This great mountain system, known as the Himalayas, the Himalayan Mountains or the Himalayan mountain chain, also contains the world’s largest peaks. The Himalayas, which were formed due to tectonic movements that took place millions of years ago, also include Mount Everest, which is the favorite climbing point of mountaineers and is considered the highest mountain in the world. However, this is not the only feature of this mountain system that stands out.
The Himalayas are a mountain chain thousands of kilometers long. The rivers connected to this mountain chain provide water to billions of people, host many living species and form the basis of the belief system of the region. Let’s take a closer look at how the Himalayas, which are gradually losing their glacial structure due to global warming, were formed, what features they have, and what is the importance of this mountain system.
How were the Himalayas formed?
This great mountain system, known as the Himalayas, the Himalayan Mountains or the Himalayan mountain chain; It lies in the east-west direction in the central south region of Asia. The length of this mountain system is exactly 2400 kilometers. Glaciers form a large part of the mountain range that passes through Pakistan, India, China, Nepal and Bhutan.
In order to answer the question of how the Himalayas were formed, it is necessary to go back to the times when the world was a single continent, millions of years ago. The formation process of the Himalayan mountain system, which emerged 65 million years ago with the collision of the Indian plate and the Asian plate, still continues today due to continental movements.
When these two continental plates collided, something not easy happened and one of the plates got shorter. It is estimated that this shortening occurred due to the subduction of the Indian plate by the Asian plate. The deformation at the Tibetan tip of the Asian plate compensated for some of the shortening, resulting in the Himalayas.
Where does the name Himalayas come from?
This vast and high mountain system in the middle of Asia has been the basis of the belief system of the region for thousands of years since ancient times. People who believe that they are pilgrims by crossing the Himalayas have derived a name for this mountain from the Sanskrit words hima meaning snow and alaya meaning abode.
The main reason why the Himalayas, which draws a natural and impassable border to the Indian peninsula, got this name is that it is not just a mountain but a large glacier formation. There are 9 of the 10 highest peaks in the world in this mountain system, which extends uninterruptedly from west to east. The highest of these is the Everest Peak, as we all know.
Political significance of the Himalayas:
Such a large and magnificent mountain chain inevitably shapes the political climate of the region. Most of the Himalayas are within the sovereignty of India, Nepal and Bhutan. A part of the mountain chain is located within the borders of Pakistan and China.
The Kashmir region of Pakistan, where part of the Himalayas passes, is considered a joint checkpoint with an agreement between Pakistan and India in 1972. China controls a large area in the Ladakh region, while India claims the eastern end of the Himalayas in the state of Arunachal Pradesh.
Important peaks in the Himalayas:
- The 8,848-meter-high Mount Everest, first climbed in 1953, is within the borders of China and Nepal.
- Chogo Gangri Peak, 8,611 meters high, first climbed in 1954, is within the borders of China and Pakistan.
- The 8, 586-meter-high Kangchenjunga Peak, first climbed in 1922, is within the borders of India and Nepal.
- The 8,462-meter-high Makalu Peak, first climbed in 1955, is within the borders of Nepal.
- The 8,167-meter-high Dhaulagiri Peak, first climbed in 1960, is within the borders of Nepal.
- The 8,125 meter high Nanga Parbat Peak, which was first climbed in 1953, is within the borders of Pakistan.
- The 8,091 meter high Annapurna Peak, first climbed in 1950, is within the borders of Nepal.
- The 7,817 meter high Nanda Devi Peak, first climbed in 1936, is within the borders of India.
Important Himalayan mountaineers:
- Nasuh Mahruki is the first Turk to climb Mount Everest.
- Eric Shipton discovered the way to the summit of Everest.
- Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary were the first climbers to reach the summit of Everest.
- Nawang Gombu is the first mountaineer to climb Mount Everest but failed to reach the summit.
- Jim Whittaker is the first American to climb Mount Everest.
- Reinhold Messner was the first mountaineer to climb all 14 mountains 8 thousand meters above sea level, known as the Eight Thousands.
- Casey Mackins is the first mountaineer to climb Mount Everest starting from sea level.
We answered the questions of how the Himalayas, including the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest, were formed, and what is the importance of it, and we talked about what you need to know about this mountain system. The fact that the Himalayas are getting warmer and their glaciers are melting is a worrying development for the world.
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