A monstrous mountain range, the Himalayas has 30 peaks that tower over 24,000 feet and average about 200 miles in width. In fact, the Himalayas cover about 0.4 percent of the surface area of the Earth!
The Highest Mountain Range in the World
Research has shown that the Indo-Australian plate moves about 20 mm per year, causing the mountains to continue to grow in size. This means those mountains are going to be even taller!
They’re Getting Taller!
India, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet and Pakistan. For this reason, much folklore and mythology revolves around the mountain range. In Hindu mythology, the God Shiva is said to reside in the Himalayas. The Nepalese call the mountains “Sagarmatha,” which means “Goddess of the Universe” or “Forehead of the Sky.” A Sherpa legend—which has also become integrated in Western pop culture—tells of the Yet
Yetis
The Ganges, the Indus, the Brahmaputra, the Mekong, the Yangtze and the Yellow Rivers all originate in the Himalayas. This water supplies three primary river systems in Southeast Asia
Rivers That Flow from the Himalayas
Mount Everest was named by Sir Andrew Waugh in 1865 in honor of his predecessor Sir George Everest who was the Surveyor General of India from 1830 to 1843. Mount Everest is Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas
Mountain Names
Himalayas are home to some of the rarest species in the animal kingdom. Snow leopards, wild goats, Tibetan sheep, musk deer and mountain goats can be seen stalking, jumping and leaping through the mountains.
Exotic Wildlife