Mapping: Mountains
Mapping: Mountains
Definition of a Mountain
A mountain is a landform that rises significantly above the surrounding terrain, typically
characterized by steep slopes, a peak or summit, and rugged terrain.
Types of Mountains
Mountains are categorized based on their formation processes:
1. Fold Mountains
○ Formation: Created by the folding of Earth's crust when two tectonic plates collide.
○ Examples: Young Fold Mountains: Himalayas (Asia), Old Fold Mountains: Aravalli Range
(India).
○ Features: Most fold mountains are composed primarily of sedimentary rock and
metamorphic rock formed under high pressure and relatively low temperatures.
2. Fault-Block Mountains
○ Formation: Formed by faulting due to tensional forces causing large blocks of Earth's
crust to be uplifted or dropped.
○ Examples: Sierra Nevada (USA), Harz Mountains (Germany).
○ Features: Steep front side and a gentle slope on the backside.
3. Volcanic Mountains
○ Formation: Created by the accumulation of lava and ash from volcanic eruptions.
○ Examples: Mount Fuji (Japan), Mount Vesuvius (Italy), Mauna Loa (Hawaii).
○ Features: Typically cone-shaped with craters at the summit.
Features of Mountains
● Altitude: Mountains typically rise above 600 meters (2,000 feet) above sea level.
● Climate: Higher altitudes experience colder temperatures and different vegetation zones
(alpine, tundra).
● Biodiversity: Home to unique flora and fauna due to varied climates and elevations.
● Resources: Rich in minerals, forests, and water resources (origin of rivers).
● Erosion: Constantly shaped by weathering, water, and glaciers.
Significance of Mountains
1. Environmental: Act as climate regulators, affecting rainfall patterns and weather conditions.
2. Water Resources: Source of major rivers and reservoirs.
3. Cultural: Sacred in many traditions (e.g., Mount Kailash, Mount Sinai).
4. Economic: Support tourism, agriculture (terrace farming), and mining activities.
5. Biodiversity Hotspots: Protect numerous endemic species.
List of Major Mountains
The table below provides a list of major mountain ranges of the world along with their Length,
Highest Peaks, and Countries across which they are located in various continents.
Mountain Length Height
Range (km) Location (Countries) Highest Peak (m)
Andes 7,000 South America (Venezuela, Colombia, Mount Aconcagua 6,961
Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina)
Rocky
Mountains 4,830 North America (USA and Canada) Mount Elbert 4,401
Great Dividing
Range 3,500 Australia Mount Kosciuszko 2,228
Atlas
Mountains 2,500 Africa (Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia) Mount Toubkal 4,167
Europe-Asia Border (Russia and
Ural Mountains 2,500 Kazakhstan) Mount Narodnaya 1,894
Appalachian
Mountains 2,414 North America (USA and Canada) Mount Mitchell 2,037
Asia (India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, and
Himalayas 2,400 Pakistan) Mount Everest 8,849
Altai Asia (China, Mongolia, Russia, and
Mountains 2,000 Kazakhstan) Belukha Mountain 4,506
Scandinavian
Mountains 1,700 Europe (Sweden, Norway, and Finland) Galdhøpiggen 2,469
Europe (France, Switzerland, Monaco, Italy,
Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, and
Alps 1,200 Slovenia) Mont Blanc 4,809
Drakensberg 1,125 Africa (South Africa and Lesotho) Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482
The Andes
● The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range, stretching
approximately 7,000 km along the western coast of South America.
● It spans seven countries: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and
Argentina.
● Mount Aconcagua (6,961 m) in Argentina is the highest peak of the Andes.
● The world’s highest volcano, Ojos del Salado (6,893 m, an active volcano), lies on the
Chile-Argentina border.
● The Lithium Triangle, a region rich in lithium reserves, is located in the Andes and
includes parts of Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile.
Rocky Mountains
● The Rocky Mountains (also known as the Rockies) extend about 4,800 km, from British
Columbia (Canada) to New Mexico (USA).
● The highest peak is Mount Elbert (4,401 m), located in Colorado, USA.
Great Dividing Range
● The Great Dividing Range stretches over 3,500 km along the eastern coast of
Australia.
● Mount Kosciuszko (2,228 m) in New South Wales is its highest peak.
● The Darling-Murray River system originates in this range.
Atlas Mountains
● The Atlas Mountains extend about 2,500 km across North Africa, running through
Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.
● These are young fold mountains that separate the Sahara Desert from the Atlantic
Ocean and Mediterranean coastline.
● The highest peak is Mount Toubkal (4,167 m) in Morocco.
Ural Mountains
● The Ural Mountains stretch approximately 2,500 km, from the Arctic Ocean in the north
to the Ural River in the south.
● They pass through Russia and Kazakhstan and form the traditional boundary between
Europe and Asia.
● The highest peak, Mount Narodnaya (1,894 m), is located in Russia.
● These are old fold mountains and have been a major mineral base for Russia since the
18th century.
Appalachian Mountains
● The Appalachian Mountains run parallel to the East Coast of North America, stretching
over 2,400 km through the USA and Canada.
● Formed about 480 million years ago, these are very old fold mountains.
● The highest peak is Mount Mitchell (2,037 m) in North Carolina, USA.
The Himalayas
● The Himalayas span 2,400 km across India, Nepal, Bhutan, China (Tibet), and
Pakistan.
● Formed by the collision of the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate about 50 million
years ago, these are young fold mountains.
● The range includes Mount Everest (8,849 m), the highest peak on Earth, along with
over 100 peaks exceeding 7,200 m.
● The Himalayas are bordered by the Karakoram and Hindu Kush ranges (northwest), the
Tibetan Plateau (north), and the Indo-Gangetic Plain (south).
● Known as the “Water Tower of Asia,” the range is the source of major rivers like the
Ganges, Indus, Brahmaputra, Yangtze, and Yellow River.
Altai Mountains
● The Altai Mountains extend over 2,000 km, intersecting Russia, Mongolia, China, and
Kazakhstan.
● The highest peak, Mount Belukha (4,506 m), is located in Russia, near the
Russia-Kazakhstan border.
Scandinavian Mountains
● Also called the Scandes, this range extends for 1,700 km along the western side of the
Scandinavian Peninsula, through Norway, Sweden, and northern Finland.
● The highest peak is Galdhøpiggen (2,469 m) in Norway.
The Alps
● The Alps stretch about 1,200 km across eight European countries: France,
Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Slovenia, and Monaco.
● Formed about 30 million years ago, these are young fold mountains.
● The highest peak, Mont Blanc (4,809 m), lies on the France-Italy border.
● The Alpine region includes over 125 peaks higher than 4,000 m.
Drakensberg
● The Drakensberg Mountains stretch for about 1,100 km across the eastern part of
South Africa, with some parts extending into Lesotho.
● These are young fold mountains, and the highest peak, Thabana Ntlenyana (3,482 m),
is in Lesotho.