Mountains of Asia. Mountain ranges in Asia Are there high mountains in Asia
Mountains of Asia
Himalayas- the highest mountain system in the world, rising on the border between High and South Asia and separating the Tibetan Plateau from the lowlands of the Indus and the Ganges. In the north, the Himalayas border the longitudinal intermountain valleys of the Indus and the Brahmaputra, in the south - the edge of the Indo-Gangetic lowland, in the northwest the Himalayas border on the Hindu Kush, in the southeast with the Sino-Tibetan mountains. The Himalayas stretch in a huge arc, convex to the south - southwest. The total length of the mountain system is more than 2400 km, the width is 200-300 km. The Himalayas represent a system of parallel ridges with steep slopes facing the Indo-Gangetic plain, and relatively gentle slopes towards Tibet. The Himalayas are usually divided into three mountain stages: the foothills, the Lesser Himalayas and the Greater Himalayas. The strip of foothills lies at an altitude of 700-1000 m above the Indo-Gangetic lowland. The foothills of the Himalayas are collectively known as the Sivalik Mountains. The Lesser Himalayas are composed of crystalline rocks. The heights of the ridges reach an average of 3500-4500 m, and individual peaks rise up to 6000 m. In the northwest, the Pir-Panjal ridge stretches up to 5000 m in height, further to the southeast it is replaced by the Jaoladkhar ridge (2500-3000 m) and the Small The Himalayas, which merge with the Main Range by the powerful high-mountain Jaulagiri massif, reaching a height of 8172 m. Further to the east, the entire Himalaya system narrows, the zone of the Lesser Himalayas presses against the Main Range, forming the medium-altitude Mahabharat mountains, and even to the east - the high and heavily dissected Duara mountains. Between the Lesser Himalayas and the Main Range lies a strip of tectonic basins, which in the recent past were occupied by lakes. To the north of the basins rise the Great, or Main, Himalayas, reaching an average height of 6000 m. This is a well-defined alpine ridge, over which rise highest peaks peace. More than 130 peaks of the Great Himalayas are above 7000 m, eleven peaks rise above 8000 m. The Himalaya glaciers do not exceed 30 km in length (Gangotri glacier - 26 km, Zemu glacier - 25, Rongbuk glacier - 19 km). The total area of glaciation is more than 1000 km2. The snow line is located very high and fluctuates in different regions of the Himalayas from 4800 to 5500 m. The Great Himalayas are divided into 4 sectors: Assam Himalayas - stretch between the Brahmaputra and Tista rivers, begin in the east with the Namcha-Barwa mountain range (7755 m). The length of this section of the Himalayas is 720 km. The main peaks are Kulakapgri (7554 m) and Chomo-Lari (7314 m). There are more than 15 seven-thousanders with a height of 7100 to 7554 m. Nepalese Himalayas - located between the rivers Tista and Kali, the length is about 800 km. This is the highest part of the Himalayas. In addition to Chomolungma (Everest, 8882 m), the highest peaks of the Nepalese Himalayas are Kanchenjunga (8598 m), Makalu (8470 m), Annapurna (8078 m), Gozaintan (8018 m), Dhaulagiri (8172 m) , Cho Oyu (8189 m), Shisha Pangma (8013 m), Manaslu (8128 m), Lhotse Main (8501 m) more than 20 seven-thousanders. Kumaon Himalayas - located between the rivers Kali and Sutlej They have a length of more than 300 km. There are many mountain lakes in this area. The highest peaks are Nanda Devi (7816 m) and Kamet (7755 m). The Punjab Himalayas stretch for 560 km between the Sutlej and Indus rivers. Their average height is 5000-5500 m. Some peaks exceed 6500 m, the highest peak is Nanga Parbat (8126 m).
Karakorum- a mountain range extending southeast of the Pamirs and the Hindu Kush, between Kun-Lun and the Himalayas, within 74-82 ° E. e. It is separated from the Pamirs by the wide Karachukur valley; the conditional border with the Hindu Kush is the river. Carambar. The Karakoram is the second highest (after the Himalayas) ridge on the globe. Its average height is about 6000 m. Many peaks exceed 7000 m (there are about 80 seven-thousanders). The highest peaks are Chogori (8611 m), Hidden Peak (8068 m), Gasherbrum (8073 m), Broad Peak (8047 m). The relief of the Karakoram is sharply dissected. Transverse valleys have the character of deep narrow gorges. The height of the snow line on the northern slope is about 5900 m, on the southern slope - about 4700 m. The Karakoram is characterized by powerful glaciation. The glaciers Siachen (75 km), Baltoro (57 km), Batura (58 km) reach the greatest length.
Hindu Kush- one of the largest mountain ranges in Central Asia, the fifth highest mountain region in the world after the Himalayas, Karakoram, Kun-Lun and Pamir. The Hindu Kush system includes the Middle Afghan Mountains, the Kokhi-Baba Range and the Hindu Kush proper (Western and Eastern) elongated from the west-southwest to the east-northeast. The length of this system is about 1000 km, the width is 50-500 km. The prevailing heights of the peaks are 4000-7000 m. A watershed passes through the Hindu Kush between the river basin. The Indus and the endorheic region of Central Asia From the Kokhi-Baba ridge (the highest point is the city of Shahfuladi, 5143 m), the Paropamiz and Central Afghan mountains diverge. Actually, the Hindu Kush comes behind Kohi Baba in the form of a backstage. The Hindu Kush itself is divided into lower (4000-5000 m) western and higher (5000-7000 m) eastern parts. At the junction of these sections is the highest peak of the Hindu Kush - Tirichmir (7690 m). The western Hindu Kush is made up of ridges between the Bandi-Amir gorge and the Khavak pass (3350 m). Central Hindu Kush - unites the Khvach-Mukhhamed ridge (northeast of the Khavak pass), the Bandakor mountains, the Main Hindu Kush ridge from Gulbahar to the Dorakh pass. Highest point Central Hindu Kush - Kokhi Bandaka (6843 m). Eastern Hindu Kush - includes the Main and Southern ridges between the Dorah and Qualandor-Uvin passes (4000 m), behind which the Wakhan Pamir ridge begins. All 29 seven-thousanders of the Hindu Kush are concentrated here. In the Main Range is the second highest peak of the Hindu Kush - Nushak (7492 m). Significant glaciation only in the Eastern Hindu Kush. A number of glaciers in the Eastern Hindu Kush is not inferior to the glaciers of the Karakoram (Tirichmir has a length of 31 km), the snow line passes at an altitude of 5000 m.
Through the mountains to the sea with a light backpack. Route 30 passes through the famous Fisht - this is one of the most grandiose and significant natural monuments in Russia, the closest to Moscow high mountains. Tourists travel lightly through all the landscape and climatic zones of the country from the foothills to the subtropics, spending the night in shelters.
General characteristics of the mountain system of Asia
The Asian mountain system includes the largest and highest mountains in the world. The highest point on the planet is located in the Himalayas - Mount Everest (Chomolungma) with a height of 8882 m.
The highest mountains of Asia are located in the southern regions of Central Asia and in southern Asia:
- Himalayas,
- Hindu Kush
- Pamir,
- Tibetan plateau,
- Tien Shan.
In the northern regions of Asia, there are medium-high mountains: the Stanovoye Upland, the Central Siberian Plateau, the Verkhoyansk Range, the Chersky Range, the Altai Mountains, and the Sredinny Range.
In the eastern regions of Asia there are Sikhote-Alin, Greater and Lesser Khingan; in the western, on the border with Europe - the Urals and the Caucasus.
Himalayas
The Himalayas are the highest mountain range both in the world and in Asia. The Himalayas are located on the border of East and South Asia, they delimit the lowlands of the Indus and Ganges rivers from the Tibetan Plateau. The total length of the Himalayas is 2400 km, the width of the mountain range ranges from 200 to 300 km.
The northwestern regions of the Himalayan mountains border on the Hindu Kush - the high mountain system of Asia.
The steepest slopes of the Himalayan mountains are directed south towards the Indus and the Ganges. More gentle slopes are directed towards Tibet.
There are 130 mountain peaks in the Himalayas with a height of more than 7000 m. 11 peaks, located mainly in the Nepalese Himalayas, have a height of more than 8000 meters:
- Everest (8882 m),
- Kapchenjunga (8598 m),
- Lhotse Main (8501 m),
- Makalu (8470 m),
- Cho Oyu (8180 m),
- Dhaulagiri (8172 m),
- Manaslu (8128 m),
- Apnapurna (8078),
- Gozaintan (8018),
- Shisha-Pangma (8013) and others.
The Karakorum mountain range. Kun-Lun and the Hindu Kush
The Karakorum mountain range is the second highest mountain range in Asia. Karakorum is located between the Himalayas and Kun-Lun, southeast of the Hindu Kush and the Pamirs. The average height of the Karakoram is 6000 m.
In the Karakorum mountain range, more than 80 mountains have a height of more than 7000 m.
Eight-thousander mountains of Karakorum: Chogori (8611 m), Gasherbrum (8073 m), Hidden Peak (8068 m), Broad Peak (8047 m).
The Kun-Lun mountain range extends from the west from the Pamirs to the east into the Sino-Tibetan mountains. Kun-Lun skirts the Tibetan Plateau from the north.
The total length of the mountain range is 2500 km, the width in some parts of the range reaches 600 km. The highest point of Kun-Lun is Aksai-Chin peak (7167 m).
The Hindu Kush mountains stretch in the south of Central Asia for 1000 km. Their width varies from 50 to 500 km. The Hindu Kush Mountains delimit the Indus River and the endorheic basin of Central Asia. The highest point of the Hindu Kush is Tirichmir (7690 m).
Pamir
Pamir is located on the territory of Afghanistan, China and Tajikistan in the south of Central Asia.
Pamir is located at the junction of the spurs of the mountain systems of Central Asia - the Karakoram, the Hindu Kush, the Tien Shan and the Kun-Lun.
The highest point of the Pamirs is Kongur Peak (7719 m).
Peaks over 7,000 m also include:
- Ismail Samani Peak (Communism Peak) (7495 m);
- Abu Ali ibn Siba Peak (Lenin Peak) (7134 m);
- Peak Korzhenevskaya (7105 m).
Remark 1
On the territory of the Pamirs there is a huge number of different genesis and types of glaciers. The largest glacier is Fedchenko, located in Central Tajikistan. The Fedchenko Glacier belongs to the mountain-valley type of glaciers. Its area is about 700 sq. km.
Numerous glaciers of the Pamirs during their movement smooth out the sides and bottom of the valleys, grind and bring down the clastic material of rocks, cool the surface layers of air, have a significant impact on the daily rhythm of the movement of mountain-valley air masses, give rise to rivers, melting below the snow line.
The northern border of the Pamirs is the Zaalai Range. Its length from west to east was 200 km. The average height of the ridge is 5500 m. The highest point of the ridge is Lenin Peak (7134 m).
The Zaalai Mountains have practically no foothills. They rise like a wall above the Altai Valley. Western Zaalai is located somewhat west of the Tersagar pass. There is an extensive network of spurs here. The peaks of the Western Trans-Alay have sharp shapes. The ridge is deeply cut into the valleys. The highest peak of the Western Trans-Alay is the peak of Sat (5900 m).
From the Tersagar pass in the west to the Kyzylart pass in the east, the Central Zaalai, the highest region of the range, extends. The highest peaks are located in the Central Trans-Alay: Lenin Peak (7134 m), Zhukov Peak (6842 m), Oktyabrsky Peak (6780 m), Dzerzhinsky Peak (6717 m), Kyzylagyn (6683 m), Unity Peak (6640 m).
The central Zaalai is weakly dissected and looks like a continuous wall. Passes of ice-snow origin.
The southern parts of the Central Trans-Alay have strongly branched spurs extending to the south. The central Trans-Alay region is isolated from the rest of the Pamirs by the Muksu and Sauksay rivers.
From the Kyzylart pass in the east to the Chinese border, the Eastern Zaalai stretches for 52 km. A characteristic distinguishing feature of the Eastern Trans-Alay from other regions of the Trans-Alay is the presence of steep northern slopes and a relatively low altitude. The highest mountains: Kurumda (6613 m), Dawn of the East (6349 m), Nameless Peak (6384 m).
Strong winds are typical for the Central and Eastern Trans-Alay on the crest of the watershed ridge. The main factor that determines the weather on the ridge are the Atlantic cyclones.
A powerful glaciation is observed on the Zaalai Range - 550 glaciers occupying an area of 1329 sq. km. The largest glaciers include the Dzerzhinsky, Korzhenevsky, Kuzgun, Oktyabrsky, East Kyzylsu, Bolshaya and Malaya Saukdara, Nura glaciers.
Remark 2
The most popular passes are Zaalaisky, Mindzhar, Surkhangou, Constitution, Dzerzhinsky, Abris, 30th Anniversary of Victory, 60th Anniversary of October, Spartak, Razdelny, Mir, Beletsky, Golden and Western Calf.
The Turkestan Range is a high mountain range belonging to the Gissar-Alai mountain system, framing the Ferghana Valley from the southwest and located in the southwest of Kyrgyzstan. The border of Tajikistan with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan runs along the Turkestan Range.
The length of the Turkestan Range is 340 km. The ridge connects in the east with the Alai ridge through the Matcha mountain junction and extends further in the west to the Samarkand plain.
The northern slope of the Turkestan Range is gentle and long, the southern one is steep and short with rocks and screes. The Turkestan Range is separated from the Zeravshan Range from the south by the valley of the Zeravshan River.
The highest points of the Turkestan Range are Pyramidal Peak (5509 m) and Skalisty Peak (5621 m). The eastern ridges are covered with glaciers. The largest glaciers of the Turkestan Range: Shurovsky, Tolstoy, Zeravshansky.
Three-quarters of the surface of Asia is occupied by highlands and mountains. It is not for nothing that yellow and brown colors color almost the entire physical map of Asia.
From the peninsulas of Asia Minor and Arabia to the shores of the Pacific Ocean stretches a continuous strip of plateaus and mountains of different heights. The highest mountain ranges and plateaus are located in Central Asia. They diverge to the northeast and southeast of the mountain country Pamir(USSR) (Fig. 53).
3. On contour map Asia circle the southern border of the USSR with a red pencil. Then paint over with a brown pencil all the mountain ranges along this border.
4. Learn to show all the rivers of northern Asia, as well as the Amu Darya, Syr Darya and Amur. At the same time, say: from where the river flows, what lowland or plateau it crosses and what sea it flows into.
The highest mountains of Asia and the whole world - the Himalayas - go southeast of Pamir. From the south, from the Hindustan lowlands, they rise in several parallel ridges, one higher than the other (Fig. 56). And above all these ridges rises, above clouds and clouds, the snow-white chain of the main ridge of the Himalayas with a peak Everest(about 9 kilometers high).
No matter how many people have tried to climb this highest peak in the world, no one has yet managed to do this: the air is too rare there, the frost and wind are too strong.
Even in the hottest time of the year, when in India, along the banks of the Ganges, there is tropical heat, luxurious vegetation blooms, blizzards howl, frosts crackle on the peaks of the Himalayas. snow falls, deep cracks brave travelers lie in wait in the glaciers and often kill them not far from the goal (Read the story about climbing)
From the huge glaciers of the Himalayas, many rivers flow down, merging into large rivers (Fig. 57). They flow south, skirting or crossing mountain ranges. The main ones are Ganges and indus, which form the Hindustan lowland.
High plateau rises north of the Himalayas Tibet(Fig. 58). Tibet lies at an altitude of 4 kilometers, that is, at the height of the Alps in Europe. Only habitual people can live on this plateau, since the air there is very rarefied.
From eastern Tibet originate the most long rivers Asia - yellow and blue, forming the Chinese lowland.
To the north of Tibet, an upland stretches over a large expanse. It is considerably lower than Tibet; Mountains surround it on all sides. There are almost no rivers and lakes here. This is the desert Gobi, barren, with a sparse population.
Such is the surface of Central Asia. Western Asia, as seen on the map, is almost entirely sublime. Only between the Black and Caspian Seas, on the border of Europe and Asia, there is a high Caucasian a ridge with many glaciers and peaks up to 5.5 kilometers (Elbrus).
1. Find the Himalayas, Tibet and Gobi on the map of Asia and the map of the hemispheres.
2. Follow the course of the rivers: Indus, Ganges, Blue, Yellow. Mark their origins on a contour map.
3. Paint over the mountains named above with a brown pencil, arranging them according to the course of the rivers.
4. Make the Tibet Plateau light brown, and the hill to the north of it yellow. Use the same color to paint over the highlands of Western Asia, highlighting the Caucasus Mountains in brown.
5. Color the rest of the surface of Asia and the large islands on the contour map with yellow and green, matching the coloring with the physical map of Asia.
6. Learn to show all the great rivers of East and South Asia, while saying: where does the river originate, what highlands and lowlands it crosses and what sea flows into.
Mountains of Asia are the largest mountain systems in the world: in fact, most of Asia is occupied by mountains and plateaus. Also, the mountains of Asia are the highest in the world - here, in Asia in the Himalayas, is the highest point on our planet - Mount Chomolunga (Everest). Its height is 8882 m.The highest mountains are located in southern Asia and in the south of Central Asia - these are the mountain systems of the Himalayas, Pamir, Hindu Kush, Tien Shan, Tibetan Plateau. In the north of Asia there are lower mountains - these are the Central Siberian Plateau, the Stanovoye Upland, the Chersky Range, the Verkhoyansky Range, the Sredinny Range, the Altai Mountains. In the east, there are such mountains as the Big and Small Khingan and Sikhote-Alin. In the western part of Asia, on its border with Europe, there are such mountains as the Caucasus and the Urals.
The Himalayas are the highest mountains in Asia and in the world. They are located on the border of South and East Asia and separate the lowlands of the Indus and Ganges from the Tibetan plateau. In the northwest, the Himalayas border on another high mountain system in Asia - the Hindu Kush. The length of the Himalayas is more than 2400 km, and the width is about 200-300 km. The steepest slopes of the Himalayas look south, towards the valley of the Indus and Ganges rivers. From the side of Tibet, the Himalayas look more gentle. In total, there are 130 peaks in the Himalayas, which rise to a height of more than 7000m. 11 mountains in the Himalayas are over 8000 meters high. They are mainly found in the Nepalese Himalayas - the highest part of this mountain system. Among them: Mount Everest (8882 m), Mount Kapchenjunga (8598 m), Makalu (8470 m), Apnapurna (8078 m), Gozaintan (8018 m), Dhaulagiri (8172 m), Cho Oyu (8180 m), Shisha -Pangma (8013 m), Manaslu (8128 m), Lhotse Main (8501 m) and others.
The second highest after the Himalayas in Asia, as well as in the world as a whole, is the Karakorum mountain range. It is located southeast of the Pamirs and the Hindu Kush, between Kun-Lun and the Himalayas. Its average height is 6000 km. More than 80 mountains above 7000 meters. There are also eight-thousanders: mountains Chogori (8611 m), Hidden Peak (8068 m), Gasherbrum (8073 m) and Broad Peak (8047 m).
One of the longest mountain systems in Asia is the Kunlun Mountains - they stretch from the Pamirs in the west to the Sino-Tibetan Mountains in the east, bypassing the Tibetan Plateau from the north (the Himalayas bypass the Tibetan Plateau from the south). The length of the Kunlun is about 2500 km, the width in some places reaches 600 km. The highest mountain in Kunlun is Aksai Chin (7167 m).
Pamir is also a large mountain system. It is located in the south of Central Asia on the territory of modern China, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. The highest mountain in the Pamirs is Kongur Peak. Its height is 7719 m.
The Hindu Kush mountains are also located in the south of Central Asia. Their length is 1000 km., and the width is from 50 to 500 km. They are the boundary between the Indus River basin (South Asia) and the endorheic basin of Central Asia. The highest mountain in the Hindu Kush is Tirichmir (7690 m).
Geography of Asia
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In the west, Asia borders Europe, the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, as well as the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus, the Black Sea, and the Caspian Sea.
In the east, Asia is bordered by the Pacific Ocean, and with a large number of bays and seas.
The Arctic Ocean and several seas form the northern border of Asia, one of them, the Bering Sea, separates Asia from North America. In the southwest, the Red Sea and the Isthmus of Suez separate the continent from Africa.
The Indian Ocean forms much of Asia's southern frontier, as well as a number of bays, gulfs, and seas, and, in addition, vast chains of inhabited and uninhabited islands.
Deserts of Asia
On the territory of Asia and the Near (Middle) East there are several vast deserts. The main ones will be listed next.
Arabian desert
Arabian wasteland (another name - deserts of the Arabian Peninsula) is a vast desert region stretching from Yemen to Persian Gulf, and from Oman to Jordan and Iraq. The desert is located in the Middle East.
Gobi
The Gobi Desert is the largest desert in Asia, with an area of 1,300,000 sq. km. The Gobi Desert, which stretches from northern China to Mongolia, receives only about 18 cm of rain annually, due to the fact that the Himalayan mountains block the path of rain clouds.
Karakum
The Karakum desert covers a distance of 350,000 square kilometers, almost 70 percent of the total area of Turkmenistan. Due to the fact that the desert is located along the Caspian Sea, the climatic conditions in the Karakum are milder than many other Asian deserts, which are characterized by harsh winters and dry summers.
Kyzylkum
On the territory of this desert, stretching from Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan, with an area of 300,000 square kilometers, a variety of flora and fauna is represented in abundance. And although only 10 to 20 cm of rain falls annually over the desert, the rain falls in cooler seasons, so that the water does not evaporate very quickly, and allows the existence of animals migrating in large numbers in this area.
Altyntag Mountains (upper left corner), forming
part of the northern border of the Tibetan Plateau,
contrast sharply with the Takla Makan desert.
NASA image
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Takla Makan
China's largest desert stretches over a total area of over 337,000 square kilometers. Mainly composed of changing and moving sand dunes, Takla Makan is one of the largest sand deserts in the world. Despite the hostile and unpredictable nature of the desert sands, the Chinese government built a road through the desert in the mid-1990s.
The Thar Desert, located on the territory of India and Pakistan, with an area of more than 200,000 square kilometers, is the only subtropical desert in Asia. Over the desert, up to 50 cm of rain falls annually, mainly during the monsoon period from July to September, and most of the crop is grown during this rainy season.
Lakes of Asia
There are dozens of seas and lakes in Asia. Some of the largest and most significant will be listed below.
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea, located in the western part of Asia, as well as on the eastern border of Europe, is the largest lake on the planet. This lake is called the "sea" thanks to the Romans, who considered it salty, especially on its southern borders, and since then the name has taken root. Oil and natural gas platforms abound along the seashores. In addition, a large number of sturgeons live in the waters of the lake, from the caviar of which especially valuable caviar is produced. Fresh water enters the sea via the Volga and Ural rivers in the north, but the sea is still brackish. The surface area of the lake is 371,000 sq. km., the greatest depth is 1,025 m.
Baikal
Lake Baikal is located in the southeastern part of Russia (in Siberia), north of Mongolia. Baikal is the largest freshwater lake in the world, as well as the deepest (with a depth of 1,620 m). Baikal contains 20% of the total amount of all fresh water in the world. The greatest width of Lake Baikal is 96 km, length is 626 km. The lake is completely surrounded by mountains, over 300 rivers and streams flow into it.
Aral Sea
The Aral Sea is located in the west of Asia, a little east of the Caspian Sea, on the territory of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The Aral Sea is rapidly shallowing (evaporating) and today it is almost completely polluted with fertilizer runoff, residues from Soviet weapons testing, and various industrial facilities. The mismanagement of the waters of this sea, according to many experts, is one of the worst environmental disasters. The diversion of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers for irrigation began in 1918, and this action, combined with other factors, has resulted in the Aral Sea now being 60% smaller than its original size. Per last years the situation has improved somewhat in the northern part of the sea, but the lower part of the sea is essentially abandoned, and it is expected that the remaining waters in this part of the sea will disappear within ten years.
Mountains of Asia
There are several significant mountain ranges in Asia. Some of them will be considered below.
Altai mountains
The Altai Mountains are a mountain range located in East and Central Asia, where Russia, China, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan meet, and where the Irtysh and Ob rivers originate. Mount Belukha - the highest point Altai mountains(with a height of 4,506 m.).
Ghats
The Western Ghats are a mountain range located along the western part of India, with an average height of 1,200 m. The Eastern Ghats are a mountain range that runs along east coast India. The highest point is Biligiranga Hills (1552 m.).
Himalayas
The photo on the left is of the Himalayan mountains. In the foreground is the Tibetan Plateau. Everest is visible in the center, Makalu is on the left.
The photo on the right depicts Mount Chogori. Both photos were taken from the ISS. NASA images
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