Major mountains and peaks of the world
What is a mountain called?
A mountain or mountain is a naturally raised part of the earth's surface, which is usually raised by accident and is larger than a hill. Mountains are mostly in a continuous group. The world's major mountain ranges and peaks are located in which country? Some questions are definitely asked in every exam, so it is very important for your all type of exam preparation.
How many types of mountains are there? There are four types of mountains:
- Fold mountain
- Bhrunshotth Parvat or Block Mountain
- Volcano mountain
- Residual mountain
Important facts related to mountain or mountains:
- Block Mountains: When the faults in the rocks cause the central part to sink down and the adjacent parts to rise, they are called block mountains. The submerged part in the middle is called the Rift Valley. The tops of these mountains are flat and the sides are limited by sharp fault-edges. Examples of such mountains are: Vosges (France), Black Forest (Germany), Salt Range (Pakistan)
- Residual mountains: These mountains are formed as a result of erosion of rocks. Eg: Vindhyachal and Satpura, Nilgiris, Parasnath, Rajmahal hills (India), Sierra (Spain), Gasa and Bute (America)
- Accumulated mountain: A mountain formed due to accumulation of soil, sand, pebbles, stone lava at one place on the crust is called accumulated mountain. The sand stupas built in the desert fall in this category.
- Fold Mountains: These are formed by the internal forces of the earth by the bending of the rocks of the surface. These are undulating mountains, on which there are innumerable aptitudes and orientations. Eg: Himalayas, Alps, Ural, Rockies and Andes.
- The modern theory of the formation of fold mountains is based on the concept of plate tectonics.
- Where the Himalaya Mountains stand today, there was once a vast landmass called the Tethys Sea. Due to the northward displacement of the southern plateau, the Tethys Sea was forced to rise and rise. This led to the formation of the world's highest mountain, the Himalayas.
- The Aravalli Mountains of India are counted among the oldest fold mountains in the world. Its highest peak is Gurushikhar near Mount Abu. Its altitude is 1722 meters above sea level. Some scholars consider the Aravalli mountains to be examples of residual mountains.
List of world's major mountain ranges and summits:
| Mountain range/peak name | Height (in metres) | In which country is it located |
| Andes | 4,000 | South America |
| Rocky | 4,398.56 | North America |
| Mount Everest | 8,850 | Nepal |
| Karakoram (K2) or Godwin Austin | 8,611 | India |
| Kangchenjunga | 8,586 | India |
| Himalaya Karakoram Hindukush | 7,690 | India-China-Nepal |
| Makalu | 8,481 | Nepal-China |
| Alps | 4,808 | Italy-Switzerland |
| Lhatse | 4,050 | Nepal |
| Caucasus | 5,642 | Georgia |
| Atlas Mountains | 4,167 | North-West Africa |
| Ural | 1,895 | Russia |
| Alps | 4,810 | Central Europe |
| Cardillera de las | 4,980 | Western-South America |
| Great Dividing Range | 2,228 | Eastern Australia |
| Aleutian Range Pacific Ocean | - | Alaska and Northeast |
| Tien Shan | 7,439 | South Central Asia |
| Altai Mountains | 4,506 | Central Asia |
| Western Ghats | 2,695 | West India |
| Sierra Madre Oriental | 3,700 | Mexico |
| Choyu / Cho Oyu | 8,188 | Nepal |
| Dhaulagiri | 1 8,167 | Nepal-China |
| Manaslu | 8,163 | Nepal |
| Annapurna | 1 8091 | Nepal |
| Gasherbrum 1 / Hidden Mountains / K5 | 8,080 | Pakistan |
| Broad Peak | 8051 | Pakistan |
| Gasherbrum 2 | 8035 | Pakistan |
| Shishapangma | 8,027 | Pakistan |
| Gyachungkang | 7,952 | China |
| Himalchuli | 7,893 | Nepal |
| Distgil sir | 7,884 | Pakistan |
| Noshak | 7,492 | Afghanistan |
| Tongshanjiabu | 7,207 | Bhutan-China |
| Sunanda Devi | 7,434 | India |
| Rimo 3 | 7,233 | India |
| Mana Mountain | 7,272 | India |
| Keerat Chuli | 7,362 | India |
| Rimo 1 | 7,385 | India |
| Mamostong Kangri | 7,516 |
India |
Now practice related questions and see what you learnt?
☞ Highest Mountain in the World GK Questions and Answers 🔗
Read also:
- List of Top 30 Hill Towns of India, their Height and States 🔗
- World's Longest, Largest, Smallest, Tallest and Highest [Updated] 🔗
- List of Largest, Smallest, Highest, Tallest, Longest in India 🔗
Mountain Ranges of The World FAQs:
The Himalayas and the world's highest peak Mount Everest are also known by many names. It is located in Nepal where it is called Sagarmatha (bearer of the sky or heaven), Devagiri in Sanskrit and Chomolungma (Queen of Mountains) in Tibetan. Its height is 8,848 meters.
Aravalli is an ancient mountain range located in the western part of India, Rajasthan. Also known as Adawala Mountains in Rajasthan, Aravalli is the oldest mountain range in the geographical structure of India, which is the existence of Godwana Land. It is the oldest mountain range in the world which divides Rajasthan into two parts from north to south.
The Ural mountain range runs from north to south in western Russia. It separates Asia from Europe. Many rivers come out of it. The major river Kama discharges its water into the Caspian Sea. The Ural Mountains range is divided into three parts: (1) the Northern Ural Range, (2) the Middle Urals, (3) the Southern Urals.
The Andes is the longest mountain range in the world, located on the west coast of South America. Altogether the ranges run for 7,000 km and have an average width of about 200 km. The Andes pass through seven countries in South America - Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Venezuela.
The Kullu Valley is located in the Himalayan region and is found in the western Himalayas of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. This valley is located in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh and is situated between the Dhauladhar ranges and the Pir Panjal ranges.