Great Mount Everest
The greater Himalayas
The highest range of the Himalayas is called greater Himalayas. World’s highest mountain peak, the Mount Everest is in this range. Mt. Everest lies in Nepal region. There are also peaks like Kanchenjunga, Dhaulagiri, Nangaparabatta etc., in this range. Kanchenjunga is the second highest mountain peak in Himalayas and the third highest in the world. Mount K2 in Karakorum Range is the highest mountain peak in India. These mountain peaks are covered by snow throughout the year. Some times large body of ice slowly stars moving down the hill. These moving ice blocks are called Glaciers. Most of our big rivers have their source in this range. The river Ganga has its source from Gangotri Glacier. The well knows rivers are Ganges, the Hindus the Sutlej, the Brahmaputra. Vegetation is scarce here.
The Himalayas, in the north of the Indian country, stand like a high wall. Himalayas means the house of ice or snow. These are the highest mountains in the world. Most of them are covered by snow and beautiful. Himalayas stretch from the Karakorum Range in Jammu and Kashmir in west to Arunachal Pradesh in the east. The remaining part of chain separates India and Myanmar which is known as Purvachal Himalayas. These mountains run into nearly 2500 kilometers with a width varying from 240 kilometers to 320 kilometers.
There are three ranges in the Himalayas.
1) The greater Himalayas
2) Lesser Himalayas
3) Shiwalik ranges
The lesser Himalayas
This range lies in between the Greater Himalayas and the Siwalik range. Valleys formed between the lesser Himalayas and Siwalik range is fertile and beautiful. These valleys are known as DUNS. Dehradun is situated in one of such valleys. Famous hill – stations like Simla, Nainital, Mussorie, Darjeeling, and Srinagar are in this range.
Forests are found in this range. We can find cone shaped trees grow on these mountain slopes. Darjeeling is famous for tea –gardens.
The Siwalik range
This is the lowest range in the Himalayas. It gets heavy rainfall slopes of these mountains are covered with thick forests Bamboo. Palm and Sal trees are common here. It is regarded as the ``storehouse of wood.’’
Himalayas are very useful to us.
1) They prevent cold winds from central Asia.
2) Himalayas cause rainfall in India.
3) Forests of Himalayas supply wood to us.
4) They are the source of many rivers.