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Himalayas
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Nepali HIMALAYA, great mountain system of Asia forming a barrier between the Tibetan Plateau to the north and the alluvial plains of the Indian subcontinent to the south. The Himalayan ranges contain 30 mountains rising to heights greater than 24,000 feet (7,300 m) above sea level, including Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, which reaches an elevation of 28,029 feet (8,848 m). The mountains extend without interruption in a broad arc for about 1,550 miles (2,500 km) from their western end at Nanga Parbat peak in the territory of Jammu and Kashmir, eastward to Namcha Barwa peak in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, near its southern border with India. Between these western and eastern extremities lie several Indian states and the Himalayan kingdoms of Nepal and Bhutan. The Himalayas' total area covers about 229,500 square miles (594,400 square km). The backbone of the mountain system is formed by the Great Himalayas a single high range rising above the line of perpetual snow to its maximum height in Nepal and having in that section 9 of the 14 highest peaks in the world. The Himalayan ranges' most characteristic features, in addition to their great heights, are their snowcapped and steep-sided jagged peaks, extremely large valley glaciers, deeply cut river gorges, and rich temperate and Alpine vegetation. The Himalayan ranges act as a great climatic divide, affecting air- and water-circulation systems, and therefore exercise a dominating influence on the meteorological conditions in bordering regions. The height of the highest mountain range, the Great Himalaya Range, obstructs the passage of cold continental air from the north into India in winter and also forces the southwest monsoonal (rain-bearing) winds to give up most of their moisture before crossing the range northward, thus causing a heavy precipitation of rain and snow on the Indian snge but arid conditions in Tibet. The mountain region isdrained by 19 major rivers, of which the Indus and Brahmaputra are the largest. The economic resources of the Himalayas include rich arable land, extensive grassland and forest, workable mineral deposits, and a tremendous potential for easily harnessable hydroelectric power. |
