About The Himalayas

According to the scientists, a huge shallow sea, the Tethys, existed where the Himalayas stand today. Scientists speculate that the submerged landmasses on either side started pushing each other and thus gave birth to these great mountains. As this is a relatively fresh incidence in the geographical time frame, so the Himalayas are considered to be a young land formation, although it is believed that the whole process took five to seven million years. There is evidence of fossils at heights of over 8,000 meters, supporting these theories. The prime focus of this page is to offer major info about the Himalayas.

The Himalayas are the highest mountain range in the world. Extending along the northern borders of Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Burma, they occurred geologically as a result of the clash of the Indian subcontinent with Asia. The slow northward drift of the Indian subcontinent is still ongoing, causing earthquakes. Offering details about the Himalayas, these mountain ranges are about 2,400 kilometers in length, while varying in width from 240 to 330 kilometers. It consists of three parallel ranges--the Greater Himalayas, the Lesser Himalayas, and the Outer Himalayas, which are collectively known as the Great Himalayan Range. The Himalayas contain the three highest mountains on earth: Mount Everest (8,796 meters) on the China-Nepal border; K2 (8,611 meters) in an area claimed by India, Pakistan, and China; and Kanchenjunga (8,598 meters) on the India-Nepal border.

The Himalayas is the resource of many great rivers of the Indian subcontinent, like Indus or Sindhu, Brahmaputra, Ganga and Yamuna. Their countless Himalayan tributaries are inextricably entwined with local myths and legends. For centuries, the Himalayas have guarded India, serving as the great divide between India and Tibet. The rugged terrain deters even the most dauntless from risking their lives on dangerous journeys in the icy heights. The snow-capped, frost-crusted peaks of the Himalayas have always posed a challenge not only to test the physical ability and expertise of adventurers, but also their emotional stamina.

After going through the above article we are sure you know all about the Himalayas. Browse the other sections for more details.