Himalayas

Mountains are created when two continental plates collide and no subduction takes place, resulting in the land at the collision zone being squeezed together and thrust upwards.

Windswept peak of Annapurna III in the central Himalayas, Nepal. This is the third highest peak in the Annapurna range, at 7556 m/24,790 ft.

The Himalayan peak Annapurna, as seen from a lowland village in Nepal. The Nepalese government has designated the area around the whole Annapurna range a conservation area.

Mount Everest, in the Himalayas, seen from the north where it rises above the Plateau of Tibet. At 8,848 m/29,028 ft, it is the world's highest mountain. Everest is revered by local people and its name in Tibetan, Qomolungma, means ‘goddess mother of the world’.

Glacier in the northern Himalayas, Tibet. Glacial erosion produces a great variety of geographic features and landscapes.

Tibet is situated on a plateau in the Himalayas and is traversed west to east by a number of mountain ranges.

Vast mountain system of central Asia, extending from the Indian states of Kashmir in the west to Assam in the east, covering the southern part of Tibet, Nepal, Sikkim, and Bhutan. It is the highest mountain range in the world, with more than 100 peaks reaching heights over 7,300 m/24,000 ft; its name means ‘abode of snow’. The two highest peaks are Mount Everest and K2. Other peaks include Kanchenjunga, Makalu, Annapurna, and Nanga Parbat, all over 8,000 m/26,000 ft.

Landslides in the northwest Himalayas killed approximately 300 people in August 1998.