Himalayas

Himalayas is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has many of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. The Himalayas include over fifty mountains exceeding 7,200 metres (23,600 ft) in elevation, including ten of the fourteen 8,000-metre peaks. By contrast, the highest peak outside Asia (Aconcagua, in the Andes) is 6,961 metres (22,838 ft) tall.

Geography

The Himalayas, which stretch over five countries: India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, and Pakistan, are the source of three of the world's major river systems, the Indus Basin, the Ganga-Brahmaputra Basin and the Yangtze Basin.

Geology

The Himalayas are among the youngest mountain ranges on the planet and consist mostly of uplifted sedimentary and metamorphic rock. They are the result of a continental collision or orogeny along the convergent boundary between the Indo-Australian Plate and the Eurasian Plate.

Climate

The Himalayas have a profound effect on the climate of the Indian subcontinent and the Tibetan Plateau. They prevent frigid, dry winds from blowing south into the subcontinent, which keeps South Asia much warmer than corresponding temperate regions in the other continents.

Biodiversity

The Himalayas are home to a diversity of medicinal plants, animals and birds. Some of the notable animals include the Snow Leopard, the Himalayan Tahr, the Red Panda, and the Himalayan Black Bear.

Culture

The Himalayas have deeply influenced the cultures of South Asia; many Himalayan peaks are sacred in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism.

See also

• Geography of the Himalayas
• Geology of the Himalayas
• Climate of the Himalayas
• Biodiversity of the Himalayas
• Culture of the Himalayas

Himalayas Resources
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