The smallest mountain in the world - Jingshan "Knee-deep. The world's lowest peak and smallest mountain range

The Celestial Empire has long been famous for its records. Looks like China has installed another one. Recently discovered a mountain that may be the lowest in the world. Its height barely crosses the mark of half a meter. However, do not say that this is an ordinary mound, everything is much more complicated.

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In Shandong County there is a so-called mountain, the top of which rises above the surface of the earth by only 60 centimeters and has a width of just over a meter. However, its main volume is underground. Mountain formation in the thickness of the earth's crust goes to a depth of more than 50 meters.

It looks like an ordinary large boulder in the middle of the field. They say that for centuries people wanted to remove it, but no matter how much they dug deep, they never found the foundation. The last attempt was made in 1958 using modern technology, and it was also unsuccessful.

Mount Jing is the highest point in the entire province, and lies at an altitude of 48 meters above sea level. The Chinese believe that this real mountain. But she is not the official champion. Recognized as the smallest mountain in the world is the 43-meter Wycheproof in Australia.

Now local authority protects Jing, forbidding excavations around the mountain or breaking off pieces of it as a keepsake. This object is the most popular attraction for travelers from neighboring settlements. However, tourists from more distant lands sometimes drop in here, and Western journalists have already sniffed out about this Chinese miracle.

In the world there is no official international concept of what a mountain is. The smallest, like the largest hill, is a relative matter. Usually in countries former USSR measured by the level Baltic Sea. IN special place a mark was fixed on the Kronstadt footstock.

Usually a mountain is a part of the relief that rises above the surroundings. They are divided by height: high, medium, low. IN different countries heights may vary. So in the US, a mountain is called an elevation of 300 meters. And in Russia above 500 meters. Therefore, what will be a mountain in the USA, in Russia will only reach a hill. What is the smallest mountain? There is no definite answer to this question.

Record holder from China

The smallest mountain recorded in Shandong province. Its name is Jing, and its height is 60 centimeters. It is 124 centimeters wide. The hill looks like a large boulder, which is located in the middle of the field.

At one time, people wanted to remove it, but all attempts were in vain. When they tried to dig the boulder, its base was never found. The last attempt is dated 1958. Even the technology did not allow to get to the bottom. It was after this that the decision was made to call the ledge a mountain. The area on which it stands rises 48 meters above sea level.

According to local legend, the mountain stopped growing because a local woman once defecated on it. Not too romantic, but honest. However, officially it is not the smallest mountain in the world.

Australian representative

The record belongs to Mount Wicheproof. The smallest mountain is located in but not in the USA, but in Australia. Its height is 43 meters, if measured by the level of the neighborhood, and 148 meters by sea level.

The mountain is named after locality in which it is located. About eight hundred people live in the town.

Getting to the sights is easy. To do this, you need to drive three hours from Melbourne by car. You don't have to wade through the rows of tourists. The mountain is not of particular interest to the public, since it can be climbed in one minute. The elevation is a hill overgrown with grass with rocky areas. The view from the mountain is mesmerizing, as green plains are visible for kilometers, which connect with endless sky.

The smallest mountain that formed thousands of years ago even has a peak. Its role is played by a cone-shaped rocky peak.

The mountain is also interesting because you can meet kangaroos and emu birds there. Not far from it, a unique pink-tone mineral is being mined. It is called vicheprofit.

In addition to the smallest, there are also the oldest mountains - the Appalachians from North America. The longest mountain range is the Andes South America. Asia is famous for the Himalayas - the highest mountains. Here comes the highest freely standing mountain is Kilimanjaro from Africa. The Gamburtsev Mountains are considered the snowiest. They are hidden under a huge layer of snow. In Europe, they boast that their mountains are the most photographed. It is more difficult to check this than to measure the distance, but no one has yet disputed this statement.

"Mountains can only be better than mountains". once said Vladimir Vysotsky. With the statement of the most famous bard Soviet Union you can’t argue - the dizzying spectacle of incredibly high peaks propping up the sky is simply breathtaking. And from the thought that you can also climb to this height, you can completely lose your head!

There are fourteen mountains on our planet, with a height of more than 8 thousand meters.

But if you think from the point of view of a climber, the conquest of the "Crown of the Earth", that is, the conquest of all 14 eight-thousanders, will require an incredible amount of effort, time and energy. Not surprisingly, by the middle of 2012, only 30 extreme sportsmen had succeeded - only three women and 27 men.

It is noteworthy that all mountains over 8 kilometers high are located in Central Asia. The Himalayas are especially famous for their peaks, there are champions in Nepal, Kashmir and India. Where is there high mountain Europe, Elbrus with its height of 5642 meters or the greatest point in North America - Mount McKinley in Alaska with a height of 6194 meters - to such stunning peaks that Nepal is famous for!

Literally each of the eight-thousanders deserves special attention, they have their own history, traditions, legends, features. In this article, we will pay attention to all the "altitude record holders of the Earth", starting, of course, with Everest.

The highest mountains - PHOTO

1. Chomolungma (Nepal, China)

Chomolungma, Everest, Sagarmatha - all these are the names of the highest mountain on our planet, rising to a dizzying and incredible 8848 meters. Located in the Himalayas, it is part of the Mahalangur-Himal range. Everest looks amazing, representing an almost perfect trihedral pyramid. However, the southern slope is much steeper than the northern one, so it is more difficult to conquer it. Man first climbed Chomolungma in 1953. This mountain, as the planet's record holder, is especially popular among climbers, but not everyone can conquer its peak, where winds blow at a speed of 55 meters per second and the temperature drops below 60 degrees. In general, 210 people died during the ascents of Chomolungma, which is a kind of sad record.

2. Chogori (Pakistan, China)

Chogori, Godwin-Austen, Dapsang - the names of the second highest peak of the planet Earth, rising to 8614 meters. Moreover, it is not only the northernmost eight-thousander in the world, but also one of the most picturesque. Its almost perfect cone, towering over Kashmir, is part of the Karakorum mountain system. When looking at Chogori, it seems that climbing it is almost impossible - its slopes are so steep! But despite this, in 1954 the Italian expedition managed to conquer Chogori. And in 2007, the Russians climbed to the top, choosing the most difficult western slope, which until then was considered insurmountable.

3. Kanchenjunga (Nepal, India)

This peak is the main peak of the mountain range of the same name with a height of 8585 meters. Located in the Himalayas, just on the border of India and Nepal. Kanchenjunga looks very unusual, as it consists of five snow-capped peaks each of which is beautiful in its own way. This mountain was conquered later than Chomolungma - in 1955, and success was preceded by several unsuccessful expeditions. In general, 40 people died while trying to conquer the third eight-thousander of the planet.

4. Lhotse (Nepal, China)

The fourth highest mountain in the world (8516 meters) is located on the border of China and Nepal. This mountain has three peaks and all of them rise to a height of over 8 thousand meters. Lhotse is only three kilometers from Everest. She submitted to man in 1956, and she was able to climb the steepest South Face of Lhotse only in 1990 Russian expedition. And today this team remains the only one who has conquered this part of the fourth eight-thousander of the planet Earth.

5. Makalu (Nepal, China)

Makalu or the Black Giant is the fifth highest mountain in the world (8485 meters). Like the vast majority of dizzying peaks, it is located in the Himalayas, on the border of China and Nepal, and is part of the same mountain range as Everest. This mountain is rightfully considered the most difficult for climbers, as it has incredibly steep slopes. According to statistics, only 30% of the expeditions that set off to conquer Makala succeed, and in total, 26 people died during the attempts to conquer it.

6. Cho Oyu (Nepal, China)

This eight-thousander is also located on the highest ridge of the planet - Mahalangur Himal. The height of Cho Oyu is exactly 8201 meters. The first person climbed this peak in 1954. This snow-covered mountain peak is considered quite easy to climb, as there is a trading trail laid nearby by the Sherpas, an indigenous people. Eastern Nepal. But, despite this, the conquest of Cho Oyu cost the lives of 39 climbers.

7. Dhaulagiri (Nepal)

Another Nepalese eight-thousander with a height of 8167 meters. The name Dhaulagiri translates as " white mountain", which is fully justified by her appearance- a rock, as befits such high peaks, all covered with snow and glaciers. The first eight expeditions failed to conquer this mountain. Only in 1960 did a joint team of Switzerland and Austria manage to reach the summit of Dhaulagiri. By the way, during the ascents of this eight-thousander, many experienced climbers died - 58 people.

8. Manaslu (Nepal)

The height of this peak is 8156 meters, which makes it the eighth eight-thousander of the planet. It is also located in Nepal, but on the Mansiri-Himal ridge. If you want to tickle your nerves, you can go to national park Manaslu to walk the fourteen-day Manaslu Trek. You can appreciate all the beauties of the area. At the same time, it is worth remembering that the number of victims of Manaslu is 53 people.

9. Nanga Parbat (Pakistan)

The ninth eight-thousander with a height of 8125 meters. This peak is also called Diamir, which means "Mountain of the Gods". Located in the Himalayas, in Pakistan. Until 1953, six attempts were made to conquer Nanga Parbat, but only Hermann Buhl, and alone, managed to reach this peak. It is noteworthy that in terms of mortality, taking into account the number of expeditions, Nango Parbat ranks third after Everest and Chogori.

10. Annapurna (Nepal)

A very unusual eight-thousander with a height of 8091 meters. It was conquered by man back in 1950, that is, the first of the highest mountains on Earth. Annapurna consists of nine peaks, and one of them - Machapuchare - remains untouched to this day - climbing it is prohibited, because among local population The mountain is considered the home of Lord Shiva. Annapurna remains one of the most dangerous but interesting eight-thousanders.

11. Gasherbrum I (Pakistan, China)

This Mountain peak located in Karakorum, Pakistan. Its height is 8080 meters and it was only in 1958 that members of the American expedition managed to conquer this peak. The outlines of Gasherbrum I are similar to a traditional cone, more gentle than Chogori. Perhaps due to this, in terms of the number of victims - "only" 25 people - this mountain is significantly inferior to Everest and occupies only eighth place in this list.

12. Broad Peak (Pakistan, China)

Another peak of the Karakorum with a height of over eight thousand - 8051 meters. It is located only eight kilometers from Chogori, so it could not help attracting the attention of climbers. Moreover, its slopes are very picturesque. The Austrians conquered this mountain in 1957. 2013 was marked by two major disasters- in the period from March to April, two expeditions died here - Polish and Iranian. Although the total number of victims - 19 people - Broad Peak is significantly inferior to the leaders.

13. Gasherbrum II (Pakistan, China)

Like its namesake at number one, Gasherbrum II is in mountain system Karakoram. The height of this mountain is 8035 meters. This eight-thousander is not as popular as other peaks, it was first conquered in 1956 by Austrian climbers. At an altitude of 5800 meters there is a camp, from where in 2001 the Kazakhstani climber Denis Urubko managed to reach the summit in just seven and a half hours.

14. Shisha-Pangma (PRC)

The last of fourteen eight-thousanders with a height of 8027 meters. But this does not mean that Shisha Pangma does not deserve the attention of climbers and is not different. picturesque slopes. It is very interesting that the lowest eight-thousander was conquered by the last - in 1964. But this is not due to its complexity, because Shisha-Pangma is considered one of the simplest among the eight-thousanders, but due to the fact that it is located on the territory of the closed Tibetan autonomous region China. Because of this, only Chinese climbers had the right to conquer this peak.

Russia is a huge country in terms of territory. It is not surprising that it has all the terrain that is found in nature. Among plains and steppes special place occupy mountain ranges and tops. They attract travelers and researchers, scientists and tourists, archaeologists and climbers. What mountains are in Russia? What you should pay attention to?

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Origin

Areas mountainous areas formed through complex processes. In the crust of the earth, tectonic crushing, faults and rock breaks occur. They are carried out continuously during the entire existence of the planet, in ancient time eras, such as the Paleozoic, Mesozoic or Cenozoic. Those who are in the Far East, in Kamchatka and the Kuriles are considered young. Seismic activity and volcanoes erupt frequently in these areas.

In the European part of Russia there is a large plain, which has geographical boundary in the east as . These are unique natural sculptures that cause national pride.

Interesting! Only in the Urals nature reserve protecting mineralogy. In the Ilmensky place there is a huge variety of minerals, unique and amazing in their structure and structure.

There are many in the Urals tourist bases, they are located ski resorts. Climbers conquer these majestic elevations.

Variants of the highlands of Russia

• Baikal and Transbaikalia;
• Altai;
• Sayans;
• ridges Verkhoyansk and Stanovoy;
• Chersky ridge.

Each of the districts is interesting and beautiful, the names of the mountains in their composition are unique and owe their origin to the peoples who inhabit the nearby territories. These lands beckon with harsh conditions, tests for the body and spirit. Altai is one of the most popular destinations for tourists. But the Chersky ridge is on the map, but so far little has been studied, but experts suggest that it will also become an attractive place for travelers.

Diversity of territories

The Far East is a region consisting mainly of highlands. The southern territorial part consists of medium and low, but in the north - high ridges. highest point far east – Klyuchevskaya Sopka, this is a volcano with a height of 4750 m.

The mountains in this region are constantly growing, they are located at the junction of plates that are in motion, and therefore there are many volcanoes. In addition to them, there unique object, for which it is worth going to Kamchatka - the Valley of Geysers.

Important! Sikhote-Alin, located in the Primorye region, is part of world heritage. This system is rich not only in the diversity of flora and fauna. This point of Russia on the map is the birthplace of the Far Eastern leopard and the Amur tiger.

Caucasus

The Caucasus deserves a separate description. This massif stretches from the Black to the Caspian, its length is more than 1200 km. The Caucasian ridge is divided into northern part and Transcaucasia.

Height Caucasus mountains fluctuates along the entire length of the ridge. It is he who has the highest point of the whole country and Europe is Elbrus. The mountain was formed as a result of a volcanic eruption. It has a height above sea level of 5600 m. Elbrus is located in such a place that it can be seen from all sides. Travelers approached him in the early 19th century. At its peak, the temperature does not rise above -14 degrees. Snow falls on the mountain all the time, which makes its snow cap perfect. This peak feeds the two largest ones - Kuban and Terek.

In the Greater Caucasus there are three highest mountains Russia:

• Elbrus;
• Dykhtau;
• Kazbek.

Interesting! In addition to the Caucasus Mountains, Kamchatka and Altai are famous for their large hills, among them: Klyuchevskaya Sopka, Belukha, Ichinskaya Sopka.

10 high mountains

A little more about each of the largest hills:

• It is already clear about Elbrus, this is an inactive volcano, which is part of national park. Its height is 5642 meters.
• Dykhtau occupies the second largest place among the mountain peaks of the country. This is a mountain in Caucasian ridge rises to 5200 m. The ascent to this peak was first carried out only in 1888.
• The third highest mountain in the country located on the border of Russia and Georgia. This is Pushkin Peak. It rises next to Dykhtau in the center of the Caucasus range. His conquest took place in 1961. Interestingly, this ascent was made not by professionals, but by the players of the Spartak club. The height of the peak is 5100 meters.
• A little lower, namely one hundred meters, Kazbek rises. It is also related to the Greater Caucasus, located in its lateral part in the Khokh mountain range. Three London climbers conquered this peak in the middle of the 19th century.
• Near the border of Georgia and Kabardino-Balkaria, there is a fifth highest point largest in Russia called Gestola. At its top, glaciers have accumulated that date back to the Paleozoic era. The most famous of them is Adishi.
• Sixth in the top ten is Shota Rustaveli's pick. Although the name on the map of the peak is famous person Georgian origin, yet refers to the Russian part of the Caucasus. The peak stands on the border, no wonder both countries claim rights to it. The mountain has 4895 meters.
• A little lower (4780 meters) is Mount Jimara. It is located in Alanya, at the very border of Russia and Georgia. Again, this is part Greater Caucasus.
• In ninth place is Mount Saukhokh, again from the Greater Caucasus, located in North Ossetia. The height of the peak is 4636 meters. She refers to unconquered heights, as well as Kukurtli-Kolbashi. This mountain completes the list of ten most major peaks Russia, its height is 4324 meters.

Interesting! So far, no one has conquered the mountain formations that are on the 8th, 9th and 10th places on the list. This can push travelers to new feats.

The lowest mountains

In addition to the highest mountain peaks, it is interesting to know the rating of the lowest ones. Such a concept as the most low mountain, very difficult. It turns out that it is not so easy to name it. Mountains can only be called what is higher

Mountains are always associated with something majestic and hard to reach. But not everyone can be the tallest and most massive.

This little bulge just beyond the intersection is officially the world's lowest mountain peak. Wycheproof is located in Australia in the middle of the Terrick Terrick mountain range. Its height above sea level is 148 meters, which is actually not so small for such a nondescript mountain. However, the difference in height between the upper point of Mount Vichiproof and its surrounding foot is only 43 meters. Although it is rather difficult to say where the mountain itself begins, because it is all overgrown with grass and it is not clear where its slope begins and where the foot ends.

Mount Vichiproof, the smallest in the world. Photo: Whroo70/Panoramio

Vershinka is located in the town of the same name, Wicheproof, officially founded in 1875, although the mention of the first settlers date back a little earlier - in 1846. The city's name comes from the Aboriginal word "wichi-porp", which means "grass on the hill". The best way to get to the mountain is from the east side of the highway.

Do you see the mountain? Photo: Google Street View

Perhaps a more suitable candidate for the title of the world's smallest mountain is a collection of eroded remains of a volcanic crater on the flat plains of the Sacramento Valley in Sutter County, northern California. But due to the fact that this place has several peaks at once, Sutter Buttes has been registered as the lowest mountain range in the world.

Rising 610 meters above the agricultural fields, the Sutter Bute mountain range was once active volcano, formed 1.6 - 1.4 million years ago during the Pleistocene epoch. The central core of the mountain range is made up of lava domes. These landforms are formed when liquid lava flows erupt to the surface, which in turn grows higher and higher as layers of solidified magma and ash build up.

The cone of the volcano is covered with clastic rock, formed due to periodic eruptions in the region of lava domes. This accumulation is also called "slag", and in the Bute region it stretched for 16 - 18 km in a circle from the center of the vent. Between the center of the crater and the cinder cone lies a "ditch", which was formed during the erosion of old sedimentary rocks that underlie volcanic ones.

Satellite image of Sutter Bute. Photo: NASA

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