XIX centuries. The work was extremely difficult, while the results left much to be desired: for a long time topographers could neither determine the height of the main peaks, nor draw up accurate topographic maps. But ordeal only fueled the interest and enthusiasm of European scientists and researchers.
In the middle of the 19th century, attempts began to conquer the most high peak peace - (Chomolungmu). But the great mountain, towering 8848 meters above the earth, could give victory only to the strongest. After countless unsuccessful expeditions, on May 29, 1953, a man finally managed to reach the summit of Everest: the first to overcome the most difficult route was lucky to be the New Zealander Edmund Hillary, accompanied by Sherpa Norgay Tenzing.

The Himalayas are one of the centers of pilgrimage in the world, especially for adherents of Buddhism and Hinduism. In most cases, in the holy Himalayan places there are temples to the glory of the deities, with whose deeds this or that place is associated. So, the temple of Sri Kedarnath Mandir is dedicated to the god Shiva, and in the south of the Himalayas, at the source of the Jamuna River, in the 19th century. A temple was built in honor of the goddess Yamuna (Jamuna).

Nature

Many are attracted to the Himalayas by the diversity and uniqueness of their natural features. With the exception of the gloomy and cold northern slopes, the Himalayan mountains are covered with dense forests. The vegetation of the southern part of the Himalayas is especially rich, where the level of humidity is extremely high and the average rainfall can reach 5500 mm per year. Here, like layers of a pie, zones of swampy jungle (the so-called terai), tropical thickets, strips of evergreen and coniferous plants.
Many sites in the Himalayan mountains are under state protection. One of the most important and at the same time the most difficult to pass is the Sagarmatha National Park. Everest is located on its territory. AT western region The Himalayas are stretched by the possessions of the Nanda Devi reserve, which since 2005 has included the Valley of Flowers, which enchants with a natural palette of colors and shades. It is kept by vast meadows full of delicate alpine flowers. Among this splendor, far from human eyes, live rare species predators, including snow leopards (in wild nature there are no more than 7,500 individuals of these animals left), Himalayan and brown bears.

Tourism

The Western Himalayas are famous for Indian mountain climatic resorts. high class(Shimla, Darjeeling, Shillong). Here, in an atmosphere of complete peace and detachment from the hustle and bustle, you can not only enjoy breathtaking mountain views and air, but also to play golf or take a ride on skiing(Although most Himalayan trails are "expert" trails, there are also trails for beginners on the western slopes.)
Not only lovers of outdoor recreation and exotics come to the Himalayas, but also seekers of real, unprogrammed adventures. Since the first ever successful ascent of Everest's slopes became known to the world, thousands of climbers of all ages and skill levels have come to the Himalayas every year to test their strength and skills here. Of course, not everyone achieves their cherished goal, some travelers pay for their courage with their lives. Even with an experienced guide and good equipment, the journey to the top of Chomolungma can be a difficult test: in some areas the temperature drops to -60ºС, and the speed icy wind can reach 200 m/s. Those who ventured on such a difficult transition have to endure the vagaries of mountain weather and hardships for more than one week: the guests of Chomolungma have every chance to spend about two months in the mountains.

general information

The highest mountain system in the world. It is located between the Tibetan Plateau and the Indo-Gangetic Plain.

Countries: India, China, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan.
Largest cities: , Patan (Nepal), (Tibet), Thimphu, Punakha (Bhutan), Srinagar (India).
Major rivers: Indus, Brahmaputra, Ganges.

Major airport: international Airport Kathmandu.

Numbers

Length: more than 2400 km.
Width: 180-350 km.

Area: about 650,000 km2.

Average height: 6000 m.

The most high point: Mount Everest (Chomolungma), 8848 m.

Economy

Agriculture: tea and rice plantations, cultivation of corn, cereals; animal husbandry.

Services: tourism (mountaineering, climatic resorts).
Minerals: gold, copper, chromite, sapphires.

Climate and weather

Varies greatly.

Average summer temperature: in the east (in the valleys) +35ºС, in the west +18ºС.

Average winter temperature: up to -28ºС (above 5000-6000 m temperatures are negative all year round can reach -60ºС).
Average rainfall: 1000-5500 mm.

Attractions

Kathmandu

Temple complexes of Budanilkantha, Boudhanath and Swayambhunath, National Museum of Nepal;

Lhasa

Potala Palace, Barkor Square, Jokhang Temple, Drepung Monastery

Thimphu

Bhutan Textile Museum, Thimphu Chorten, Tashicho Dzong;

■ Temple complexes of the Himalayas(including Shri Kedarnath Mandir, Yamunotri);
■ Buddhist stupas (memorial or reliquary structures);
■ Sagarmatha National Park(Everest);
■ National parks Nanda Devi and the Valley of Flowers.

Curious facts

About five or six centuries ago, a people called Sherpas moved to the Himalayas. They know how to provide themselves with everything necessary for life in the highlands, but, in addition, they are practically monopolists in the profession of guides. Because they are really the best; the most knowledgeable and the most enduring.

Among the conquerors of Everest there are also "originals". On May 25, 2008, the oldest climber in the history of ascents, a native of Nepal, Min Bahadur Shirchan, who at that time was 76 years old, overcame the path to the top. There were times when very young travelers took part in the expeditions. The last record was broken by Jordan Romero from California, who climbed in May 2010 at the age of thirteen (before him, the fifteen-year-old Sherpa Tembu Tsheri was considered the youngest guest of Chomolungma).

The development of tourism does not benefit the nature of the Himalayas: even here there is no escape from the garbage left by people. Moreover, in the future, severe pollution of the rivers that originate here is possible. The main trouble is that it is these rivers that provide millions of people with drinking water.

Shambhala is a mythical country in Tibet, which is described in many ancient texts. The followers of the Buddha believe in its existence unconditionally. It captivates the minds of not only lovers of all kinds secret knowledge but also serious scientists and philosophers. The most prominent Russian ethnologist L.N. Gumilev. However, there is still no irrefutable evidence of its existence. Or they are irretrievably lost. For the sake of objectivity, it should be said: many believe that Shambhala is not located in the Himalayas at all. But in the very interest of people in the legends about it lies the proof that we all really need faith that somewhere there is a key to the evolution of mankind, which is owned by the forces of light and wise. Even if this key is not a guide on how to become happy, but just an idea. Not yet open...

One of the most famous miraculous wonders of the world are the Himalayan mountains. The point is not only in the scale of this creation of nature, but also in the huge amount of the unknown that these gigantic peaks conceal.

Where are the Himalayas located?

The Himalayan mountain range passes through the territory of five states - this is India, China, Pakistan, Nepal and Kingdom of Bhutan. The eastern foothills of the range touch the northern borders of the Republic of Bangladesh.

Mountain ranges rise in the north, completing the Tibetan Plateau, and separate from it vast areas of the Hindustan Peninsula - the Indo-Gangetic Plain.

Even the average height of the entire mountain system reaches 6 thousand meters. It is in the Himalayas that the main number of "eight-thousanders" is located - mountain peaks, the height of which exceeds the mark of 8 kilometers. Of the 14 such peaks on the surface of the planet, 10 are located in the Himalayas.

Himalaya mountains on the map

Himalayas on the world map

The highest and most inaccessible mountains on the planet are the Himalayas. The name comes from ancient Indian Sanskrit, and literally means "Snow House". They are located on the continent in a giant loop, serving as a kind of border between Central and South Asia. The length of mountain ranges from west to east is slightly less than 3 thousand km, and total area the entire mountain system - about 650 thousand square meters. km.

The entire mountain range of the Himalayas consists of three peculiar steps:

• First - Himalayas(locally called the Shivalik Ridge) is the lowest of all, the mountain peaks of which do not rise more than 2000 meters.
• The second step - the ridges Dhaoladhar, Pir-Panjal and several others, smaller, is called Small Himalayas. The name is rather conditional, since the peaks are already rising to solid heights - up to 4 kilometers.
• Behind them are several fertile valleys (Kashmir, Kathmandu and others), serving as a transition to the highest points of the planet - Greater Himalayas. Two great South Asian rivers - the Brahmaputra from the east and the Indus from the west - seem to cover this majestic mountain range, originating on its slopes. In addition, the Himalayas give life to the sacred Indian river - the Ganges.

Mount Chomolungma, she is Everest

The highest point in the world, located on the border of Nepal and China - Mount Chomolungma. However, it has several names and some variation in the assessment of its height. The names of this mountain peak in local dialects have always been associated with the divinity of its origin: Chomolungma in Tibetan, literally - "Divine", in Nepal it is called the "Mother of the Gods" - Sagarmatha. There is another beautiful Tibetan name - "Mother - the queen of snow-white snows" - Chomo-Kankar. For Europeans, these names were too complicated, and in 1856 they called the mountain an Anglicized name. Everest, in honor of Sir George Everest, head of the British Colonial Geodetic Survey.

Official today Everest height - 8848 meters, taking into account the ice cap, and 8844 meters - the top of solid rock. But these indicators have changed several times in one direction or another. So, the first measurement, carried out in the middle of the 19th century, showed 29,000 feet (8839 meters). However, the scientific surveyors did not like the fact that the number was too round, and they freely added another 2 feet, which gave a value of 8840 m. Measurements continued a century later, when the height was determined at 8848 m. However, several geographers made their own calculations using the most modern means of radio direction finding and navigation. So two more values ​​\u200b\u200bappeared - 8850 and even 8872 meters. However, these values ​​have not been officially recognized.

Himalaya records

The Himalayas are a place of pilgrimage for the strongest climbers in the world, for whom the conquest of their peaks is a cherished life goal. Chomolungma did not submit immediately - since the beginning of the last century, many attempts have been made to climb the "roof of the world". The first to achieve this goal was in 1953 New Zealand mountaineer Edmund Hillary accompanied by a local guide - Sherpa Norgay Tenzing. The first successful Soviet expedition took place in 1982. In total, Everest has already conquered about 3,700 times..

Unfortunately, they set the Himalayas and sad records - 572 climbers died when trying to conquer their eight-kilometer heights. But the number of brave athletes does not decrease, because "taking" all 14 "eight-thousanders" and getting the "Crown of the Earth" is the cherished dream of each of them. Total number"crowned" winners to date - 30 people, including - 3 women.

Ski resorts in India

The northern mountainous regions of India are a completely unique world, with its own philosophy and spirituality, ancient shrines and historical monuments, colorful population and diversity natural landscapes. Any traveler will always find a lot of interesting things here.

Gulmarg (Valley of Flowers)

This resort is located in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The height of the slopes is 1400-4138 m. Gulmarg was built in 1927 by the British when they “visited” India, so it practically meets European standards. The season here starts at the end of December and ends at the end of March.. Here they give out the appropriate equipment, so beginners should be comfortable enough, if, of course, they are not afraid of steep descents.

Narkanda

A small ski tourist center, located near Shimla city at an altitude of about 2400 meters, surrounded by a relic pine forest. Its snowy slopes are quite suitable for both beginner skiers and experienced masters.

Solang

A well-known place for extreme recreation in ski circles. It is famous for its well-developed infrastructure, both sports and tourism. All those who have visited these places always leave excellent reviews about the level of training of the coaching and service personnel of the resort.

Kufri

One of the most famous Indian ski tourist centers. It is located just two dozen kilometers from Shimla city, which the long years was the residence of the English Viceroy of India. Kufri is also remarkable for the fact that in the immediate vicinity of it there is a huge natural National Park Himalayan nature, where all the wide variety of wild flora and fauna of these places is carefully preserved. Climbing up the slopes of the mountains, tourists manage to visit several climatic zones- from the rapidly flowering tropics to the harsh conditions of the northern latitudes.

Historical and cultural attractions of the Himalayas

For those who prefer to devote their time to exploring historical sites and cultural values, the Indian region of the Himalayas will provide these opportunities.

First of all, in these places, as already mentioned, there was a summer residence of the English viceroy in India - the Viceroy. That is why the small village shimla turned into a city the state capital of Himchal Pradesh. The famous museum located in Royal Palace, replete with exhibits showing the cultural diversity of the region. Shimla is famous for its bazaar with woolen products traditional for these places, national indian clothes, jewelry self made, performed according to ancient technology. As a rule, no one is left indifferent to a horse riding tour of the surrounding picturesque mountains.

Tourists love India. Read - Russians most often come there for the winter.

The discovery of India is the merit of the Portuguese. in another article.

Dharamsala for Buddhists, probably the same as Mecca for Muslims. Travelers here encounter the hospitality of the local population, unprecedented anywhere else in the world. This small town is the residence of the Dalai Lama himself, who brought his Tibetan people here after many years of exile.

To visit the Indian Himalayas, and not to visit the estate of Nicholas Roerich- unforgivable for a Russian! It is located in the town of Naggar, near the city of Manali. In addition to the environment in which the painter's family lived, visitors will see a large collection of genuine works by this great author.

Capital of the state of Jammu and Kashmir city ​​of Shinagan- Another center of tourist pilgrimage. According to some theories, it was here that Jesus Christ found his last refuge. Travelers will definitely be shown the tomb of Yuz Asuf, a man identified with the Son of God. In the same city you can see unique floating houses - houseboats. No one, probably, left here without acquiring products from the famous Kashmir wool as a keepsake.

Spiritual and health tourism

Spiritual principles and cult healthy body so closely intertwined in the various directions of Indian philosophical schools that it is impossible to draw any visible division between them. Every year, thousands of tourists come to the Indian Himalayas just to get acquainted with Vedic sciences, ancient postulates yoga teachings healing your body Ayurvedic canons Panchakarma.

The pilgrimage program must include visit caves for deep meditation, waterfalls, ancient temples, bathing in the Ganges- a sacred river for Hindus. Those who suffer can have conversations with spiritual mentors, get parting words and recommendations from them on spiritual and bodily cleansing. However, this topic is so extensive and versatile that it requires a separate detailed presentation.

The natural grandiosity and highly spiritual atmosphere of the Himalayas fascinates the human imagination. Anyone who has ever come into contact with the splendor of these places will always be obsessed with the dream of returning here at least once.

Captivating video timelapse of the unshakable Himalayas

This video was shot frame by frame on a Nikon D800 camera for 50 days over 5000 km. Places in India: Spiti Valley, Nubra Valley, Pangong Lake, Leh, Zanskar, Kashmir.

Himalayas - the highest mountain system of the Earth, located between the Tibetan Plateau (in the north) and the Indo-Gangetic Plain (in the south). This majestic mountain system is spread over the territory of India, Nepal, China (Tibet Autonomous Region), Pakistan, Bhutan. The mountain system of the Himalayas at the junction of Central and South Asia is over 2900 km long and about 350 km wide. The average height of the ridges is about 6 km, the maximum height is 8848 m - Mount Chomolungma (Everest). There are 10 eight-thousanders here - peaks with a height of more than 8000 m above sea level.

The Himalayan mountain range, including the Karakoram Mountains (the second highest mountain range located northwest of the western chain of the Himalayas), stretches for more than 2414 km along the northern border of the Hindustan peninsula, separating it from Asia lying to the north. The longest glacier outside the polar regions, Siyachen, is located in Karakorumen, stretching for 76 km.

At Mount Rakaposhi (7788 m) is the steepest slope in the world. This mountain rises 6000 m above the Hunza valley, and the length of the slope is almost 10 km; thus, the total angle of inclination is 31°.

The Karakoram Mountains stretch from the northwest, from Northern Pakistan, to the southeast, through Kashmir to North India. The Himalayas turn to the east, capturing the mountain kingdoms of Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan, and finally the province of Aru-nachal-Pradesh in the northeastern state of Assam. The northern borders of these countries lie along a mountainous watershed, to the north of which lie the Chinese regions of Tibet and Chinese Turkestan.

To the west of the Karakoram, the mountains split into the Pamir and Hindu Kush, and in the east there is a sharp turn southward to the lower mountains of Northern Burma.

The peoples who inhabit the Himalayas have never been particularly eager to explore the mountains, not dictated by their immediate needs of life; this "high" honor fell mainly to more restless Europeans.

In the 19th century, while the pioneers of mountaineering began to storm the peaks of the European Alps, the Indian government department of land management calculated the location of a peak that seemed to be higher than the rest. Completed in 1856, processing of theodolite surveys of 1849 and 1850 showed that the height of Peak XV on the Tibetan-Nepalese border is 8840 m, and therefore it is the highest peak in the world. It was named after Colonel Sir George Everest, former Surveyor General of India.

After the First World War, the efforts of climbers concentrated mainly on approaches to Everest from the side of the Tibetan slopes, since Nepal was closed to any expeditions.

After the Second World War, Nepal opened its borders to explorers and exploration of the southern slopes began; however, the impregnable peak was conquered only on May 29, 1953 by the New Zealander Edmund Hillary and the Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay.

Currently, the Himalayas are an area of ​​international mountaineering (mainly in Nepal).

The Himalayas rise above the Indo-Gangetic Plain in 3 steps, forming the Shivalik Mountains (Anti-Himalayas), the Lesser Himalayas (Pir Panjal, Dhaoladhar and others) and separated from them by a chain of longitudinal depressions (Kathmandu Valley, Kashmir Valley and others) Greater Himalayas, which are subdivided to the Assam, Nepal, Kumaon and Punjab Himalayas.

Peaks over 8 km above sea level make up the Great Himalayas, the lowest passes in them are located at altitudes over 4 km. The Greater Himalayas are characterized by alpine-type ridges, huge altitudinal contrasts, powerful glaciation (area over 33 thousand km²). From the east, this ridge is limited by the Brahmaputra valley, and from the west by the Indus (these powerful rivers cover the entire mountain system from three sides). The extreme closing northwestern peak of the Himalayas is Nanga Parbat (8126 m), the eastern one is Namcha Barwa (7782 m).

The peaks of the Lesser Himalayas on average reach 2.4 km, and only in the western part - 4 km above sea level.

The lowest ridge, Shivalik, stretches along the entire mountain system from the Brahmaputra to the Indus, nowhere exceeding 2 km.

The main rivers of South Asia - the Indus, the Ganges, the Brahmaputra - originate in the Himalayas.

Highest peaks[edit | edit source]

The Himalayas are home to 10 of the 14 eight-thousanders in the world.

The highest peak of the Earth is located on the border of Nepal and China (Tibet Autonomous Region). In Nepalese, she is called the King of Heaven - Sagarmatha, and in Tibetan - the Divine Mother of the Earth (Chomolungma). The mountain got its name Everest during the first measurement of its height in the middle of the 19th century in honor of George Everest (eng. George Everest, 1790-1866), the chief surveyor of the topographic service british india. The top of the mountain is located at an altitude of 8848 m above sea level.

The highest mountains in the world separate Hindustan from Asia.

Most travelers to reach the Himalayas fly to India or Pakistan and then travel north by train, highway and finally on foot. The way from the north, from Tibet, is more difficult.

The Himalayas, home to 96 of the world's 109 peaks over 7,300 meters, are undeniably the greatest mountain range on Earth. And although the South American Andes form a longer (about 7500 km) mountain range they are not that high. But facts and figures are one thing, and the awe-inspiring view of the Himalayas is quite another.

Although the highest mountain on our planet is better known throughout the world under English title Everest, her Nepalese name - Chomolungma - "Mother Goddess of Snows" - creates an image that can be applied to all the Himalayas.

The highest ascent is on the southern slope of Annapurna I (8091m) and the longest ascent is on the Rupal-facing slope of Nangaparbat Mountain in Karakoram at an elevation of 4482m.

Of the highest peaks of the ridge, K2 in Karakoram (8661 m) and Kangchenjunga (8586 m) should be named.