Himalaya

The Himalaya is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. By extension, it is also the name of the massive mountain system which includes the Himalaya proper, the Karakoram, the Hindu Kush, and a host of minor ranges extending from the Pamir Knot. Together, the Himalayan mountain system is the planet's highest and home to all 14 of the world's highest peaks, the Eight-thousanders, including Mount Everest. To comprehend the enormous scale of Himalayan peaks, consider that Aconcagua, in the Andes, is the highest peak outside the Himalaya at 22,841 feet (6,962 m), while the Himlayan mountain system is home to over thirty peaks exceeding 25,000 feet (7,620 m). Etymologically Himalaya means "abode of snow" in Sanskrit ( from hima "snow", and alaya "abode"). The correct name for the range is Himalaya, though the plural Himalayas is often used.

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The Himalaya stretch across five nations — Pakistan, India, China, Bhutan and Nepal. It is the source of two of the world's major river systems — the Indus Basin and the Ganga-Brahmaputra Basin. An estimated 750 million people live in the watershed area of the Himalayan rivers, which also includes Bangladesh.

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Mountain range: The most general definition of a mountain range is a group of mountains bordered by lowlands. Mountain ranges are usually separated from other mountain ranges by passes and rivers. In the general definition, a mountain range does not necessarily have the same geology....

Asia: Asia is the central and eastern part of Eurasia and world's largest continent. Defined by subtracting Europe from Eurasia, Asia is either regarded as a landmass of its own or as part of Eurasia....

Indian subcontinent: The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent and other terms, is a region of the Asian (and, in turn, the Eurasian) continent on the Indian tectonic plate south of the Himalayas, forming a land mass which extends southward into the Indian Ocean....

Himalaya related Images and Photos (experimental)

Michael Palin: Himalaya (DVD)	Himalaya Mountains Nepal	Himalaya 2012 Wall Calendar	Himalaya 2011 Wall Calendar
A Tibetan Temple is Built Atop a Hill with the Himalaya Mountains as a Backdrop	Snow-Capped Peak of Mount Everest Seen from Kala Pattar Himalaya Mountains Nepal