SOME MOUNTAIN RANGES AND MASSIFS IN THE ASIA
PACIFIC
A B C D E F G
H I J K L M N O P
Q R S T U
V W X Y Z
The Alai Mountains (Russian Alayskiy Khrebet), range of lofty mountains, an extension of the Tien Shan Mountains in Kyrgyzstan. The range is also known as the Alay Mountains. The average height of the Alai Mountains is about 4880 m (about 16,000 ft).
The Altai Mountains or Altay Mountains, mountain range, Central Asia, extending from the headwaters of the Ob’ and Irtysh rivers in southern Siberia in Russia, into Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China and into Mongolia. The highest peak of the Altai range is Mount Belukha (4506 m/14,783 ft). Below about 1830 m (about 6000 ft) the mountain slopes are thickly covered with trees, including cedar, pine, larch, fir, and birch. Between the forests and the snow line, which lies between about 2440 to 3050 m (about 8000 and 10,000 ft), are alpine pastures. The mountains are rich in minerals, especially coal, zinc, and lead, with some gold, iron ore, copper, silver, and tin.
The Annapurna, a massif of in the Himalayan mountain system, north central Nepal, one of the highest massifs in the world. The massif is 56 km (35 mi) long, culminating in two peaks, Annapurna 1 (8078 m/26,504 ft above sea level) and Annapurna 2 (7937 m/26,041 ft). The summit of Annapurna 1 was reached for the first time on June 3, 1950, by an expedition under the leadership of the French mountaineer Maurice Herzog.
The Australian Alps fringe the south-eastern coast of Australia, extending from Canberra and the nearby Brindabella Range through the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales and the Victorian Alps to just north-east of Melbourne. They continue through to the highland areas of south eastern Tasmania. In NSW, the great arc of peaks over 2000 metres - including the highest points of the Snowy Mountains - which encircle the headwaters of the Snowy River is often referred to as the `Main Range'. In Victoria the snow covered plateaus are often called the `High Country'.
The Australia's Alps are diminutive by world standards. The South American Andes rise to 6000 metres and the Himalayas in central Asia to 8000 metres. By contrast, many peaks in the Australian Alps are not much higher than 2000 metres including Australia's highest mountain, Mt Kosciusko in NSW. But despite this lack of height, and even though they occupy only a fraction of the continent, the Alps are significant because they are unique in a country dominated by flat and regular terrain with an average altitude of 300 metres.
(Source - http://www.biodiversity.environment.gov.au/protecte/alps/educat.htm)
Crater Mountain, in Papua New Guinea,is not a single peak but a series of detached pinnacles rising to just under 3400 m. Crater was, before it blew up during the late Pleistocene, a huge 'strato' volcano. It is now a relict caldera, a series of giant Gothic spires usually covered in cloud. The Gimi and the Pawaians speaking peoples, who own the mountain, have many names for the complex. Ūbota and Bopoyama are the names one hears around Ubaigubi and other northern villages. The name Ūbota comes from a yellow vine found on some of the peaks, while Bopoyama refers to the Rufous Woodcock which the people of Maimafu say is abundant in their section of Crater high country. The high country around Crater is dotted with water filled fumaroles and hot springs. The Crater Mountain Wildlife Management Area is a rainforest environment in the truest sense of the word. (source - http://www.cuny.edu/multimedia/crater/boundary.html)
Damavand, Mount, also called Mount Demavend, extinct volcano in northern Iran, near Tehran (Teheran). It rises 5604 m (18,386 ft) above sea level and is the loftiest peak of the Elburz Mountains. The summit is conical and the crater still intact. At the base are many hot springs, giving evidence of volcanic heat comparatively near the surface of the earth. Mount Damavand was first ascended by a European, W. Taylor Thomson, in 1837. The nearby town of Damavand is a popular summer resort.
Dhaulagiri, mountain, northern Nepal, rising 8172 m (26,810 ft) above sea level. One of the world's highest peaks, it was first scaled in 1960.
The Elburz Mountains, mountain range, northern Iran, extending along the southern shore of the Caspian Sea. The range marks the northern limit of the Iranian Plateau. The Elburz have an average altitude of about 1524 m (about 5000 ft). The highest peak in the system, Mount Damavand, is 5601 m (18,376 ft) above sea level.
Everest, Mount (Tibetan, Chomo Lungma, "goddess-mother"), mountain peak, south central Asia, in the Himalayas, on the frontier of Nepal and Tibet, the highest peak in the world. According to a 1954 Indian government survey, the summit is 8848 m (29,028 ft) above sea level. More recent surveys, however, have cast some doubt on this figure. The issue is not yet resolved. The English name commemorates Sir George Everest, surveyor general of India from 1830 to 1843, who in 1841 first recorded the location and height of the mountain. The summit was finally reached on May 29, 1953, by two members of a British expedition: Edmund Hillary, a New Zealander, and Tenzing Norgay, a Nepalese guide.
Fuji (mountain) or Fujiyama, also Fuji-san, celebrated dormant volcano of Japan, southern Honshu Island, near Tokyo. Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan, rises as a cone to a height of 3776 m (12,389 ft) above sea level, with the apex broken by a cone-shaped crater 610 m (2000 ft) in diameter. The southern slopes extend to the shore of Suruga Bay, and the isolated peak can be seen from many of the outlying prefectures. The mountain is part of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, the most popular vacation area in Japan. According to legend, Fuji arose from the plain during a single night in 286 BC. Geologically the mountain is much older than the legend asserts. The most recent recorded eruption of Fuji lasted from November 24, 1707, until January 22, 1708. Certain religious sects regard the mountain as a sacred place. Fuji is visited annually by thousands of pilgrims from all parts of the country, and numerous shrines and temples are on its slopes. Fuji is also revered in Japanese literature and art .
The Ghats, two converging mountain ranges in southern India, called the Eastern and Western Ghats, running along the eastern and western coasts of the country.
The Eastern Ghats parallel the Coromandel Coast. The average elevation of the range is about 457 m (about 1500 ft), but several peaks reach an altitude of about 1219 to 1524 m (about 4000 to 5000 ft) above sea level. The Eastern Ghats lie generally at a distance of about 80 to 240 km (about 50 to 150 mi) from the coast, but at Vishakhapatnam they form precipitous escarpments along the Bay of Bengal. The chief rivers that cross or penetrate the mountains are the Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri (Cauvery).
The Western Ghats extend from the southern portion of the Tapi River valley along the Malabar Coast to Cape Comorin. The range is divided by Palghat Gap (about 40 km/25 mi wide); the section north of the division is about 1290 km (about 800 mi) long and that to the south of the gap is about 320 km (about 200 mi). In many sections, the range is separated from the coastline only by a narrow strip of land. The Western Ghats have an average elevation of 914 m (3000 ft), but south of Palghat Gap some peaks are as high as 2438 m (8000 ft).
The land between the Eastern and Western Ghats is referred to as the Deccan Plateau. The east-sloping plateau is sheltered from the heavier rains by the two ranges, and has a dry season of between six and nine months.
The Himalayas, also Himalaya (Sanskrit for "abode of snow"), mountain system in Asia, comprising a series of parallel and converging ranges and forming the highest mountain region in the world. More than 30 peaks of the Himalayas rise to heights of 7620 m (25,000 ft) or more, and one of these, Mount Everest (8848 m/29,028 ft), is the world's highest mountain. The vast Himalayan complex covers an area of about 594,400 sq km (about 229,500 sq mi) and extends in an arc of about 2410 km (about 1500 mi). It stretches from the Indus River in northern Pakistan eastward across the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmėr; down into northern India; across part of southern Tibet (an autonomous region of China); and over most of Nepal, the Indian state of Sikkim, and Bhutan. (Contributed by: Rodman E. Snead.)
The Hindu Kush, major mountain system, central Asia, extending generally in a southwesterly direction for more than 800 km (500 mi), from the plateau region of the Pamirs on the borders of Afghanistan; North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan; and Tajikistan. The system lies largely in northeastern Afghanistan. Outlying ranges, principally the Paropamisus and the Sefėd Koh (Safed Koh), extend the Hindu Kush system across Afghanistan almost to the Iranian border. These mountains, consisting of granites and schists, or crystalline rocks, were probably uplifted in the Tertiary period. The system is in part marked by overthrust of Cretaceous limestones on Cenozoic shales and clays.
In the first 160-km (about 100 mi) section west of the Pamirs, the Hindu Kush extends southward. In this section the system has a comparatively wide, plateaulike summit, dotted with small glacial lakes, and passes ranging in height from 3810 to 5335 m (about 12,500 to 17,500 ft) above sea level. The system then turns to the southwest and gains in elevation, and the plateau summit breaks into peaks, the highest of which is Tirich Mėr, 7690 m (25,230 ft) above sea level, in Pakistan. Many other peaks in this section rise more than 6096 m (20,000 ft), and the system is broken by such passes as the Baroghil, the Dorah, and the Khavak. The Hindu Kush is also the source of many rivers; the most notable are the Amu Darya River on the northern slopes and the Helmand, Kabul, and Konar Rivers and several tributaries of the Indus River on the southern slopes.
The Japanese Alps, mountain range composed of three linked chains running north-south through central Honshu Island, Japan. The three chains are the Hida Mountains, or Northern Alps, in Niigata, Toyama, Nagano, and Gifu prefectures; the Kiso Mountains, or Central Alps, in Nagano Prefecture; and the Akaishi Mountains, or Southern Alps, in Nagano, Shizuoka, and Yamanashi prefectures. The highest peak in the Japanese Alps is Kita in the Southern Alps; at 3192 m (10,472 ft), it is Japan's second highest mountain, after Fuji. The mountains are mostly composed of igneous and metamorphic rocks, especially granite, reflecting Japan's history of plate-tectonic activity. Prevailing moist winds from the Sea of Japan cause some of the highest annual snowfall in the world along the range's northern side. The Japanese Alps are famous for their beautiful mountain scenery and rich alpine plant and animal life; large areas of the range are protected within the Chubu Sangaku and Southern Alps national parks. The alps are popular destinations for hiking, climbing, and skiing, and many vacation villas are located in the area.
Kanchenjunga, mountain, south central Asia, in the Himalayas, on the frontier between Nepal and Sikkim, India. The mountain, the third highest in the world, has five peaks; the highest is 8598 m (28,208 ft) above sea level. In 1929 a Bavarian expedition attempted to climb the mountain, but failed. In 1931 another German party set out to make the ascent. Two members of the party were killed in a fall, and the group was forced to abandon the climb. The area of the summit was finally reached in 1955 by a British expedition led by the Welsh educator and mountaineer Charles Evans, one of the leaders of the expedition that conquered Mount Everest. In deference to local religious beliefs, they stopped a few meters short of the summit.
The Karakoram Range (Chinese Karakorum Shan), a high (mean elevation: 6,096 m) mountain range in the Himalayas of Central Asia, extends 483 km southeast from the Pamir Knot in northern Kashmir to southwestern Tibet. The tallest peak, K2, also known as Mount Godwin Austen (8611 m/ 28,250 ft) is the second-highest mountain in the world. Young geologically, the Karakoram mountains emerged in the Cenozoic Era. Because of their steep slopes and alpine glaciers, the summits are almost inaccessible. The dry, harsh climate supports little vegetation or wildlife, but pastoral Tibetans inhabit the lower elevations.
The Kunlun Mountains (also Kunlun Shan or K’un-lun Shan), the longest mountain chain in Asia, extend over 2,400 km between the Himalayas to the south and the Tian Shan to the north.On their western edge is the Pamirs, in Tajikistan, as they stretch eastward through Tibet to Qinghai (Tsinghai) province, China (where they end), they become broader and higher. The highest peak, Ulugh Muztagh, which reaches 7,774 m is in Tibet. Although the main system was formed about 230 million years ago, seismic activity is common. The extremely arid climate results in hot desert at low altitudes and cold desert in the higher altitudes. Melting snow and glaciers during the summer months feed several major rivers, among them the Huang He (Hwang Ho, or Yellow River), the Mekong, and the Chang Jiang (Yangtze). The steep slopes, harsh environment, and high passes make access difficult, and the sparse population is concentrated in the river valleys.
K2, also Mount Godwin Austen, mountain peak in the Karakorum Range of the western Himalayas, straddling the border between China and Jammu and Kashmėr, a territory claimed by India and Pakistan. Pakistan currently controls the portion where K2 lies. K2, rising 8611 m (28,250 ft), is the second tallest mountain in the world. Only Mount Everest (8848 m/29,028 ft), also in the Himalayas, is taller. K2 is an almost regular cone of ice and limestone resting on a granite base. In 1856 T. G. Montgomerie of the Survey of India measured the mountain and named it "K2" to denote it as one of 35 summits in the Karakorum Range. In 1861 the peak was unofficially renamed Mount Godwin Austen, after British soldier and topographer Henry Haversham Godwin Austen, the second European to visit the area. Several local names, including Chogori, Lambha Pahar, Dapsang, and Kechu (K2), are also used to identify the peak. Eight expeditions to K2 were made between 1892 and 1954. On July 31, 1954, Achille Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli, two members of an Italian expedition led by Ardito Desio, made the first successful ascent to the mountain's summit. (Contributed by: James A. Hafner.)
The Lebanon Mountains, mountain range, southwestern Asia, extending along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea from southern Lebanon into southern Syria. The highest peak in the range, Qurnat as Sawda’, is 3083 m (10,115 ft) above sea level. In ancient times, the rocky slopes were covered with the famed cedars of Lebanon.
Nanga Parbat, mountain peak in the Himalayas, situated in the Pakistani-controlled part of the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmėr. One of the highest peaks in the world (8126m/26,660 ft), Nanga Parbat is considered the most treacherous of the Himalayas, and many fatalities have occurred among climbers. It was first scaled in July 1953 by a German-Austrian expedition.
The Pamirs, a region of high mountains and valleys in central Asia sometimes called "the roof of the world," form the core of several of the highest ranges on Earth - the Hindu Kush, the Kunlun Mountains, the Karakoram Range, and the Tian Shan (Tien Shan). Most of these area lies in Tajikistan, but it extends into northeastern Afghanistan and Xinjiang (Sinkiang) province in China. The average elevation exceeds 4,000 m and the highest point is atop K2 (Godwin Austen). Geologically complex, the Pamirs contain rocks of the Precambrian, Paleozoic, and Mesozoic eras. More than 1,000 glaciers cover an area of 8,042 sq km. Because of the severely cold and arid climate, vegetation is sparse. Tajiks raise sheep and goats in the lower valleys and farm the small plots of arable land.Crossed by Marco Polo in 1271, the Pamirs were first explored by a Russian A. P. Fedchenko in 1871. In the 1930s a warm-weather highway traversing the region was built.
The Sulaiman Range, mountain range, central Pakistan, extending about 400 km (about 250 mi) in a northern and southern direction and generally parallel to the Indus River. The average elevation is about 1520 m (about 5000 ft). The highest points are the twin peaks of Kaisargarh (3441 m/11,289 ft) and Takht-i-Sulaiman (3379 m/11,085 ft). The latter peak takes its name ("throne of Solomon") from a throne-shaped hollow in the solid rock of the southern slope.
Tian Shan (in Chinese meaning "celestial mountains") extend 3,000 km from Kyrgyzstan northeast through the Xinjiang (Sinkiang) region of western China to the Mongolian frontier. The Gissar-Alai, Zhu-Ili, Karatau, K'a-erh-li-k'o, and Junggar-Alatau mountains all belong to the Tian Shan, whose highest point, Pobeda Peak on the Kyrgyzstan-Xinjiang border, reaches 7,444 m. Principal rivers of the range include the Zhu, Ili, Naryn, Sarydzhaz, and Zeravshan. Temperatures in the foothills vary from - 4 degree to 27 degree C and at higher altitudes from - 23 degree to 5 degree C. The Kirghiz, Uighur, and Chinese who inhabit the mountains maintain an economy based on agriculture and the herding of horses, sheep, and cattle. Copper, lead, zinc, mercury, antimony, and tungsten are minerals commonly mined.
Tai Shan, mountain, Shandong (Shan-tung) Province, eastern China. The peak is at an elevation of 1545 m (5069 ft), and on the slopes are many shrines and temples. The mountain has been sacred to Chinese for several thousand years and was formerly a goal of pilgrimages. Considered sacred by Buddhists, Taoists, and various folk cults, Tai Shan was, during several dynasties, the site of official rituals.
The Vindhya Range, low mountain range of central India. It extends in a generally east-western direction from Varanasi to Gujarat State for a distance of about 1090 km (about 675 mi). The range separates the drainage basin of the Ganges River on the north from the Deccan Plateau on the south. Elevations range from 455 to 910 m (from 1500 to 3000 ft) and reach a maximum of 1113 m (3651 ft).
The Ural Mountains (Russian Ural’skiye Gory), mountain chain in Russia, extending about 2400 km (about 1500 mi) from its northern boundary at the Arctic Ocean to it's southern limits at the steppes of Kazakstan, traditionally separating the continents of Europe and Asia. The chain is divided roughly into four main divisions: the Polar, Northern, Middle, and Southern Urals. The Polar Urals (above latitude 64° North) are treeless arctic tundra. The Northern Urals (latitude 64° North to latitude 61° North) constitute a distinct craggy, treeless, narrow range with crests averaging 305 to 460 m (1000 to 1500 ft) in height. This range contains the highest Ural crest, Gora Narodnaya (1894 m/6214 ft). The entire Middle Ural region (latitude 61° North to latitude 60° North) is covered with dense coniferous forests. South of the Middle Urals (latitude 55° North to latitude 51° North) are three parallel mountain chains called the Southern Urals. All three ranges are heavily wooded with deciduous plant life and contain rich pasturelands.
The Urals continue from latitude 51° North toward the Volga River and, under the name of Obshchiy Syrt, comprise a system of plateaus reaching 460 m (1500 ft) in height and 322 km (200 mi) in width. South of the Ural River, the Ural chain appears as a group of independent ranges.
The Zagros Mountains, mountain system, southwestern Iran. A complex of many parallel ranges separated by valleys and plains, the Zagros Mountains have numerous peaks higher than 3048 m (10,000 ft), some of which have perpetual snow cover. The highest peak is Zard Kuh (4548 m/14,921 ft). Many of the valleys have fertile soils, and agriculture and livestock raising are important occupations.
Source: Microsoft Encarta
Encyclopaedia
(excluding the Australian Alps and Crater Mountain)
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