What is a Mountain Range?

A mountain range is a group or chain of mountains that are close together. Mountain ranges are usually separated from other mountain ranges by passes and rivers.

What is the highest mountain range in the world?

The Himalayas are the highest mountain range in the world.

What is the longest mountain range in the world?

The Andes Mountains form the longest mountain range in the world.

Well known mountain ranges

Himalayas

The Himalayas are the highest mountain range in the world. Over 30 peaks in the Himalayas are over 24,000 ft/7315m high.

The Himalayas, literally translated as 'Land of Snow',

Where are the Himalayan mountains?
The Himalayas are the great mountain system of Asia. They form a 1,500 mile broad crescent through Northeastern Pakistan, Northern India, Southern Tibet, Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan.

The Himalayas is one of the youngest mountain ranges in the world.

Alps

The Alps is a vast mountain system in south central Europe. About 13 million people live in the Alps in over 6,000 communities.

The Alps are one of the largest and highest mountain ranges in the world, covering some 192,000km² of land area, stretching over 750 miles (1,200 km) from Austria and Slovenia in the east, through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west.

The Alps includes several hundred peaks and glaciers, including numerous peaks over 12,000 feet, with Mont Blanc highest at 15,771 feet.

Andes

The Andes are the second highest Mountain Range in the world with many peaks rising over 20,000 feet.

The Andes Mountains are the longest mountain range in the world. They stretch 4,500 miles (7,200 km) from north to south, along the west coast of the continent.

Where are the Andes?
The Andes Mountains are located in South America, running north to south along the western coast of the continent.

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Rockies

The Rocky Mountains are a vast mountain system in Western North America, extending north-south from Canada to New Mexico, a distance of about 3,000 miles (4800 km). The highest peak is Mount Elbert, in Colorado, which is 14,440 feet (4401 m) above sea level.

Karakoram

The Karakoram is a great mountain range in Northeast Pakistan and Northern India, near the Chinese border. It extends 300 miles southeastwardly and includes many of the world's highest peaks, and many of the world's longest glaciers.

Some of the mountain ranges found on each continent

Antarctica:

Antarctic Peninsula, Transantarctic Mountains

The highest mountain, Vinson Massif in the Ellsworth Mountains, peaks at 4897 m.

Africa:

Atlas, Eastern African Highlands, Ethiopian Highlands

Asia:

Hindu Kush, Himalayas, Taurus, Elburz, Japanese Mountains

Australia:

MacDonnell Mountains

Europe:

Pyrenees, Alps, Carpathians, Apennines, Urals, Balkan Mountains

North America:

Appalachians, Sierra Nevada, Rocky Mountains, Laurentides

South America:

Andes, Brazilian Highlands

Further information

More mountain ranges

Can you name the world's mountain ranges?
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