The highest mountain in the world was named after British surveyor Colonel Sir George Everest. The Nepalese call the mountain “Sagarmāthā” which means “Goddess of the Universe.” 1)
The Indus, the Yangtze and the Ganga-Brahmaputra have their source in the Himalayas. They create major river systems on the Asian continent. 2)
“Giriraj Himavat,” the father of Ganga and Parvati, is the personification of the Himalayas. In Hinduism, they are personified as the King of All Mountains. 3)
The Himalayas are the highest mountain range on Earth, with the highest peak being Mount Everest at 8,848 meters (29,029 feet) above sea level. 4)
The word “Himalaya” comes from Sanskrit and means “abode of snow.” 5)
The Himalayas span five countries: Bhutan, India, Nepal, China, and Pakistan. 6)
The mountain range is still growing taller, as the Indian tectonic plate continues to push into the Eurasian plate. 7)
The Himalayas are home to over 50 mountains that are higher than 7,200 meters (23,622 feet) above sea level. 8)
The Himalayas are the source of many of Asia's major rivers, including the Ganges, the Indus, the Brahmaputra, the Yangtze, and the Mekong. 9)
The region is home to a diverse range of flora and fauna, including rare and endangered species such as the snow leopard and the Himalayan black bear. 10)
The Himalayas have a profound spiritual significance for many people in the region, with several major religions having their origins or significant historical events associated with the mountains. 11)
The first successful ascent of Mount Everest was achieved by Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa of Nepal, on May 29, 1953. 12)
The Himalayas are also home to some of the world's deepest and most treacherous gorges, such as the Kali Gandaki Gorge in Nepal. 13)
The region is known for its unique cultural traditions and festivals, such as the Mani Rimdu festival of the Sherpa people in Nepal and the Hemis Festival of the Ladakh region in India. 14)
The Himalayas are home to some of the world's highest and most remote settlements, such as the village of Trashigang in Bhutan, which sits at an altitude of over 4,000 meters (13,000 feet). 15)
The Himalayas have a profound impact on the weather patterns of the surrounding regions, affecting monsoon rainfall and the severity of winter storms. 16)
The region is also home to a number of important pilgrimage sites, such as the holy town of Badrinath in India and the sacred mountain of Kailash in Tibet. 17)
The Himalayas are a popular destination for adventure tourism, with activities such as trekking, mountaineering, and river rafting drawing visitors from around the world. 18)