Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
dimensions and natural beauty of the Himalayas—range upon
range, tier after tier of rocks with their skyﾭpiercing, snowﾭ
capped peaks and deep canyons—that most attract visitors
from around the world.
According to geologists, the Himalayas are Earth's youngest
folded mountains. In fact, they are still in the process of formaﾭ
tion; the mountains continue to move northward, and they are
still growing in height. To understand their origin, imagine a
gigantic bulldozer slamming into southern Asia. What would
be the result? You guessed it—a huge pile of rock!
Plate tectonics
refers to the movement of huge chunks of Earth's crust across
the planet's surface. Originally, the Himalaya range was uplifted
due to the collision of a huge plate—the land that is today the
Indian “subcontinent”—with what was then southern Asia. It
started during the tertiary period of geologic history, which
began about 65 million years ago, and ended at the beginning
of the Ice Age, approximately 2 million years ago. This is a very
recent event in geologic time, and the mountainﾭbuilding proﾭ
cess continues today.
The Himalayas that stretch beyond Nepal encompass terﾭ
ritory of northern India, southern China, Bhutan, northern
Pakistan, and northeastern Afghanistan. The total east-west
length covers about 1,550 miles (2,400 kilometers) and an area
of about 38,460 square miles (100,000 square kilometers) in
South Asia. The Nepal Himalayas (about 750 miles, 1,210 kiloﾭ
meters) are located in the central portion of the range. Here,
within the country, are seven peaks that reach above 26,246 feet
(8,000 meters), including the giant of them all, Mount Everest.
No other country can match this spectacular terrain.
These magnificent Himalayan ranges have given Nepal
a gift of splendid landscapes, where visitors can also explore
not only the mountains but also ancient temples and other
cultural resources. Thousands are drawn to the country and its
environmental riches each year. These riches include 10 World
