The Himalayan Range - Tallest mountains ever!

 

Hello Kids! Welcome back to KidsCast! Today, we are here with a curiosity-filled interesting article - The Himalayas! Be ready for this interesting article. So, get geared up, and let's begin!

Back in Time!

Now, we will tell you something interesting, how the 'Himalayan ranges' were formed millions of years ago. Before we start, you all should know that these mountains are also called young fold mountains. Also, to learn more about the formation of Himalayan ranges, you need to know a bit about Pangaea - Click here to check out our article on The Pangaea!

So, when the continental drift happened, the whole landmass broke into two parts - The part in the north was known as Laurasia and the southern part was known as Gondwana. The Gondwana contained India, South America, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica whereas the Laurasia contained Eurasia and North America. Over a while, India broke and joined Eurasian land. When the two lands met, there was a massive collision that led to the formation of fold mountains that are the Himalayas and also the Tibetan plateau. 

Barriers of North!

The Himalayas act as barriers in the North. In the north, they are a boon for India. These protect India from its many enemies. Also, it prevents the cold winds of Russia from entering India. If the Himalayas weren't there, India wouldn't have been a monsoon country but a cold country. Also, due to their high altitudes, when the monsoon winds hit them, it causes lots of rainfall in the Northern plains. 

Divisions:

On a latitudinal basis, they are divided into the major rivers: Indus, Sutlej, Kali, Teesta, and Dihang. The Himalayas that fall between Indus and Sutlej are called Punjab Himalayas, the Himalayas between Sutlej and Kali are Kumaon Himalayas, between Kali and Teesta are the Nepal Himalayas and between Teesta and Dihang are the Assam Himalayas. On a longitudinal basis, they are the topmost Himadri, the middle is the Himachal, and the lower is the Shiwalik ranges.

Significance:

The Himalayas are very significant to the world. Major rivers like Ganga, Yamuna, Indus, and Brahmaputra originate from the Himalayas. They are major sources of water, natural herbs, and other natural resources like timber, wood, etc. They also provide the world some beautiful hill stations like Kashmir, Manali, Nainital, Ladakh, etc., which millions of people visit yearly. 

Prominent peaks:

They provide the world with some extremely tall peaks that are adventures for mountaineers to climb. We will tell you about the top 10 tallest and most prominent peaks of the Himalayas here.

1) Mt. Everest - 8849 m - Nepal

2) Mt. Godwin Austen - 8611 m - India

3) Kanchenjunga - 8598 m - India

4) Makalu - 8481 m - Nepal

5) Dhaulagiri - 8172 m - Nepal

6) Nanga Parbat - 8126 m - India

7) Annapurna - 8091 m - Nepal

8) Nanda Devi - 7816 m - India

9) Namcha Barwa - 7782 m - India

10) Kamet - 7756 m - India

Major River Basins:

As we said earlier, major rivers are originating from the Himalayas which are the Indus, the Ganga, and the Brahmaputra. All these 3 rivers form the Northern plains of India. So, we can say that the Northern Plains of India are formed because of the Himalayas. Also, these rivers are one of the longest rivers in the world.

1) Indus - 3180 Km - Flows through China, India, and Pakistan.

2) Brahmaputra - 2900 Km - Flows through China, India, and Bangladesh.

3) Ganga - 2510 Km - Flows through India and Bangladesh. 

These rivers are even considered sacred and are pure-heartedly worshipped.

So Kids, now we have come to an end of this article related to the Himalayas which means      'Abode of Snow' and is also known as King of Mountains and in Hindi- Giriraj (गिरिराज). Now you all know about the significance of the Himalayas and how they're a boon for India. Without them, India won't have been what it is today. So Kids, Bye till then but we will be back with some amazing articles soon. Till then,  Happy Learning!