4
Dec
2018
19 Highest peaks of the Himalayas – Name, meaning and elevation
The Himalayas, or Himalaya form a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau.
Table of Contents
The Earth’s highest peaks
The Himalayan range has many of the Earth’s highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. The Himalayas include over fifty mountains exceeding 7,200 metres (23,600 ft) in elevation, including ten of the fourteen 8,000-metre peaks. By contrast, the highest peak outside Asia (Aconcagua, in the Andes) is 6,961 metres (22,838 ft) tall.
Spread across five countries
The Himalayas are inhabited by 52.7 million people and are spread across five countries:
The world’s major rivers
Some of the world’s major rivers rise in the Himalayas :
- the Indus
- the Ganges
- the Tsangpo-Brahmaputra
Their combined drainage basin is home to roughly 600 million people.
A profound effect on the climate
The Himalayas have a profound effect on the climate of the region, helping to keep the monsoon rains on the Indian plain and limiting rainfall on the Tibetan plateau.
The cultures of the Indian subcontinent
The Himalayas have profoundly shaped the cultures of the Indian subcontinent; many Himalayan peaks are sacred in Hinduism and Buddhism.
19 Highest peaks of the Himalayas
| Peak Name | Other names and meaning | Elevation (m) | Elevation (ft) | First ascent | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Everest | Sagarmatha -“One whose forehead is in the skies”, Chomolangma or Qomolangma -“Mother of the Universe” | 8,848 | 29,028 | 1953 | World’s highest mountain Located in Nepal(Around China Border.). Till 2010 A.D., about 2305 people, total of 5501 times, from 20 different countries have climbed Mt. Everest. |
| K2 | Chogo Gangri | 8,611 | 28,251 | 1954 | World’s 2nd highest. Located in Pakistan. World’s toughest mountain to climb. |
| Kanchenjunga | Kangchen Dzö-nga | 8,586 | 28,169 | 1955 | World’s 3rd highest. Located in Nepal. |
| Lhotse | – | 8,501 | 27,939 | 1956 | World’s 4th highest and close to Mt Everest. Located in Nepal(Around China Border.). |
| Makalu | – | 8,462 | 27,765 | 1955 | World’s 5th highest. Located in Nepal(Around China Border.) |
| Cho Oyu | Mt. Zhuoaoyou | 8,201 | 26,906 | 1954 | World’s 6th highest. Located in Nepal(Around China Border.) |
| Dhaulagiri | White Mountain | 8,167 | 26,764 | 1960 | World’s 7th highest. Located in Nepal. |
| Manaslu | Kutang – “Mountain of the Spirit” | 8,163 | 26,758 | 1956 | World’s 8th highest. Located in Nepal. |
| Nanga Parbat | Nangaparbat Peak or Diamir, “Naked Mountain” | 8,125 | 26,658 | 1953 | World’s 9th highest. Located in Pakistan. Considered one of the world’s most dangerous mountains to climb. |
| Annapurna | “Goddess of the Harvests” | 8,091 | 26,545 | 1950 | World’s 10th highest. Located in Nepal. |
| Gasherbrum I | Hidden Peak (Khumbu Gangri) or K5 | 8,068 | 26,470 | 1958 | World’s 11th highest. Located in Pakistan. |
| Broad Peak | K3 (Phalchen Gangri) | 8,047 | 26,400 | 1957 | World’s 12th highest. Located in Pakistan. |
| Gasherbrum II | K4 | 8,035 | 26,360 | 1956 | World’s 13th highest. Located in Pakistan. |
| Shishapangma | “Crest above the grassy plains” Gosainthan -Sanskrit for “place of the saint”, | 8,027 | 26,289 | 1964 | |
| Gyachung Gangri | – | 7,922 | 26,089 | 1964 | |
| Nanda Devi | “Bliss-Giving Goddess” | 7,817 | 25,645 | 1936 | India |
| Kamet | – | 7,756 | 25,447 | 1931 | India |
| Kabru | – | 7,338 | 24,258 | 1935 | |
| Bumo Gangri | “Unmarried Daughter” | 7,161 | 23,494 | 1962 | Popular climbing peak. |
References
Tibetan Calendar Thangka
Tibetan Calander is a lunar-based calendar. The months are represented by Hare, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Ape, Bird, Dog, Pig, Mouse, Bull, Tiger.
