The Himalaya is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. By extension, it is also the name of the massive mountain system which includes the Himalaya proper, the Karakoram, the Hindu Kush, and a host of minor ranges extending from the Pamir Knot. Together, the Himalayan mountain system is the planet's highest and home to all 14 of the world's highest peaks, the Eight-thousanders, including Mount Everest. To comprehend the enormous scale of Himalayan peaks, consider that Aconcagua at 22,841 feet (6962 m) is the highest mountain in the Andes, while there are over thirty peaks in the Himalaya exceeding 25,000 feet (7620 m). Etymologically Himalaya means "abode of snow" in Sanskrit ( from hima "snow", and aalaya "abode"). The correct name for the range is Himalaya, though the plural Himalayas is often used. The most general definition of mountain range is a group of mountains bordered by lowlands. ... World map showing location of Asia Asia is the central and eastern part of the continent of Eurasia, defined by subtracting the European peninsula from Eurasia. ... Composite satellite image of the Indian subcontinent Map of South Asia. ... NASA satellite image of Tibetan Plateau The Tibetan Plateau is a large, elevated region in Central Asia, covering much of Tibet. ... Located in the mountainous region of Gilgit-Baltistan or the Northern Areas of Pakistan, the Karakoram is one of the great Himalayan mountain ranges, with many of the highest and most daunting peaks of the world. ... The Hindu Kush or Hindukush (هندوکش in Persian) is a mountain range in Afghanistan as well as in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. ... Cho Oyu, Lhotse, Makalu and Mount Everest as seen from the International Space Station. ... Everest is the highest mountain on Earth. ... Aconcagua is the highest mountain in The Americas and the Southern Hemisphere, as well the highest peak outside of Asia. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... In historical linguistics, etymology is the study of the origins of words. ... The Sanskrit language ( संस्कृता वाक्) is one of the earliest attested members of the Indo-European language family and is not only a classical language, but also an official language of India. ...

The Himalaya stretch across five nations — Pakistan, India, China, Bhutan and Nepal. It is the source of two of the world's major river systems — the Indus Basin and the Ganga-Brahmaputra Basin. An estimated 750 million people live in the watershed area of the Himalayan rivers, which also includes Bangladesh. For the Second World War frigate class, see River class frigate The Murray River in Australia A river is a large natural waterway. ...

Perspective view of the Himalaya and Mount Everest as seen from space looking south-south-east from over the Tibetan Plateau. ( annotated version)

Download high resolution version (1000x662, 258 KB)The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everest as seen from the International Space Station looking south-south-east over the Tibetan Plateau. ... Download high resolution version (1000x662, 258 KB)The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everest as seen from the International Space Station looking south-south-east over the Tibetan Plateau. ... Perspective is the choice of a single point of view from which to sense, categorize, measure or codify experience, typically for comparing with another. ... NASA satellite image of Tibetan Plateau The Tibetan Plateau is a large, elevated region in Central Asia, covering much of Tibet. ... Download high resolution version (1000x662, 416 KB)The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everest as seen from the International Space Station looking south-south-east over the Tibetan Plateau. ...

Geography

The Himalayan (pronounced as Himaalayas and not with a short "a" as is commonly mispronounced) range runs for about 2400 km, from Nanga Parbat in the west to Namche Barwa in the east. The width varies between 250-300 km. The Himalayan range comprises three parallel ranges, arranged by elevation and geological age. Nanga Parbat (also known as Nangaparbat Peak or Diamir) is the ninth highest mountain on Earth. ...

Composite satellite image of the Himalayan range. The top of the picture is directed towards the north northwest. The Tibetan Plateau is near the centre and the Taklamakan plain is visible as the lighter area near the top.

The youngest of the three is called the Sub-Himalayan range (Siwalik hills in India) and has an elevation of about 1200 m. This range is made up of erosion material from the rising Himalaya. Running parallel to this is the Lower Himalayan range, which has an elevation between 2000 — 5000 m. A number of Indian hill stations such as Shimla, Nainital and Darjeeling are located here. The northernmost range is called the Higher Himalaya and is also the oldest of the three. It has an elevation of more than 6000 m and contains a large number of the world's highest peaks including the three highest - Mount Everest, K2 and Kanchenjunga. Download high resolution version (1947x981, 658 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Download high resolution version (1947x981, 658 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... NASA satellite image of Tibetan Plateau The Tibetan Plateau is a large, elevated region in Central Asia, covering much of Tibet. ... The Taklamakan is a desert of Central Asia, in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... A Hill station in Southeast Asian and South Asian countries, particularly India and Pakistan, is a high-altitude town used, especially by European colonialists, as a place of refuge from the summer heat. ... Shimla Shimla (शिमला in Hindi) is the capital of Himachal Pradesh and a popular hill station in North India. ... Nainital is a district of the state of Uttaranchal, India. ... The Toy Train approaching Darjeeling Darjeeling is a town in the Indian state of West Bengal and centre of the region of the same name, situated in the foothills of the Himalaya at elevations of between 2,000 and 3,000 metres above sea level. ... Everest is the highest mountain on Earth. ... |- |Coordinates |35°53′ N 76°31′ E |- |First ascent |July 31, 1954 by Lacedelli & Compagnoni |- |Easiest route |rock/snow/ice climb K2 is the second highest mountain in the world located in Pakistan. ... Kanchenjunga (also called Kangchenjunga, Kangchen Dzö-nga, Khangchendzonga, Kanchenjanga, Kachendzonga, or Kangchanfanga) is the third highest mountain in the world and the second highest in Nepal, located in the Taplejung district straddling the frontier between Nepal and India. ...

Vegetation across the Himalayan range varies with climate and altitude. While the sub-Himalayan range exhibits deciduous forests, the vegetation graduates to temperate forests, conifers and tundra in the Higher Himalayan range, before giving way to a permanent snow line in the topmost regions. The far eastern Himalaya also have evergreen rainforests. Deciduous means temporary or tending to fall off (deriving from the Latin word decidere, to fall off). ... In geography, temperate latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. ... Orders & Families Cordaitales † Pinales   Pinaceae - Pine family   Araucariaceae - Araucaria family   Podocarpaceae - Yellow-wood family   Sciadopityaceae - Umbrella-pine family   Cupressaceae - Cypress family   Cephalotaxaceae - Plum-yew family   Taxaceae - Yew family Vojnovskyales † Voltziales † The conifers, division Pinophyta, are one of 13 or 14 division level taxa within the Kingdom Plantae. ... In physical geography, tundra is an area where tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. ... The snow line is the point above which, or poleward of which, snow and ice cover the ground throughout the year. ... Rainforest on Fatu-Hiva, Marquesas Islands A rainforest is a forested biome with high annual rainfall due to the Intertropical convergence zone. ...

The southern part of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China lie on the Himalayas.

The Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh lie mostly in the Himalayas. The southern part of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China also lies on the Himalayas.







Image File history File links Download high resolution version (864x458, 320 KB)The relief of the Tibetan Plateau with administrative region boundaries within China shown (Self-drawn by Alan Mak based on a world map in Wikimedia Commons) The map is a bit off. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (864x458, 320 KB)The relief of the Tibetan Plateau with administrative region boundaries within China shown (Self-drawn by Alan Mak based on a world map in Wikimedia Commons) The map is a bit off. ... The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) (Tibetan: བོད་རང་སྐྱོང་ལྗོངས་; Wylie: Bod-rang-skyong-ljongs; Simplified Chinese: 西藏自治区; Traditional Chinese: 西藏自治區; pinyin: ), is a province-level autonomous region of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ... India is subdivided into 28 states, 6 union territories and a National Capital Territory. ... Jammu and Kashmir is the northern-most province of the Republic of India, with Srinagar as its capital and Jammu as its winter-capital. ... Himachal Pradesh is a state in northwest India. ... Uttaranchal (उत्तरांचल) became the 27th state of the Republic of India on November 9, 2000 after a relatively short and peaceful struggle by its people in the 1990s, having previously comprised part of Uttar Pradesh. ... Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayas. ... Arunachal Pradesh (अरुणाचल प्रदेश) is an Indian state. ... The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) (Tibetan: བོད་རང་སྐྱོང་ལྗོངས་; Wylie: Bod-rang-skyong-ljongs; Simplified Chinese: 西藏自治区; Traditional Chinese: 西藏自治區; pinyin: ), is a province-level autonomous region of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ...

Origins and growth

The 6,000-km-plus journey of the India landmass (Indian Plate) before its collision with Asia (Eurasian Plate) about 40 to 50 million years ago

Main article: Geology of the Himalaya Himalaya Formation Source www. ... Himalaya Formation Source www. ... Fig 1: The earth in the Early Permian. ...

The Himalaya are among the youngest mountain ranges on the planet. According to the modern theory of plate tectonics, their formation is a result of a continental collision or orogeny along the convergent boundary between the Indo-Australian Plate and the Eurasian Plate. The collision began in the Upper Cretaceous period about 70 million years ago, when the north-moving Indo-Australian Plate, moving at about 15 cm/year, collided with the Eurasian Plate. By about 25 million years ago this fast moving Indo-Australian plate had completely closed the Tethys Ocean, whose existence has been determined by sedimentary rocks settled on the ocean floor and the volcanoes that fringed its edges. Since these sediments were light, they crumpled into mountain ranges rather than sinking to the floor. The Indo-Australian plate continues to be driven horizontally below the Tibetan plateau, which forces the plateau to move upwards. The Arakan Yoma highlands in Myanmar and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal were also formed as a result of this collision. Plate tectonics (from the Greek word for one who constructs, τεκτων, tekton) is a theory of geology developed to explain the phenomenon of continental drift, and is currently the theory accepted by the vast majority of scientists working in this area. ... Continental collision is a phenomenon of the plate tectonics of our solid Earth. ... In geology, orogeny is the process of mountain building. ... In plate tectonics, a convergent boundary (convergent fault boundary, convergent plate boundary, or active margin) is where two tectonic plates slide towards each other and usually collide forming either a subduction zone with its associated island arc or an orogenic belt and associated mountain range. ... The Indo-Australian plate is shown in dull orange on this map. ... Categories: Plate tectonics | Geology stubs ... The Cretaceous period is one of the major divisions of the geologic timescale, reaching from the end of the Jurassic period (about 135 mya) to the beginning of the Paleocene epoch of the Tertiary period (65 mya). ... Tethys Ocean divides Pangea into two supercontinents, Laurasia and Gondwana The Tethys Ocean was an ocean that existed between the continents of Gondwana and Laurasia before the opening of the Atlantic Ocean. ... Two types of sedimentary rock: limey shale overlaid by limestone. ... This article is about volcanoes. ... NASA satellite image of Tibetan Plateau The Tibetan Plateau is a large, elevated region in Central Asia, covering much of Tibet. ... Map of Andaman and Nicobar Islands with an extra detailed area around Port Blair The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a union territory of India. ... The Bay of Bengal is a sea that forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. ...

The Indo-Australian plate is still moving at about 2 cm/year, and over the next 10 million years it will travel more than 180 km into Tibet. This leads to the Himalaya rising by about 5 mm/year, making them geologically active. The movement of the Indian plate into the Asian plate also makes this region seismically active, leading to earthquakes from time to time. KM, Km, or km may stand for: Khmer language (ISO 639 alpha-2, km) Kilometre Kinemantra Meditation Knowledge management KM programming language Comoros (ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code) the Michaelis-Menten constant Km, see Michaelis-Menten kinetics Kamenz (district), Germany (license plate indication) Messenia, Greece (license plate indication... Seismology (from the Greek seismos = earthquake and logos = word) is the scientific study of earthquakes and the movement of waves through the Earth. ... Global earthquake epicenters, 1963–1998 An earthquake is a trembling or a shaking movement of the Earths surface. ...

Glaciers and river systems

The Himalayan range encompasses a very large number of glaciers, notable among which is the Siachen Glacier, the largest in the world outside the polar region. Some of the other more famous glaciers include the Gangotri and Yamunotri (Uttaranchal), Nubra, Biafo and Baltoro (Karakoram region), Zemu (Sikkim) and Khumbu glaciers (Mount Everest region). Geologic features associated with glaciers include end, lateral, and medial moraines that form from glacially transported rocks and debris; U-shaped valleys and cirques (cwms) at their heads. ... The Siachen Glacier is located in the East Karakoram/Himalaya, at approximately 35. ... Gangotri Glacier is located in Uttaranchal, India in a region bordering Tibet. ... The Shrine of Yamunotri, source of river Yamuna is situated in the direction opposite to Gangotri (source of the Ganges). ... Uttaranchal (उत्तरांचल) became the 27th state of the Republic of India on November 9, 2000 after a relatively short and peaceful struggle by its people in the 1990s, having previously comprised part of Uttar Pradesh. ... Located in the mountainous region of Gilgit-Baltistan or the Northern Areas of Pakistan, the Karakoram is one of the great Himalayan mountain ranges, with many of the highest and most daunting peaks of the world. ... Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayas. ... Khumbu is one of three subregions of the main Sherpa settlement of the Himalaya, the other two being Solu and Pharak. ... Everest is the highest mountain on Earth. ...

The Great Bend of the Brahmaputra river. The river flows east rapidly downhill through Tibet (on the right of the image, towards the camera), turns around 180 degrees, and heads west through the large flood plains of Assam (on the upper left of the image, away from the camera)

The higher regions of the Himalaya are snowbound throughout the year in spite of their proximity to the tropics, and they form the sources for several large perennial rivers, most of which combine into two large river systems: Download high resolution version (1024x654, 161 KB) Brahmaputra River - bend between Tibet & Assam. ... Download high resolution version (1024x654, 161 KB) Brahmaputra River - bend between Tibet & Assam. ... The Brahmaputra is one of the major rivers of Asia. ... Tibet (Tibetan: བོད་, Bod, pronounced pö in Lhasa dialect; Chinese: 西藏, pinyin: Xīzàng; older spelling Thibet) is a region and former independent country in Central Asia and the home of the Tibetan people. ... Assam (অসম) is a northeastern state of India with its capital at Dispur. ... The tropics are the geographic region of the Earth centered on the equator and limited in latitude by the two tropics: the Tropic of Cancer in the north and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere. ... A Red Valerian, a perennial plant. ...

• The western rivers combine into the Indus Basin, of which the Indus River is the largest. The Indus begins in Tibet at the confluence of Sengge and Gar rivers and flows southwest through Pakistan to the Arabian Sea. It is fed by the Jhelum, the Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas, and the Sutlej rivers, among others.
• Most of the other Himalayan rivers drain the Ganga-Brahmaputra Basin. Its two main rivers are the Ganges and the Brahmaputra. The Ganga originates as the Bhagirathi from the Gangotri glacier and flows southeast through the plains of northern India, fed by the Alaknanda and the Yamuna among other tributaries. The Brahmaputra originates as the Tsangpo in western Tibet, and flows east through Tibet and west through the plains of Assam. The Ganga and the Brahmaputra meet in Bangladesh, and drain into the Bay of Bengal through the world's largest river delta.

The eastern-most Himalayan rivers feed the Irrawaddy, which originates in eastern Tibet and flows south through Myanmar to drain into the Andaman Sea. The Indus (Daria-e-Sindh, सिन्‍धु नदी) (known as Sindhu to Indians and in Sanskrit, as Sinthos in Greek, and Sindus in Latin) is the principal river of Pakistan. ... Map of the Arabian Sea. ... The Jhelum River is the largest and most western of the five rivers of the Punjab province of Pakistan. ... The Chenab River rises in the Himalayan ranges of Kashmir and flows through the plains of the Punjab, forming the boundary between the Rechna and the Jech Doabs. ... (راوی)A river 450 mi (724 km) long in north India flowing southwest to the Chenab and forming part of boundary between Punjab provinces of India and Pakistan. ... Indias Beas River, known as Arjiki and then Vipas to Indians in Vedic times and the Hyphasis to Greeks, marks the most easterly extent of the conquests of Alexander the Great in 326 BC. The river begins at the Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh, and eventually joins the Sutlej... The Sutlej, also known as Satluj, is the longest of the five rivers of Punjab (five waters) that flows through Northern India, with its source in Tibet near Mount Kailash. ... Early morning on the Ganges The River Ganges hu (Ganga in Indian languages) (Devanagiri गंगा) is a major river in northern India. ... The Brahmaputra is one of the major rivers of Asia. ... The Bhagirathi is one of the two major tributaries of the Ganga. ... Gangotri Glacier is located in Uttaranchal, India in a region bordering Tibet. ... The Alaknanda is a tributary of the Ganges. ... Yamuna is a major river of northern India, with a total length of around 1370 km. ... Tibet (Tibetan: བོད་, Bod, pronounced pö in Lhasa dialect; Chinese: 西藏, pinyin: Xīzàng; older spelling Thibet) is a region and former independent country in Central Asia and the home of the Tibetan people. ... Assam (অসম) is a northeastern state of India with its capital at Dispur. ... The Bay of Bengal is a sea that forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. ... The Irrawaddy (newer spelling Ayeyarwaddy) is a river that flows through the centre of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is Myanmars most important commercial waterway. ... The Andaman Sea is a body of water to the southeast of the Bay of Bengal, south of Myanmar and west of Indian Ocean. ...

The Salween, Mekong, the Yangtze and the Huang He (Yellow River) all originate from parts of the Tibetan plateau that are geologically distinct from the Himalaya mountains, and are therefore not considered true Himalayan rivers. Some geologists refer to all the rivers collectively as the circum-Himalayan rivers ^[1]. The Salween River (also spelt Salwin, a. ... View of the Mekong before the sunset The Mekong is one of the worlds major rivers. ... Length 6,380 km Elevation of the source  ? m Average discharge 31,900 m³/s Area watershed 1,800,000 km² Origin Qinghai Province and Tibet Mouth East China Sea Basin countries China The Yangtze River (Chinese: 扬子江; pinyin: ) is the longest river in Asia and the third longest in the... For other Yellow Rivers, see Yellow River (disambiguation). ... NASA satellite image of Tibetan Plateau The Tibetan Plateau is a large, elevated region in Central Asia, covering much of Tibet. ...

In recent years scientists have monitored a notable increase in the speed of the glacial melt across the region as a result of global climate change. Although the affect of this won't be known for many years it potentially could mean disaster for the hundreds of thousands of people that rely on the glaciers to feed the rivers of northern India during the dry seasons. Variations in CO2, temperature and dust from the Vostok ice core over the last 400 000 years The term climate change is used to refer to changes in the Earths global climate or regional climates. ... Geologic features associated with glaciers include end, lateral, and medial moraines that form from glacially transported rocks and debris; U-shaped valleys and cirques (cwms) at their heads. ...

Lakes

Tsongmo lake near the Indo-China border in Sikkim. In the distance clouds can be seen below.

The Himalaya region is dotted with hundreds of lakes. Most lakes are found at altitudes of less than 5,000 m, with the size of the lakes diminishing with altitude. The largest lake is the Pangong t'so, which is spread across the border between India and Tibet. It is situated at an altitude of 4,600 m, and is 8 km wide and nearly 134 km long. The highest lake is the Gurudogmar in North Sikkim 5,370 m (17,600 feet). Tsongmo Lake in East Sikkim, Sikkim, India situated at around 10,000 feet above sea level. ... Tsongmo Lake in East Sikkim, Sikkim, India situated at around 10,000 feet above sea level. ... Tsongmo lake as seen from a height Tsongmo Lake (also called Changu Lake) is a large lake in East Sikkim district of the Indian state of Sikkim. ... Gurudongmar Lake Gurudongmar Lake (also known as Gurudogmar Lake) is one of the highest lakes in the world located at an altiude of 17,100 feet (5210 m). ... North Sikkim is a district of the Indian state of Sikkim. ...

Gurudogmar Lake, with the Gurudogmar peaks in the backdrop

The mountain lakes are known to geographers as tarns if they are caused by glacial activity. Tarns are found mostly in the upper reaches of the Himalaya, above 5,500 metres. The lake Gurudongmar/ Gurudogmar in North Sikkim, India 17100 feet above MSL File links The following pages link to this file: Himalaya Gurudogmar ... The lake Gurudongmar/ Gurudogmar in North Sikkim, India 17100 feet above MSL File links The following pages link to this file: Himalaya Gurudogmar ... Gurudongmar Lake Gurudongmar Lake (also known as Gurudogmar Lake) is one of the highest lakes in the world located at an altiude of 17,100 feet (5210 m). ... A tarn is a mountain lake, formed in a valley excavated by a glacier. ...

Impact on climate

The Himalaya has a profound effect on the climate of the Indian subcontinent and the Tibetan plateau. It prevents frigid, dry Arctic winds from blowing south into the subcontinent, which keeps South Asia much warmer than corresponding temperate regions in the other continents. It also forms a barrier for the monsoon winds, keeping them from traveling northwards, and causing heavy rainfall in the Terai region. The Himalaya are also believed to play an important part in the formation of Central Asian deserts such as the Taklamakan and Gobi deserts. Composite satellite image of the Indian subcontinent Map of South Asia. ... NASA satellite image of Tibetan Plateau The Tibetan Plateau is a large, elevated region in Central Asia, covering much of Tibet. ... The red line indicates the 10°C isotherm in July, commonly used to define the Arctic region border The Arctic is the area around the Earths North Pole. ... Composite satellite image of the Indian subcontinent Map of South Asia. ... In geography, temperate latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. ... Monsoon in the Vindhya, a mountain chain in central India A monsoon is a periodic wind, especially in the Indian Ocean and southern Asia. ... The Terai, or Tarai (i. ... Map of Central Asia showing three sets of possible boundaries for the region Central Asia located as a region of the world Central Asia is a vast landlocked region of Asia. ... The Taklamakan is a desert of Central Asia, in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... The Gobi is a large desert region in northern China and southern Mongolia. ... A dune in the Egyptian desert In geography, a desert is a landscape form or region that receives little precipitation. ...

The sharp divide between the climates of the Indian subcontinent and the Tibetan Plateau is clearly seen.

---

This image has an uncertain copyright status and is pending deletion. You can comment on the removal.

Due to the mountain ranges, the western disturbances which appear from Iran during winter are prevented from travelling any further, resulting in snow in Kashmir and rainfall for parts of Punjab and northern India. Despite being a barrier to the cold northernly winter winds, the Brahmaputra valley receives part of the frigid winds, thus lowering the temperature in the northeast Indian states and Bangladesh. These winds also cause the North East monsoon during this season for these parts. Climate map showing the thermal equator This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Climate map showing the thermal equator This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Composite satellite image of the Indian subcontinent Map of South Asia. ... NASA satellite image of Tibetan Plateau The Tibetan Plateau is a large, elevated region in Central Asia, covering much of Tibet. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Punjab, 1903 Punjab Province, 1909 The Punjab (Meaning: Land of five Rivers) (also Panjab, Gurmukhi: ਪੰਜਾਬ, Shahmukhi: پنجاب) is a region straddling the border between India and Pakistan. ... North-East India is the easternmost region of India consisting of the following states: Nagaland Arunachal Pradesh Mizoram Manipur Meghalaya Tripura Sikkim Assam Sikkim became an Indian protectorate in 1947 and a full state in 1975. ...

Mountain passes

The Himalayan range at Yumesongdong in Sikkim, in the Yumthang River valley.

The rugged terrain means there are few routes over the Himalaya. Yumthang Valley in dist. ... Yumthang Valley in dist. ... Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayas. ... North of Yumthang Yumthang Valley is a grazing pasture surrounded by the Himalayan mountains in the North Sikkim district of Sikkim, India. ...

• Gangtok in Sikkim to Lhasa in Tibet via the Nathula Pass and Jelepla Passes (offshoots of the ancient Silk Route).
• Bhadgaon in Nepal to Nyalam in Tibet.
• Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh, India
• The road from Srinagar in Kashmir via Leh to Tibet is now less used because of the troubles in the region.

Gangtok is the capital and largest town of the Indian state of Sikkim. ... Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayas. ... Lhasa is located in the Lhasa Valley of Tibet. ... Tibet (Tibetan: བོད་, Bod, pronounced pö in Lhasa dialect; Chinese: 西藏, pinyin: XÄ«zàng; older spelling Thibet) is a region and former independent country in Central Asia and the home of the Tibetan people. ... Nathula Pass (also spelt Ntula, Natu La, Nathu la, Natula) is a pass on the Indo-China(Tibet) border in the state of Sikkim. ... Jelepla Pass (also spelt Jelep La) is an all weather pass between India and Tibet. ... The Silk Road (Traditional Chinese: 絲綢之路; Simplified Chinese: 丝绸之路; pinyin: sī chóu zhī lù) was an interconnected series of routes through Southern Asia traversed by caravan and ocean vessel, and connecting Changan, China with Antioch, Syria, as well as other points. ... Tibet (Tibetan: བོད་, Bod, pronounced pö in Lhasa dialect; Chinese: 西藏, pinyin: XÄ«zàng; older spelling Thibet) is a region and former independent country in Central Asia and the home of the Tibetan people. ... Categories: Stub ... Himachal Pradesh is a state in northwest India. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Leh can refer to: Leh town, the capital of Leh district, which is part of the Jammu and Kashmir state and capital of the former kingdom of Ladakh. ... Tibet (Tibetan: བོད་, Bod, pronounced pö in Lhasa dialect; Chinese: 西藏, pinyin: XÄ«zàng; older spelling Thibet) is a region and former independent country in Central Asia and the home of the Tibetan people. ...

Impact on politics and culture

Mountain sheds like these are used by the rural populace as shelter for cattle in summer months as they take them for grazing in the higher reaches.

Yumthang Valley in Sikkim

The Himalaya, due to its large size and expanse, has been a natural barrier to the movement of people for a long time. In particular, this has prevented intermingling of people from the Indian subcontinent with people from China and Mongolia, causing significantly different languages and customs between these regions. The Himalaya has also hindered trade routes and prevented military expeditions across its expanse. For instance, Genghis Khan could not expand his empire south of the Himalaya into the subcontinent. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Yumthang Valley, in North Sikkim district, Sikkim, India is situated in the northeast region of Sikkim. ... Yumthang Valley, in North Sikkim district, Sikkim, India is situated in the northeast region of Sikkim. ... Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayas. ... Composite satellite image of the Indian subcontinent Map of South Asia. ... For the German pop band, see Dschinghis Khan Genghis Khan (1155/1162/1167–August 18, 1227) (Cyrillic: Чингис Хаан), (also spelled as Chingis Khan, Jenghis Khan, etc. ...

Himal

Himal is Nepalese for "range" and is used to name the various regions of the Himalaya. In Nepal, these are as follows:

• Annapurna Himal
• Ganesh Himal
• Khumbu Himal
• Langtang Himal
• Manang Himal
• Rolwaling Himal

Rolwaling Himal is a sub-range of the Himalaya, located in north central Nepal and extending into south central Tibet. ...

Notable peaks

Everest is the highest mountain on Earth. ... |- |Coordinates |35°53′ N 76°31′ E |- |First ascent |July 31, 1954 by Lacedelli & Compagnoni |- |Easiest route |rock/snow/ice climb K2 is the second highest mountain in the world located in Pakistan. ... Kanchenjunga (also called Kangchenjunga, Kangchen Dzö-nga, Khangchendzonga, Kanchenjanga, Kachendzonga, or Kangchanfanga) is the third highest mountain in the world and the second highest in Nepal, located in the Taplejung district straddling the frontier between Nepal and India. ... Lhotse is the fourth highest mountain on Earth and is connected to Mount Everest via the South Col. ... Makalu is the fifth highest mountain in the world and is located 22 km (14 mi) east of Mount Everest. ... Cho Oyu (or Cho Oyo or Mt. ... Dhaulagiri is the seventh highest mountain in the world and is located in the Annapurna mountain range of the Himalayas of north central Nepal. ... Manaslu (also known as Kutang) is the eighth highest mountain in the world, located in the Nepalese Himalayas. ... Nanga Parbat (also known as Nangaparbat Peak or Diamir) is the ninth highest mountain on Earth. ... Annapurna is a 55-km-long massif whose highest point, Annapurna I, stands at 8,091 m (26,538 ft), making it the 10th-highest summit in the world and one of the eight_thousanders. Annapurna is a Sanskrit name which is translated as Goddess of the Harvests. ... Gasherbrum I (also known as Hidden Peak or K5) is the eleventh highest peak on Earth. ... Broad Peak (originally named K3) is the twelfth highest mountain on Earth. ... Gasherbrum II (also known as K4) is the thirteenth highest mountain on Earth. ... Shishapangma is the fourteenth highest mountain in the world and the lowest of the eight-thousanders. ... Gyachung Kang is a mountain in the Khumbu region of the Himalayas, the highest peak between Cho Oyu (8,201m) and Mount Everest (8,850m). ... Nanda Devi is the highest mountain which is completely within the territory of India and was also the highest mountain in the British Empire at its fullest extent. ... Kabru (7394 m) is a mountain peak in the Himalayas in India and Nepal located south of Kangchenjunga. ... Pumori (or Pumo Ri) is a mountain in the Himalayas on the Nepal-Tibet border. ...

Religion and mythology

Several places in the Himalaya are of religious significance in Hinduism and Buddhism. In Hinduism, the Himalaya have also been personified as the god Himavat, the father of Shiva's consort, Parvati. Hinduism (सनातन धर्म; also known as Sanātana Dharma, and Vaidika-Dharma ) is a worldwide tradition that encompasses several religions and ideologies. ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, who lived between approximately 566 and 486 BCE. Originating in India, Buddhism gradually spread throughout Asia to Central Asia... Lord Śiva. ... In Hinduism, Parvati (alt. ...

Haridwar is an important pilgrimage center for Hindus

• Haridwar, the place where the river Ganges enters the plains.
• Badrinath, a temple dedicated to Vishnu.
• Kedarnath, where one of the 12 Jyothirlingas is located.
• Deoprayag, where the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi merge to form the Ganges.
• Rishikesh, has a temple of Lakshmana.
• Mount Kailash, a 6,718 m high peak which is considered to be the abode of the Hindu god Shiva and is also venerated by Buddhists. Lake Manasarowar lies at the base of Mount Kailash, and is the source of the Brahmaputra.
• Amarnath, has a natural Shivalinga of ice which forms for a few weeks each year. Thousands of people visit this cave during these few weeks.
• A number of Tibetan Buddhist sites are situated in the Himalaya, including the residence of the Dalai Lama.
• The Yeti is one of the most famous creatures in cryptozoology. It is a large primate-like creature that is supposed to live in the Himalaya. Most mainstream scientists and experts consider current evidence of the Yeti's existence unpersuasive, and the result of hoaxes, legend or misidentification of mundane creatures.
• Shambhala is a mystical city in Buddhism with various legends associated with it. While some legends consider it to be a real city where secret Buddhist doctrines are being preserved, other legends believe that the city does not physically exist and can only be reached in the mental realm.

File links The following pages link to this file: Himalaya Kumbh Mela ... File links The following pages link to this file: Himalaya Kumbh Mela ... Haridwar (also known as Hardwar) is a holy city in the state of Uttaranchal in northern India. ... A pilgrimage is a term primarily used in religion and spirituality of a long journey or search of great moral significance. ... A Hindu is an adherent of Hinduism, the predominant religious, philosophical and cultural system of Bharat (India). ... Haridwar (also known as Hardwar) is a holy city in the state of Uttaranchal in northern India. ... Early morning on the Ganges The River Ganges (Ganga in Indian languages) (Devanagiri गंगा) is a major river in northern India. ... In geography, a plain is an expanse of land with relatively low relief. ... Badrinath is a town in Uttaranchal, and is one of a group of four places in the Himalayas holy to the Hindus. ... Kihryuzan Senjo-ji Temple, by Toyota Kokai (1780-1850) The word temple has different meanings in the fields of architecture, religion, geography, anatomy, and education. ... For other uses of the name Vishnu, see Vishnu (disambiguation). ... Kedarnath is one of the four monasteries (called maths) holy to the Hindus. ... The Alaknanda is a tributary of the Ganges. ... The Bhagirathi is one of the two major tributaries of the Ganga. ... Early morning on the Ganges The River Ganges (Ganga in Indian languages) (Devanagiri गंगा) is a major river in northern India. ... Rishikesh is a holy city for Hindus located in the foothills of the Himalaya in northern India. ... Lakshaman(far left) with Rama(center) and Sita (far right) and Hanuman(kneeling)-Bhaktivedanta Manor, Watford, England Lakshmana was the son of Dasaratha, King of Ayodhya and Sumitra. ... Mount Kailash (also Mount Kailas or Kangrinbogê Feng 30. ... A Hindu is an adherent of Hinduism, the predominant religious, philosophical and cultural system of Bharat (India). ... Lord Åšiva. ... Statues of Buddha such as this, the Tian Tan Buddha statue in Hong Kong, remind followers to practice right living. ... Lake Manasarowar (also known as Lake Manasarover, Lake Mansarowar, or Mapam Yumco Lake) is a lake found on the Tibetan Plateau near Mount Kailash and Lake Rakshastal. ... The Brahmaputra is one of the major rivers of Asia. ... Lord Åšiva. ... Linga worship (Estate of Cynthia and Harlen Welsh) Lingam or Linga is the Sanskrit word for mark. ... Tibetan Buddhism, (formerly also called Lamaism after their religious gurus known as lamas), is the body of religious Buddhist doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and the Himalayan region. ... The 14th and current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (born 1935) The 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso (1876-1933) In Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lamas are a sequence of leaders, since 1391, from the Gelug (dge lugs) school. ... The yeti is a large primate-like creature reported to live in the Himalayas. ... Cryptozoology is the study of rumored or mythological animals that are presumed (at least by the researcher) to exist, but for which conclusive proof does not yet exist, or are generally considered extinct, but occasionally reported. ... Families 13, See classification A primate is any member of the biological order Primates, the group that contains all lemurs, monkeys, apes, and humans. ... In Tibetan Buddhist tradition, Shambhala is a mystical kingdom hidden somewhere beyond the snowpeaks of the Himalayas. ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, who lived between approximately 566 and 486 BCE. Originating in India, Buddhism gradually spread throughout Asia to Central Asia...

Himalaya in fiction

• Shangri-La is a fictional utopia situated somewhere in the Himalaya, based on the legendary Shambhala. It is described in the novel Lost Horizon, written by the British writer James Hilton in 1933.
• The Hollywood movie Vertical Limit (2000), is set in the K2 peak of the Himalaya.

Shangri-La is a fictional place described in the novel, Lost Horizon, written by British writer James Hilton in 1933. ... Utopia, in its most common and general meaning, refers to a hypothetical perfect society. ... In Tibetan Buddhist tradition, Shambhala is a mystical kingdom hidden somewhere beyond the snowpeaks of the Himalayas. ... The cover of the 1961 paperback edition Lost Horizon is a fantasy adventure novel by James Hilton. ... James Hilton (September 9, 1900 - December 20, 1954) was a popular English novelist of the first half of the 20th century. ... 1933 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... ... |- |Coordinates |35°53′ N 76°31′ E |- |First ascent |July 31, 1954 by Lacedelli & Compagnoni |- |Easiest route |rock/snow/ice climb K2 is the second highest mountain in the world located in Pakistan. ...

See also

• Eight-thousander - a list of Himalayan peaks over 8000 metres
• List of mountains in Pakistan
• Geography of China
• Trekking peak

Cho Oyu, Lhotse, Makalu and Mount Everest as seen from the International Space Station. ... // 8000-9000 Meters K2 - (8611 m) - Karakoram, Baltoro Glacier Nanga Parbat - (8126 m) -- Himalaya Gasherbrum I - (8068 m)- Karakoram, Baltoro Glacier Broad Peak - (8047 m) - Karakoram, Baltoro Glacier Gasherbrum II - (8035 m) - Karakoram, Baltoro Glacier 7000-8000 Meters Gasherbrum III - (7946 m) - Karakoram, Baltoro Glacier Gasherbrum IV - (7932 m) - Karakoram... China stretches some 5,000 kilometers across the East Asian landmass in an erratically changing configuration of broad plains, expansive deserts, and lofty mountain ranges, including vast areas of inhospitable terrain. ... The Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) has categorized the mountains of Nepal into various classifications, one of these being called trekking peak. ...

Further reading

• Michael Palin, Himalaya, Weidenfeld Nicolson Illustrated (2004) [ISBN 0297843710]
• John Hunt, Ascent of Everest, Hodder & Stoughton (1956) [ISBN 0898863619]
• Everest, the IMAX movie (1998), [ISBN 0788814931]

Michael Edward Palin (born May 5, 1943 in Sheffield, Yorkshire) is a British comedian and television presenter. ... John Hunt can refer to: John Hunt, Baron Hunt of Llanfair Waterdine who led the 1953 expedition to climb Mount Everest John Hunt, a British politician John Hunt who was president of the British Virgin Islands from 1741-1750 This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other... An IMAX dome in Guayaquil, Ecuador IMAX (for Image Maximum) is a film projection system that has the capacity to display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film display systems. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has more media related to:

Himalaya

• The making of the Himalaya and major tectonic subdivisions
• Geology of the Himalayan mountains
• Birth of the Himalaya
• Some notes on the formation of the Himalaya