The Himalayas - the highest mountains in the world, the namewhich in translation from Sanskrit literally means "the place where snow lives." Located in South Asia, this mountain range divides the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Tibet Plateau. Here are the most close to the sky points on the planet Earth, including Everest, the highest point (the Himalayas knowingly call the "roof of the world"). It is also known under another name - Jomolungma.

Mountain Ecology

The Himalayan mountains are very diverseforms of the landscape. The Himalayas run on the territory of as many as five states: India, Nepal, Bhutan, China and Pakistan. In the mountains, three large and powerful rivers originate: the Indus, the Ganges and the Brahmaputra. Flora and fauna of the Himalayas is directly dependent on climate, precipitation, mountain heights and soil conditions.

For the vicinity of the foot of the mountains is typicalA tropical climate, while on tops lie eternal ice and snow. Annual rainfall increases in the direction from west to east. The unique natural heritage and height of the Himalayan mountains are subject to variations due to different climatic processes.

Geological features

The Himalayas are mountains in South Asia, consisting ofmainly from sedimentary and mixed rocks. A distinctive feature of the mountain slopes are their steepness and peaks in the form of a peak or crest, covered with eternal ice and snow and occupying an area of ​​about 33 thousand km². The Himalayas, whose height in places reaches almost nine kilometers, are relatively young compared to other, more ancient mountain systems of the Earth.

Like 70 million years ago, the IndianThe plate still continues its movement and moves to a distance of up to 67 millimeters per year, and over the next 10 million years it will advance 1.5 kilometers in the Asian direction. Active from the point of view of the geology of the summit, the height of the Himalayan mountains also increases, gradually increasing by approximately 5 mm per year. Such insignificant, at first glance, processes have a powerful geological effect over time, in addition, the region is unstable from the seismic point of view, sometimes earthquakes occur.

The river system of the Himalayas

The Himalayas are the third largest in terms of ice depositsand snow in the world after Antarctica and the Arctic. In the mountains there are about 15 thousand glaciers, which contain about 12 thousand cubic kilometers of fresh water. The highest areas are covered with snow all year round. Taking the source in Tibet, the Indus is the largest and deepest river, into which many small ones flow. It flows in the south-west direction through India, Pakistan and flows into the Arabian Sea.

Himalayas, whose height at the highest point reachesalmost 9 kilometers, are characterized by great river diversity. The main water sources of the Ganges-Brahmaputra basin are the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Yamuna rivers. The brahmaputra connects with the Ganges in Bangladesh, and together they flow into the Bay of Bengal.

Mountain Lakes

The highest Himalayan lake, Gurudangmar inSikkim (India), is at an altitude of about 5 kilometers. In the vicinity of the Himalayas there is a huge number of picturesque lakes, most of which are located at an altitude of less than 5 kilometers above sea level. Some lakes are considered sacred in India. Nepalese Lake Tilicho in the vicinity of the mountain landscapes of Annapurna is one of the highest mountains on the planet.

Large Himalayan mountain ranges contain hundredsbeautiful lakes in the territory of India and neighboring Tibet and Nepal. The Himalayan lakes give a special appeal to the magnificent mountain landscapes, many of them are covered with ancient legends and interesting stories.

The impact on climate

The Himalayas have a great influence on the formation ofclimate. They prevent the flow of cold dry winds in a southerly direction, which allows reigning in South Asia a warm climate. A natural barrier is formed for monsoons (causing heavy showers), which prevents their movement to the north. The mountain chain plays its definite role in the processes of formation of Taklamakan and Gobi deserts.

The main part of the Himalayan mountains falls underinfluence of subequatorial factors. In the summer and spring season it is quite hot here: the average air temperature reaches 35 ° С. At this time of year monsoons bring with them a large amount of precipitation from the Indian Ocean, which then fall out on the southern mountain slopes.

People and culture of the Himalayas

Due to the climatic conditions of the Himalayas (mountains inAsia) are quite a sparsely populated region. Most people live in the lowlands. Some of them earn a living as guides for tourists and escorts for climbers who come to conquer some mountain peaks. The mountains have been a natural barrier for many thousands of years. They stopped the assimilation of the population of China and the interior of Asia with the Indian nationalities.

Some tribes are based in the mountain rangeHimalayas, namely in the territory of Northeast India, Sikkim, Nepal, Bhutan, parts of West Bengal and others. Only in Arunachal Pradesh live more than 80 tribes. The Himalayan mountains are one of the largest places in the world with a large number of endangered species of animals, since hunting is a very popular activity in the vicinity of the Himalayas. The main religions are Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism. The famous Himalayan myth was the story of a snowman who lives somewhere in the mountains.

The height of the Himalayan mountains

The Himalayas rise almost 9 kilometers oversea ​​level. They stretch for a distance of about 2.4 thousand kilometers from the Indus Valley in the west to the Brahmaputra valley in the east. Some mountain peaks are considered sacred among the local population, and many Hindus and Buddhists make pilgrimages to these places.

On average, the height of the Himalayan mountains in meters togetherwith glaciers reaches 3.2 thousand. Mountain climbing, which gained popularity at the end of the XIX century, became the main activity of extreme tourists. In 1953, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Sherp Tenzing Norgay were the first to conquer Everest (the highest point).

Everest: mountain height (Himalayas)

Everest, also known under the nameJomolungma, is the highest point of the planet. What is the height of the mountain? The Himalayas, known for their hard-to-reach peaks, attract thousands of travelers, but their main goal is the 8,848-kilometer Jomolungma. This place is simply a paradise for tourists who can not imagine their life without risk and extreme.

The height of the Himalayan mountains attracts a largethe number of climbers from around the globe. As a rule, there are no significant technical difficulties with climbing certain routes, however, Everest contains many other dangerous factors, such as fear of heights, sudden changes in weather conditions, lack of oxygen and a very strong gusty wind.

Scientists have exactly established the height of eachmountain system on Earth. This was made possible through the use of NASA's satellite-based surveillance system. Measuring the height of each mountain, came to the conclusion that 10 of the 14 highest mountains on the planet are in the Himalayas. Each of these mountains belongs to a special list of "eight-thousanders". The conquest of all these peaks is considered the peak of the mastery of a climber.

Natural features of the Himalayas at different levels

The Himalayan wetland junglethe foot of the mountains, are called "terai" and are characterized by a great variety of vegetation. Here you can find 5-meter thickets of grass, palm trees with coconuts, ferns and bamboo thickets. At an altitude of 400 meters to 1.5 kilometers is a strip of moist forests. In addition to numerous species of trees, magnolia, citrus and camphor laurel grow here.

At a higher level (up to 2.5 km) mountainspace filled with evergreen subtropical, as well as deciduous forests, here you can find mimosa, maple, bird cherry, chestnut, oak, wild cherry, high-mountain mosses. Coniferous forests extend up to a height of 4 km. At this height, the trees are becoming smaller and replaced by field vegetation in the form of grass and shrubs.

Starting 4.5 km above sea level in the Himalayasrepresent a zone of eternal glaciers and snow cover. The animal world is also diverse. In different parts of the mountainous surroundings you can encounter bears, elephants, antelopes, rhinoceroses, monkeys, wild horses, goats and many other mammals. Here there are a lot of snakes and reptiles that pose a great danger to people.

The Himalayas are the highest mountain system on Earth. By now, the summit of Jomolungma (Everest) has been conquered about 1200 times. Including at the peak, a man managed to rise to 60 years and a thirteen-year-old teenager, and in 1998 the first person with disabilities conquered the summit.