Himalaya mountain height. Height of the Himalayan mountains. Himalayas - the highest mountains

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 with 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 a kind of reformer, in modern terms, then Buddha - who achieved enlightenment (bodhi) - was born, according to legend, at the southern foothills of the Himalayas.
Already in the 7th century, the first trade routes appeared in the rugged Himalayas, 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 not talking about multi-day foot 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 a railway through the Himalayas, but the project was never implemented.
Nevertheless, serious exploration of the Himalayan mountains began only in the period of the 18th-19th centuries. The work was extremely difficult, and the results left much to be desired: for a long time, topographers could not determine the height of the main peaks, nor make accurate topographic maps. But the ordeal only fueled the interest and enthusiasm of European scientists and researchers.
In the middle of the 19th century, attempts began to conquer the highest peak in the world - (Chomolungma). 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, stripes of evergreen and coniferous plants replace each other.
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. In the western region of the Himalayas, the possessions of the Nanda Devi reserve stretch, 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 magnificence, far from human eyes, rare species of predators live, including snow leopards (no more than 7,500 individuals of these animals remain in the wild), Himalayan and brown bears.

Tourism

The Western Himalayas are famous for high-class Indian mountain climatic resorts (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 play golf or go skiing (although most of the Himalayan routes are classified as “for experts”, there are trails for beginners).
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 of the 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

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

Major airport: Kathmandu International Airport.

Numbers

Area: about 650,000 km2.

Average height: 6000 m.

highest 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

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 fascinates the minds of not only lovers of all kinds of 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...

This article provides basic information about the highest mountain system - the Himalayas. More information can be found in the online magazine AttractionStory.ru

The Himalayas are the highest peak on the planet Earth. The vast mountain complex has a length of almost 24,000 km. Width - over 13,000 km. The total area is over 1,000,000 km². The height of the highest point exceeds 8,800 m - this hill is called Everest. In general, the mountain range consists of 109 peaks.

The mountains are a natural boundary separating the Hindustan peninsula from mainland Asia. The Himalayas are marked on the map of five countries - Nepal, Bhutan, India, China, Pakistan. In addition, it is in the peaks of the Himalayas that the greatest river of India, the Ganges, originates.

The origin of the name of the mountains comes from the ancient Indian Sanskrit - "Himalaya" literally means a snowy abode, a snowy kingdom.

The Himalayas are a three-stage system

1. The Himalayas are a complex of mountain heights, the height of which does not exceed 2 thousand meters.
2. Small Himalayas. The tops of the mountains, forming "small" hills reach 4 km.
3. Big Himalayas. They form the highest peaks of the mountain complex.

Climate and nature of mountains

The Himalayas are a natural dividing barrier of climatic zones. So, in the north of the mountains, moderate continental winds reign, air currents are dry and cold. The southern direction is represented by tropical air masses with a large amount of precipitation in the summer.

Temperatures at the highest elevations reach -25°C in summer and drop to -40°C in winter.

A large amount of precipitation and a significant altitude of the mountain range led to the formation of large glaciers and an extensive river system. Many lakes have formed in the mountains, but all of them are significantly inferior in size to alpine reservoirs.

The vegetation of the Himalayas has a tiered distribution. At the very foot of the mountains there are swampy jungles, a tier above - tropical forests, then comes the kingdom of deciduous and coniferous species, replaced by mixed forests, on the uppermost slopes the vegetation is represented in the form of alpine meadows. At an altitude of over 4.5 km (in the southern part of the mountains) and 6 km (from the north), the border of eternal snow passes.

The fauna of the Himalayas also has differences depending on the altitude and the prevailing landscape. For example, at the foot of the mountains in the jungle live Indian rhinos and elephants, antelopes and buffaloes. Alpine meadows are the territory where Himalayan bears, yaks and snow leopards (now on the verge of extinction) reign.

Ethnic and religious diversity

Due to the harsh climatic conditions, the highlands and mid-mountain heights are poorly populated by people. The bulk of the population lives in the low-lying regions of the mountains and at their foot. The Himalayas are inhabited by representatives of various peoples. Most of them have lived in isolation from each other for many centuries, and therefore have significant anthropological and cultural differences. So in the south, the Aryan peoples from Hindustan predominate. Dards with characteristic Mediterranean features also live here, which gave reason to assume that they are descendants of the soldiers of Alexander the Great. The western slopes of the mountains are inhabited by Persian and Turkic peoples, and Tibetans live in the northeast.

Most of the population is employed in agriculture. The main industries are agriculture and cattle breeding. In recent years, there has been an increase in employment of the local population in the tourism sector.

The main religious beliefs of the mountain peoples are represented by various currents of Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam.

Sights of the Himalayas: natural and man-made

The Himalayas are the center of attraction for tourists. The region is rich in cultural and natural attractions.

First of all, travelers are called to the path by high mountains. Every climber dreams of conquering the highest peak in the world - Everest.

Many adventurers go to mysterious Tibet in search of the mythical Shambhala. Tibet attracts tourists with the desire to get acquainted with their famous temples, to see the legendary Tibetan monks. Pilgrims go to the mountains for healing.

In addition, paranormal researchers believe that it is the Himalayas that are the refuge of Bigfoot. Belief in this legend gathers many cinematographic expeditions, both professionals and amateurs.

Adepts of the philosophical doctrine of yoga, popular today, tend to the Indian Himalayas in order to be imbued with the true light of religion. In addition, the Indian Himalayas are the main point of attraction for Russian tourists. It is here that the estate of the famous Russian painter and scientist Nicholas Roerich is located, where he spent the last years of his life. The house-museum of the artist presents a large collection of his works and stores memorabilia of the artist and his family members, collected over a long period.

History lovers are attracted by the palaces and monuments of India, Tibet, Nepal and other countries.

Of course, the rich and multifaceted culture of the region and the beauty of the natural world will not leave anyone indifferent.

The Himalayas are a mountain range located in the southern part of Asia. The Himalayas are part of such states as Nepal, India, Pakistan, Tibet and Bhutan. This mountain range is the highest in the world, reaching almost 9,000 meters above sea level. The Himalayas separate the Indian subcontinent from the interior of Asia. The very word "Himalayas" means "house of snow".

There are 14 mountains in the Himalayas that exceed 8,000 meters in height, among them K2, Nanga Parbat and Mount Everest. The height of the latter is 8848 meters, making it the highest mountain in the world. The Himalayas stretch over 1,500 miles (2,400 km) from the Indus Valley in the west to the Brahmaputra Valley in the east. Their width is from 100 to 250 kilometers.

Many mountain peaks are sacred to the people who live in the surrounding area. Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims go here and pray to God.

How the Himalayas were formed

The Himalayas are among the youngest mountain systems in the world. They were formed when the Indian subcontinent, which was originally part of the southern plate, moved north and crashed into Asia. This movement began about 70 million years ago and continues to this day. The Himalayas are still getting taller, growing at about 7 cm per year. Earthquakes and volcanoes are proof of the region's high activity.

Rivers and lakes

Glaciers and permanent snowfields cover the highlands of the Himalayas. They are the source of the streams that flow into the two large rivers of this region. The Indus flows back and forth through Pakistan into the Arabian Sea. The Ganges and the Brahmaputra flow east and join in Bangladesh. They form the world's largest river delta.

Climate

Almost any type of climate is found at different altitudes in the mountains. The lower slopes in the south are home to tropical plants and tea. The trees grow up to a height of 4000 meters. Wheat and other cereals grow in higher areas.

The Himalayas influence the climate in both India and Tibet. They form a barrier against the monsoon winds that blow from the Indian Ocean across India. It rains heavily on the outer side of the mountains, while a dry wind blows on the plains of Tibet.

Population

The Himalayas are very sparsely populated due to the harsh climate. Most people live on the low Indian slopes. Many people make their living as Sherpas, guiding tourists and climbers to the peaks of the mountains.

Mountains have been a natural barrier for millennia. They stopped people from China and the interior parts of Asia from mixing with the Indian population. Genghis Khan, Emperor of the Mongols was stopped from expanding his empire south due to the height of the mountains.

Most of the roads that cross the Himalayas are at an altitude of over 5,000 meters. In winter they are covered with snow and almost impassable.

Tourism

Mountaineering has become a major tourism destination in the Himalayan mountains. It started almost at the end of the 19th century when many climbers started climbing the peaks. In 1953, mountaineer Edmund Hillary and a representative of the indigenous Tibetan Sherpa people, Tenzing Norgay, were the first to conquer the highest point on our planet - the summit of Everest.

Description of Everest

Everest, or Chomolungma, or Sagarmatha- this is the highest peak of the globe with a height of 8844 m, located in the Himalayas and is part of the highest mountain range in the world. It is located on the border of Nepal and China (Tibet Autonomous Region), but the peak itself lies on the territory of China.

Divine Mount Chomolnugma

Chomolungma - translated from Tibetan means "Divine". Nepalese name Chomolungma - Sagarmatha means "Mother of the Gods". The English name Everest (Everest) was given in honor of Sir George Everest, the head of the Survey of British India in 1830-1843. This name was proposed in 1856 by J. Everest's successor Andrew Waugh, when it turned out that this peak is the highest in the region and in the whole world. Goraya is partly part of the Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal.

Conquest of Sagarmatha

Everest was first seen in the 30s of the last century, and conquered since 1921. But all attempts ended either in failure or even tragically. The first ascent of the mountain was made on May 29, 1953 by travelers Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary.

How to get to Everest?

For all the time after the opening of the peak, more than 4,000 people climbed Chomolungma along the easier southern slope, located in Nepal, or along the northern one, starting in Tibet.

Everest trip starts in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu. From here climbers go to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, and from there they go on foot to the camp at the foot of Everest. It is worth remembering that due to the difficult political situation between China and Tibet, visiting the Tibet Autonomous Region is allowed only with the special permission of the Chinese authorities, and from time to time it may be completely prohibited. The cost of climbing Everest is from $10,000 to $65,000 and is charged by the country from which the ascent is made. The cost of climbing from Tibet is cheaper.

At the top of Everest, the wind blows from 200 kilometers per hour or up to 55 meters per second, and the temperature at night drops to -60 Celsius. At the top of the mountain there is practically no air suitable for breathing, so the ascent is made with special oxygen equipment. Every year about 200-500 people try to conquer Everest, and the number of those who visit the mountain is several thousand a year. Climbing to the top of Everest takes about two months - with acclimatization and setting up camps. Weight loss after climbing - an average of 10-15 kg, but sometimes more.

Lost on Everest

For fifty years, more than two hundred people have died on the slopes, and the total mortality of all those who died during the ascent is 11%. In May 1996, due to a storm that began on the southern slope of the Chomolungma, 5 people died at once. On April 18, 2014, an avalanche killed 13 people and 3 people went missing.

Cellular and Internet

At the top of Chomolungma, there is a cellular connection from ChinaMobile and the Nepalese operator Ncell, there is high-speed Internet access.

The highest mountains in the world

Most of the highest mountains in the world are located in the mountain ranges of the Himalayas, in Asia in the region of Nepal and Tibet.

Everest or Chomolungma (8848 meters)

Chogori (K2) - the second height of Chomolungma (8614 meters)

Kangchenjunga (8586 meters)

Lhotse (8516 meters)

Makalu (8516 meters)

Cho Oyu (8201 meters)

Dhaulagiri (8167 meters)

Manaslu (8156 meters)

Nanga (8126 meters)

Annapurna (8091 meters)

During the day, their snow-white hats sparkle in the rays of the bright sun. At sunset, the peaks are painted in a delicate red color and on the pink crests of the mountains you can watch a bizarre play of light and shadow. When night falls, sharp black peaks loom against the blue-black starry sky. The Himalayas are not only one of the most beautiful places created by nature. This is a sacred land, a place where, according to legend, Buddhist and Hindu deities live. Once upon a time, these mountains were an insurmountable barrier between the states located to the south of them, and the fabulously rich cities lying to the north, on the Great Silk Road - Samarkand, Bukhara, Kashgar and Kotan.

There are no more mountains on Earth like those of Central Asia. Six mountain systems meet here, forming an arc 160-240 km wide along the northern border of the Indian subcontinent. The largest mountain system of the six is ​​the Himalayas (which translates from Sanskrit as "abode of snow"). From the cold white pyramid of Namcha Barwa in the forests of northern Assam in the east, they stretch west along the border of the Tibetan Plateau through Bhutan, Sikkim, Nepal and Ladakh. Finally, they end in Pakistan with the powerful western bastion of Nanga Parbat. Their total length is approximately 2400 km. The peaks of the southern Sivalik mountains (the Himalayas) rise above sea level by a maximum of 1520 m. In the north they border on the Lesser Himalayas, the average height of which is 4570 m.

The Great Himalayas are the basis of the whole system. They reach their maximum height in Nepal. There, in a small space, are 9 of the 14 highest peaks, including Everest (8846 m), Kanchen Junga (8598 m) and Annapurna (8078 m). To the north of the Greater Himalayas is a mountain range called Tethys or the Tibetan Himalayas, which is bordered to the north by the vast Tibetan Plateau.

The fossilized skeletons of fish and other marine animals found in the Himalayas indicate that these giant mountains were once marine sediments. Between 570 and 65 million years ago they were the bottom of the ancient Tethys Ocean. When the Indian tectonic plate, drifting north, collided with the Asian mainland, the Himalayan mountain range shot up.

Geologists have established that the emergence of the Himalayan mountains took place in at least three stages. The Great Himalayas were the first to form, about 38 million years ago. Then, between 26 and 7 million years ago, the Lesser Himalayas arose. At the third stage, about 7 million years ago, the Sivalik Mountains appeared. Movement at the junction of two tectonic plates is a continuous process. Over the past one and a half million years, mountains have grown by 1370 m.

In Hindu mythology, this region is called Deviabhuni - the land of the gods. At the top of Gaurishankar lived the great god Shiva with his wife Devi, the daughter of Himavat, who himself is the personification of the Himalayas. Shiva is one of the supreme gods included in the divine triad, the "master of animals." Therefore, it is quite logical that from his dwelling, located among the eternal snows of the Himalayas, the life-giving waters of the three great rivers of Asia - the Indus, the Brahmaputra and the Ganges - flow.

Shiva and his wife are not the only deities inhabiting the Himalayas. Both Hindu and Buddhist legends tell that Mount Meru stands in the center of the Earth, around which the Sun, Moon and stars revolve. Hindus identify Mount Kailash in the Tibetan Himalayas with Meru. Kubera lives here - the god of wealth, the owner of earthly treasures and the lord of supernatural beings called yakshas. Indra also lives on Meru, the most important of the early Hindu gods, the thunderer who gives rain and fertilizes the earth.

Religious associations were also guided by the first traveler in the Himalayas mentioned in the chronicles. The Chinese monk Fa Xian came here in 400 AD. e. in search of religious truth. The oldest accurate map of these places was compiled in the 30s of the 18th century by the French geographer Jean Baptiste Bourguignon d'Arville, who, however, could not correctly determine the height of many mountain peaks. At the beginning of the 19th century, the British, hunters of large animals, went here from India in search of tigers and bears.Returning from the Himalayas, they recounted local legends about strange footprints in the snow.This was the first hint of the existence of the Bigfoot.

In the 1950s, the highest peak in the world was known in the West simply as Peak XV. The Indians called it Sagarmatha - "heavenly peak", and for the Tibetans it was Chomolungma - "mother-goddess of the earth." Everest was named by the British in 1862 in honor of Sir George Everest, the Governor-General of India, who six years earlier led an expedition to map the Himalayan mountains.

By the end of the 19th century, Tibet and Nepal closed their borders to Europeans. And although in 1921 the Dalai Lama allowed one expedition to visit the country, she had only enough time to get to the foot of Everest and map its lower slopes. A member of this expedition was George Mallory, who three years later made a desperate attempt to climb the highest peak in the world.

Mallory, who led the 1924 expedition, and his comrade Andrew Irwin, may have been the first people to stand on the summit of Everest. In any case, they were in the immediate vicinity of the peak when the cloud covered them. After that, they disappeared from the field of view of their colleagues who were watching them from below, and no one else saw them. The first reliable conquest of Everest was carried out by a British expedition led by John Hunt 30 years later. The last assault was made by the New Zealander Edmund Hillary and the Nepalese Sherpa Norgay Tenzing. Hillary later wrote of what he thought as he stood where no one was known to have stood before him: to success. I looked at Tenzing... and he couldn't hide his infectious, enthusiastic smile."

The attraction of Everest for climbers is undeniable, and the climbing season is short; unless, of course, they want to avoid low temperatures, gale-force winds and deep snow. Many attempts to reach the summit ended in failure, and sometimes the death of expedition members, but nothing stops climbers. In recent years, climbers from all over the world have managed to make successful ascents.

Climbers continue to storm the highest peak, but so far only about four hundred of them have managed to stand on the "roof of the world." The Himalayas in general, and Everest in particular, carefully guard their secrets. Even today they remain the only snow kingdom of its kind - the abode of the gods. Over time, it may turn out that this is the house of the Bigfoot.