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

Translated into Russian, the word "Himalayas" means "the kingdom of snows." This highest mountain system of the world rises on the border between Central and South Asia and separates the Tibetan Plateau from the lowlands of the Indus and the Ganges (see the map of the physical and geographical zoning of Eurasia with links to photographs of the nature of this region). It was formed during the Cenozoic within that part of the ancient Tethys, where there was a convergence of the marginal zones of Eurasia and the Hindustan block, separated from Gondwana.

Relief. The Himalayas are the most important geomorphological, climatic and floristic frontier. The physical-geographical and geomorphological boundaries of the mountain system itself are clearly expressed. In the north, these are the longitudinal intermountain valleys of the Indus and Brahmaputra, in the south - the edge of the Indo-Gangetic plain, in the northwest and southeast - the transverse valleys of the Indus and Brahmaputra. The Himalayas border the Hindu Kush in the northwest and the Sino-Tibetan Mountains in the southeast. The total length of the mountain system is more than 2400 km, the width is 200-350 km. The Himalayas are part of China, India, Nepal, Pakistan.

Dozens of peaks in the Himalayas reach 7000 m, 11 peaks exceed 8000 m, the passes are on average at an altitude of 5000 m, which exceeds the maximum height of the Alps (Fig. 50).

Rice. 50. Comparative profile of the Alps and the Himalayas

The highest peak of the Himalayas and the whole world - Chomolungma (Everest), (8848 m) - was conquered only in 1953. The rise of the Himalayas has not ended at the present time, as evidenced by frequent earthquakes and the high position of early Quaternary deposits above sea level.

geological structure. The structure of the mountains involves crystalline, metamorphic, sedimentary and volcanic rocks of various ages, from Archean to Quaternary, crumpled into intense folds, complicated in the central parts by powerful thrusts and splits.

Peculiarities geological structure- the predominance of Precambrian rocks similar to the complexes of the Indian Platform, a very limited distribution of marine sedimentary strata and the presence of continental sediments close to those of Gondwanan - give reason to consider the Himalayas as a mountain system that arose on the site of the outskirts of the Indian Platform, which underwent tectonic activation in the Neogene-Quaternary time in connection with the joining of the Hindustan plate to the rest of Eurasia and the closure of Tethys.

The Himalayas do not form ridges stretched over long distances, but break up into separate massifs, separated from one another by deep transverse river valleys. This is due to the fact that the valleys of the largest rivers - the Indus, Sutleja, Brahmaputra - were laid down before the start of the general grandiose uplift of the mountains. The uplift was accompanied by the incision of rivers and the formation of epigenetic valleys of the Himalayas.

The foothills of the Himalayas are composed of young deposits, collected in folds in the middle of the Quaternary. They are collectively known as the Sivalik Mountains; their height on the territory of Nepal is about 1000 m. In some places they are pressed close to the ridges of the Himalayas proper, in others they are separated by a strip of wide tectonic valleys - duns. The Sivalik Mountains drop steeply to the north and south.

The next highest step in the Himalayas is the Lesser Himalayas; they are composed of crystalline Precambrian rocks, as well as highly metamorphosed sedimentary deposits of the Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Paleogene. This band is characterized by intense folding, faults and volcanism. The height of the ridges reaches an average of 3500-4500 m, and individual peaks rise to 6000 m. In the northwest, the Pir-Panjal ridge stretches over 6000 m high, further to the southeast it is replaced by the Small Himalayas proper, which merge with the Big Himalayas (Main Himalayan range) high-mountainous powerful massif Dhaulagiri (8221 m). Further to the east, the entire system of the Himalayas narrows, the zone of the Lesser Himalayas presses against the Main Range, forming the medium-altitude Mahabharat Mountains, and even to the east, the high and heavily dissected Duara Mountains.

Between the Lesser and Greater Himalayas stretches a strip tectonic basins, which in the recent past were occupied by lakes and processed by glaciers. The most famous in the west is the Kashmir Basin at an altitude of 1600 m, with the main city of Kashmir, Srinagar. The existence of a lake, which used to fill the basin, is evidenced by terraces well expressed on the slopes. Several residual lakes have been preserved on the surface of the flat bottom. The second large basin of the central part of the Himalayas - Kathmandu in Nepal - is located at an altitude of about 1400 m; most of the population of this mountainous country is concentrated in it.

To the north of the basins rise the Great Himalayas, reaching an average height of 6000 m. This is a well-defined alpine ridge, above which the highest peaks of the world rise. At the western end of the Main Range, this is the grandiose Nanga Parbat massif (8126 m), then there is a series of peaks exceeding 6000 and 7000 m, then eight thousandth giants covered with snow and ice rise: Dhaulagiri (8167), Kutang (8126 m), Gosaintan (8013 m ), etc. Among them, the highest peak of the world, Chomolungma (Everest), with a height of 8848 m, does not even stand out. Gorgeous and majestic, only slightly inferior to it, Kanchenjunga (8598 m).

The northern slope of the Greater Himalayas is flatter and more accessible than the southern one. Along it stretches the Ladakh Range up to 7728 m high. Many rivers originate on its slopes, then crossing the Main Range. To the north of Ladakh, behind the wide longitudinal valleys of the Indus and the Brahmaputra, the outlying ranges of the Tibetan Plateau (Trans-Himalayas) rise.

Useful fossils. The Himalayas are rich in minerals. In the axial crystalline zone there are deposits of copper ore, alluvial gold, arsenic and chromium ores. Oil, combustible gases, brown coal, potash and rock salts occur in the foothills and intermountain basins.

climatic conditions. The Himalayas are the largest climate divide in Asia. To the north of them, continental air of temperate latitudes prevails, to the south - tropical air masses. Up to the southern slope of the Himalayas, the summer equatorial monsoon penetrates. The winds there are so strong that it is difficult to climb the highest peaks. Therefore, you can climb Chomolungma only in spring, during a short period of calm before the start of the summer monsoon. On the northern slope throughout the year, the winds of the northern or western rhumbs blow, coming from the continent supercooled in winter or very warm in summer, but always dry. From the northwest to the southeast, the Himalayas stretch approximately between 35 and 28 ° N, and the summer monsoon almost does not penetrate into the northwestern sector of the mountain system. All this creates great climatic differences within the Himalayas. Most precipitation falls in the eastern part of the southern slope (from 2000 to 3000 mm). In the west, their annual amounts do not exceed 1000 mm. Less than 1000 mm falls in the band of internal tectonic basins and in internal river valleys. On the northern slope, especially in the valleys, the amount of precipitation decreases sharply. In some places, annual amounts are less than 100 mm. Above 1800 m, winter precipitation falls in the form of snow, and above 4500 m, snow occurs throughout the year.

On the southern slopes up to a height of 2000 m, the average temperature in January is 6 ... 7 ° C, in July 18 ... 19 ° C; up to 3000 m average temperature winter months does not fall below 0 ° C, and only above 4500 m the average July temperature becomes negative. The snow limit in the eastern part of the Himalayas passes at an altitude of 4500 m, in the western, less humid, - 5100-5300 m. On the northern slopes, the height of the nival belt is 700-1000 m higher than on the southern ones.

Natural water. High altitude and abundant rainfall contribute to the formation of powerful glaciers and a dense river network. Glaciers and snow cover all the high peaks of the Himalayas, but the ends of the glacial tongues have a significant absolute height. Most of the Himalayan glaciers belong to the valley type and reach no more than 5 km in length. But the farther east more precipitation, the longer and lower the glaciers descend the slopes. On Chomolungma and Kanchenjunga, the most powerful glaciation, the largest glaciers of the Himalayas are formed. These are dendritic type glaciers with several feeding areas and one main shaft. The Zemu glacier on Kangchenjunga reaches 25 km in length and ends at an altitude of about 4000 m. from it originates one of the sources of the Ganges.

Especially many rivers flow down from the southern slope of the mountains. They start in the glaciers of the Greater Himalayas and, crossing the Lesser Himalayas and the foothill zone, come out onto the plain. Some major rivers originate from the northern slope and, heading towards the Indo-Gangetic plain, cut through the Himalayas with deep through valleys. This is the Indus, its tributary Sutlej and Brahmaputra (Tsangpo).

The Himalayan rivers are fed by rain, ice and snow, so the main flow maximum occurs in summer. In the eastern part, the role of monsoon rains in nutrition is great, in the west - snow and ice of the high-mountain zone. The narrow gorges or canyon-like valleys of the Himalayas abound with waterfalls and rapids. From May, when the most rapid snowmelt begins, until October, when the action of the summer monsoon ends, rivers rush down from the mountains in violent streams, carrying away masses of detrital material that they deposit when they leave the Himalayan foothills. Often monsoon rains cause severe floods in mountain rivers, during which bridges are washed away, roads are destroyed and collapses occur.

There are many lakes in the Himalayas, but among them there are none that could be compared with the Alpine ones in size and beauty. Some lakes, for example in the Kashmir basin, occupy only a part of those tectonic depressions, which were previously filled in entirely. The Pir-Panjal ridge is known for numerous glacial lakes formed in ancient cirque funnels or in river valleys as a result of their damming by moraine.

Vegetation. On the abundantly moistened southern slope of the Himalayas, the altitudinal belts from tropical forests to high tundra. At the same time, the southern slope is characterized by significant differences in the vegetation cover of the humid and hot eastern part and the drier and colder western part. Along the foot of the mountains from their eastern extremity to the course of the Jamna River stretches a kind of marshy strip with black silty soils, called terai. Terai are characterized by jungles - dense tree and shrub thickets, in places almost impassable due to vines and consisting of soapwood, mimosas, bananas, stunted palms, and bamboos. Among the Terai, there are cleared and drained areas that are used for the cultivation of various tropical crops.

Above the terai, on the wet slopes of the mountains and along the river valleys, up to a height of 1000-1200 m, evergreens grow. rainforests from tall palms, laurels, tree ferns and gigantic bamboos, with many vines (including rattan palm) and epiphytes. The drier areas are dominated by less dense forests of sal tree, which lose their leaves during the dry period, with rich undergrowth and grass cover.

At altitudes of more than 1000 m, subtropical species of evergreen and deciduous trees begin to mix with the heat-loving forms of the tropical forest: pines, evergreen oaks, magnolias, maples, chestnuts. At an altitude of 2000 m, subtropical forests are replaced by temperate forests of deciduous and coniferous trees, among which only occasionally representatives of the subtropical flora, such as magnificently flowering magnolias, come across. At the upper border of the forest, conifers dominate, including silver fir, larch, and juniper. The undergrowth is formed by dense thickets of tree-like rhododendrons. Lots of mosses and lichens covering the soil and tree trunks. The subalpine belt that replaces forests consists of tall grass meadows and thickets of shrubs, the vegetation of which gradually becomes lower and more sparse when moving to the alpine zone. The alpine meadow vegetation of the Himalayas is unusually rich in species, including primroses, anemones, poppies and other brightly flowering perennial herbs. The upper limit of the Alpine belt in the east reaches a height of about 5000 m, but individual plants are found much higher. When climbing Chomolungma, plants were found at an altitude of 6218 m.

In the western part of the southern slope of the Himalayas, due to less humidity, there is no such richness and diversity of vegetation, the flora is much poorer than in the east. There is absolutely no strip of terai there, the lower parts of the slopes of the mountains are covered with sparse xerophytic forests and thickets of shrubs, higher there are some subtropical Mediterranean species such as evergreen holm oak and golden olive, coniferous forests of pines and magnificent Himalayan cedar (Cedrus deodara) predominate even higher. The shrub undergrowth in these forests is poorer than in the east, but the alpine meadow vegetation is more diverse.

The landscapes of the northern ranges of the Himalayas, facing towards Tibet, are approaching the desert mountain landscapes of Central Asia. The change in vegetation with height is less pronounced than on the southern slopes. From the bottoms of the large river valleys up to the snow-covered peaks, sparse thickets of dry grasses and xerophytic shrubs spread. Woody vegetation is found only in some river valleys in the form of thickets of low-growing poplars.

Animal world. The landscape differences of the Himalayas are also reflected in the composition of the wild fauna. The diverse and rich fauna of the southern slopes has a pronounced tropical character. In the forests of the lower parts of the slopes and in the Terai, many large mammals, reptiles, and insects are common. There are still elephants, rhinos, buffaloes, wild boars, antelopes. The jungle is literally teeming with various monkeys. Macaques and thin-bodied are especially characteristic. Of the predators, the most dangerous for the population are tigers and leopards - spotted and black (black panthers). Among birds, peacocks, pheasants, parrots, wild chickens stand out for their beauty and brightness of plumage.

In the upper belt of mountains and on the northern slopes, the fauna is close in composition to the Tibetan. The black Himalayan bear, wild goats and rams, yaks live there. Especially a lot of rodents.

Population and environmental issues. Most of the population is concentrated in the middle belt of the southern slope and in intramountain tectonic basins. There is a lot of cultivated land there. Rice is sown on the irrigated flat bottoms of the basins, and tea bushes, citrus fruits, and vines are grown on terraced slopes. Alpine pastures are used for grazing sheep, yaks and other livestock.

Because of high altitude The passes in the Himalayas significantly complicate communication between the countries of the northern and southern slopes. Dirt roads or caravan trails pass through some passes, there are very few highways in the Himalayas. The passes are only accessible during the summer. In winter, they are covered with snow and completely impassable.

The inaccessibility of the territory played a favorable role in preserving the unique mountain landscapes of the Himalayas. Despite the significant agricultural development of low mountains and hollows, intensive grazing on mountain slopes and an ever-increasing influx of climbers from around the world, the Himalayas remain a haven for valuable plant and animal species. The real "treasures" are included in the List of World Cultural and Natural Heritage National parks India and Nepal - Nan-dadevi, Sagarmatha and Chitwan.

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 (Tibetan 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. Average Height ridges about 6 km, maximum 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, across Kashmir in northern 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. northern borders 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 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 impregnable summit submitted only on May 29, 1953 to 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 bounded by the Brahmaputra valley, and from the west by the Indus (these powerful rivers from three sides cover the entire mountain system). 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 name Everest was given to the mountain 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 of 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 so 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.

Himalayas - the highest mountain system the globe. About a third of all animal species living here - more than in other parts of India - belong to the protected.
Basic data:
The Himalayan mountain system belongs to natural landscapes that break down faster. In connection with economic activity man is rapidly shrinking the area of ​​virgin corners of nature. free lands built up, polluted and destroyed. Certain measures were taken to preserve this exceptionally valuable region, but, obviously, this was done too late. Cautious snow leopard (irbis), covered with beautiful thick yellow - gray spotted hair, light on the sides and white on the belly, became the object of hunting for hunters - sportsmen, poachers and fur traders.
Musk deer in the past lived everywhere in Himalayan mountains Oh. Musk - the secret of the musk glands of the male deer - has long been used in the perfume industry. As a result of active extermination, through the pursuit of man for profit, this animal was on the verge of extinction. In order to protect the musk deer, several reserves were organized, in particular, Kedernath and national park Sagarmatha.
Other endangered species found in the Himalayas include the brown bear, the white-breasted or Himalayan bear, the red panda and the black-necked crane (Grus nigricollis). Black-necked cranes were discovered by the zoologist and traveler N. M. Przhevalsky. The Marco Polo sheep is a subspecies of argali, one of the largest Himalayan sheep.
People lead ecological agriculture.
The Chinese were the first to use musk - the secret of the musk gland of the musk deer - in the production of fragrances.
The Himalayas are the natural border between the Tibetan highlands of the pits and India, Bhutan and Nepal, connecting in the northwest with the Hindu Kush ranges.
Do you know that…
Of the 109 peaks over 7315 m, 96 belong to the Himalayas and Karakoram mountain ranges.
Mount Chomolungma (Everest), whose height is 8848 m, is named after the English General George Everest (1790-1866), a surveyor, researcher of the topography of India.
The length of the horns of the markhor goat, or markhor, living in the Himalayas (Capra falconeri) reaches 1.65 m.

The length of the Himalayas is about 2500 km, the width in some places reaches 400 km. The Himalayan mountains are mainly located on the territory of Nepal and Bhutan, between the Tibetan highlands and the Indo-Gangetic plain. This mountain system is elongated, crosses several climatic zones, has a rich fauna and flora.
Insects
The jungle in the foothills of the Himalayas is a favorable environment for many different insects. In the higher regions, most insects have a dark body color, due to which they accumulate solar heat during the day. Butterflies amaze with their ability to live on high altitudes that fly at an altitude of 4500 m above sea level.
Relief formation
formed about 70 million years ago as a result of the collision of the Indian and Eurasian platforms of the earth's crust, followed by deformation and uplift. The rich Himalayan flora and fauna includes South Asian, African and Mediterranean species.
In the east of the Himalayas, species that are native to Western China can still be observed today, and European Mediterranean species are found in the western part. Fossils indicate that typical African animals once lived here.
Vegetation
In the Himalayas, the following four belts of vegetation are distinguished: tropical, subtropical, temperate and alpine. All of them are located on different height and are characterized by different amounts of precipitation. Sivalik Mountains (Pereghimalaya) covered with tropical forests, consisting mainly of bamboo, oaks and chestnuts. In the western direction, with increasing altitude, the forests thin out, evergreen oaks, cedars and pines begin to dominate here.
At an altitude of 3700 m, the belt of alpine vegetation begins with its inherent rhododendrons and juniper.
mammals
The originality of the fauna of Tibet lies in the small number of species and the abundance of individuals, mainly ungulates - wild yaks, antelopes, mountain sheep. In a cold long winter, many animals - foxes, martens, weasels, hares, marmots, pikas - dig deep holes. Typical inhabitants of the Himalayas - different kinds mountain sheep. There are more of them here than in any other mountains of the world. A subspecies of the mountain sheep lives here - the Marco Polo sheep. Hunters, extracting his beautiful spiral horns, exterminated them almost completely. Another subspecies of argali lives here - the Tibetan argali, which can withstand extreme temperature fluctuations: both heat and winter cold. In the Himalayas, there are also such representatives of the bovid family: the bearded goat, markhor goat and blue ram, the Himalayan goral, tar and Takin, which is depicted on the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Bhutan. The Himalayan tahr lives on rocky slopes in the forest strand of mountains; females rise above the forest line in summer. Kak is the largest mammal in the region. Thanks to its long wool, reminiscent of felt, it survives in the highest and most inhospitable mountainous areas. Animals domesticated by highlanders are reliable and hardy companions of man. Brown and Himalayan bears feed on carrion, they are very fond of sweet fruits and roots. Perhaps the legend of Bigfoot, Yeti, was inspired by the paw prints of the Himalayan bear.
The snow leopard, covered with thick fur, is not afraid of frost. The Himalayan bear is a shy animal.
Birds
The feathered Himalayan fauna includes Asian, European and Indo-Chinese species. local forests inhabited by numerous woodpeckers. In the mountains, birds live even above the forest limit - among them the Himalayan snowcock.
Himalayas - real paradise for birds of prey. Himalayan or snowy, vultures, bearded vultures and golden eagles, soaring high in the sky, look out for small animals and birds on the ground. The golden eagle occasionally attacks lambs and young musk deer. Many local birds are characterized by a bright multi-color color. In the pheasant family, the Himalayan pheasants stand out most with their plumage. The Himalayan pheasant lives in the eastern part of the Himalayas.
Himalayan vultures feed on the carcasses of deer and other large mammals.

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, we will talk about the highest peak of the 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 unfavorable conditions, the mortality rate 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 from Everest. The first ascent to the summit occurred in 1953 by Nepalese Tenzing Norgay and New Zealander Edmund Hillary using oxygen devices.

This article provides basic information about the highest mountain system- Himalayas. More detailed 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. total area- more than 1,000,000 km². The height of the high point exceeds 8,800 m - this hill is called Everest. Generally Mountain chain consists of 109 vertices.

Mountains are natural boundary separating the Indian subcontinent 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 India - Ganges.

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 wall climatic zones. So, in the north of the mountains, moderate continental winds reign, air currents are dry and cold. South direction represented by tropical air masses big amount rainfall in summer.

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

High rainfall and high altitude mountain range conditioned education large glaciers and branched 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

Because of the harsh climatic conditions 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. Western slopes The mountains are inhabited by Persian and Turkic peoples; Tibetans live in the northeast.

Most of the population is employed in agriculture. The main industries are agriculture and cattle breeding. IN last years there has been an increase in employment 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 high mountains. Every climber dreams of conquering the most high peak the world - Everest.

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

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

Adherents of the philosophical doctrine of yoga, popular today, strive to Indian Himalayas in order to be imbued with the true light of religion. In addition, the Indian Himalayas are main point attraction 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.

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