Maarg Manthan · Topic 15.1

Major Mountain Ranges of the World (Himalayas, Andes, Rockies, Alps, Atlas, Ural)

Geography › World Physical and Regional Geography · Topic 15.1

The major mountain ranges of the world are the Himalayas, Andes, Rockies, Alps, Atlas and Ural. The Himalayas, Andes, Rockies, Alps and Atlas are young fold mountains raised by plate collision or subduction, while the Ural is an old, worn-down range that marks the boundary between Europe and Asia. The Himalayas hold the highest peak, Mount Everest, of about 8,849 m, and the Andes form the longest continental range, of about 7,000 km.

6 min read · UPSC Prelims · Geography · World Physical and Regional Geography

At a Glance

Highest range Himalayas, Everest about 8,849 m
Longest range Andes, about 7,000 km
Old range Ural, Europe-Asia boundary
Alpine belt Alps, Atlas, Himalayas
Highest peak outside Asia Aconcagua, about 6,961 m
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Geography: World Physical and Regional Geography

Where Does It Fit?

This topic opens the macro on world physical and regional geography and applies earlier lessons on fold mountains and plate boundaries to the actual ranges drawn on a world map. It uses Landforms of the World: Fold Mountains, Block Mountains, Volcanic Mountains and Plate Boundaries: Divergent, Convergent, Transform as its base. Previous topic: Sagarmala Programme and Port-Led Development. Next topic: Major Rivers of the World (Nile, Amazon, Mississippi-Missouri, Yangtze, Volga, Danube).

Where Are the Major Ranges and How Did They Form?

Range	Location and length	Highest peak	Origin and age
Himalayas	Southern Asia; India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Pakistan; about 2,400 km long	Mount Everest, about 8,849 m	Young fold range; collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates
Andes	Western South America from Venezuela to Chile; about 7,000 km, the longest continental range	Aconcagua, Argentina, about 6,961 m	Young fold range; Nazca plate subducting under the South American plate
Rockies	Western North America, Canada to New Mexico; about 4,800 km	Mount Elbert, Colorado, about 4,401 m	Fold and block range; raised mostly 80 to 55 million years ago
Alps	Europe; France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Slovenia; about 1,200 km	Mont Blanc, about 4,806 m	Young fold range; African plate pushing into Eurasia
Atlas	North-west Africa; Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia; about 2,500 km	Toubkal, Morocco, about 4,167 m	Fold range of the Alpine system; African and Eurasian plates
Ural	Western Russia and Kazakhstan, north-south; about 2,500 km	Mount Narodnaya, about 1,895 m	Very old range, worn down; formed about 300 million years ago

The Himalayas, Alps and Atlas belong to the great Alpine-Himalayan belt that runs from the Mediterranean to south-east Asia, while the Andes and Rockies are part of the Pacific mountain chain that runs along the Pacific Ring of Fire (see Distribution of Volcanoes: Pacific Ring of Fire, Mediterranean Volcanism).

What Features Does Each Range Show?

Himalayas: the highest and still rising range, with Everest, Kangchenjunga and K2, thick snow, large glaciers such as the Siachen and Gangotri, and the source of the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra. They stop the cold Central Asian winds and bring the monsoon rain to India.
Andes: several parallel chains, wide plateaus such as the Altiplano of Bolivia and Peru, and many active volcanoes, including Ojos del Salado, the highest active volcano on Earth. Earthquakes are common, and the range holds copper, tin, silver and other minerals.
Rockies: the main watershed of North America, the Continental Divide, from which rivers flow to the Pacific, the Atlantic and the Arctic. The Colorado, Columbia and Missouri rivers rise in or near it. Yellowstone and Banff are famous national parks.
Alps: glaciated peaks such as the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc, Alpine passes such as the Brenner and Simplon, and tunnels. The range is a centre of tourism, hydropower and dairy farming on high pastures. The Rhine, Rhone, Po and Danube have headwaters here.
Atlas: separates the Mediterranean coast from the Sahara. Its northern slopes get winter rain and carry Mediterranean crops such as olives, citrus and cork oak, while the southern slopes are dry.
Ural: a low, long range rich in iron ore, copper, coal, bauxite and gemstones, which made Magnitogorsk and Yekaterinburg industrial cities. Its height is small, and passes are easy.

Why Do Young and Old Ranges Differ?

Young fold mountains are high, steep and sharp, with active earthquakes and volcanoes, since the plate movement that raised them continues, as explained in Plate Tectonics: Major and Minor Lithospheric Plates. Old ranges such as the Ural, and also the Appalachians of eastern North America, have been eroded for hundreds of millions of years and now have low, rounded ridges. This contrast explains why the Himalayas are high but the Ural are low, even though both lie on continental boundaries.

Climate barrier: the Himalayas and Alps block air flow and create rain shadows; the Andes and Rockies cause the dry plains on their leeward side such as Patagonia and the Great Plains.
Water source: snow and glaciers feed rivers for billions of people, so retreating glaciers in the Himalayas and Andes are a serious concern.
Minerals and energy: copper in the Andes, gold and silver in the Rockies, hydropower in the Alps.
Boundaries: the Ural separates Europe from Asia, the Pyrenees divide France and Spain, and the Himalayas separate India from Tibet. High ranges are often natural borders.

Heights and lengths are given as approximate values, and sources vary slightly. In an exam, the order of the ranges by height and by length, and the highest peak of each, are the usual questions.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Map work Frequent locating questions
Climate Rain shadows and barriers
Link Fold mountains and plate boundaries

What Came Next?

The next topic describes the major rivers of the world, many of which rise in or drain these mountain ranges. Next topic: Major Rivers of the World (Nile, Amazon, Mississippi-Missouri, Yangtze, Volga, Danube).

Key People and Terms

Fold mountain Rock layers folded by compression
Continental Divide Watershed of the Rockies
Altiplano High Andean plateau
Aconcagua Highest peak of the Andes
Alpine-Himalayan belt Young fold chain from Atlas to Himalayas
Appalachians Old range of eastern North America

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

Everest is about 8,849 m, in the Himalayas.
The Andes are the longest range, about 7,000 km.
Aconcagua is the highest peak outside Asia.
Mont Blanc, about 4,806 m, is the highest peak of the Alps.
The Ural separates Europe and Asia and is very old.

Do Not Confuse With

Himalayas and Andes Highest versus longest
Rockies and Appalachians Western young range versus eastern old range
Alps and Atlas European and African parts of the same Alpine system

Memory Hook

Everest is tallest, the Andes are longest; Alps, Atlas and Himalayas are young and strong, while the Ural is old and low and has lasted long.

Mains Angle

Mains questions ask for the world distribution of fold mountains and their effect on climate and people. These points add depth.

Origin Plate collision and subduction
Climate Barriers and rain shadows
Resources Water, minerals, power

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“Describe the distribution of the major young fold mountains of the world and explain how they influence the climate and economy of the adjoining regions.”

How to Answer

Locate Name the ranges and belts.
Explain Plate boundaries as the cause.
Effects Rain shadow, water, minerals.
Conclude Young versus old ranges.

GS Relevance

Prelims: location, length, highest peaks, countries and age of the major ranges; map-based questions. GS Paper 1: world physical geography and fold mountains.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the highest mountain range in the world?

The Himalayas are the highest mountain range in the world and hold Mount Everest, whose height is about 8,849 metres. The range runs for about 2,400 kilometres through India, Nepal, Bhutan, China and Pakistan and is still rising because of the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates.

Which is the longest mountain range in the world?

The Andes are the longest continental mountain range, running for about 7,000 kilometres along the western edge of South America from Venezuela to Chile. Aconcagua in Argentina, of about 6,961 metres, is the highest peak of the Andes and the highest outside Asia.

Which mountain range separates Europe from Asia?

The Ural Mountains separate Europe from Asia. They run north to south for about 2,500 kilometres through western Russia and Kazakhstan. They are very old, about 300 million years, and are low, with Mount Narodnaya, of about 1,895 metres, as the highest peak.

What is the highest peak of the Alps?

Mont Blanc, on the border of France and Italy, is the highest peak of the Alps, with a height of about 4,806 metres. The Alps are a young fold range of Europe, spread across France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Slovenia, and are a major source of rivers and tourism.

Which mountain ranges belong to the Alpine-Himalayan belt?

The Atlas, Alps and Himalayas, with other ranges such as the Caucasus and the Zagros, belong to the Alpine-Himalayan belt, which runs from north-west Africa across Europe and Asia. These young fold mountains formed from the collision of the African, Arabian and Indian plates with Eurasia.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 The Andes are the longest continental mountain range in the world.

True

About 7,000 km along South America.

2 The Ural Mountains are young fold mountains.

False

They are very old, about 300 million years.

3 Aconcagua is the highest peak outside Asia.