Portal:Himalaya region

The Himalaya region

The Himalayan region is characterized by the massive mountain ranges of the Himalaya, the Karakoram, the Hindu Kush and a host of minor ranges extending from the Pamir Knot. The region is home to the nations of Nepal, Bhutan, the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh and the regions of Tibet and Kashmir. The name is from Sanskrit himālaya, a tatpurusa compound meaning "the abode of snow" (from hima "snow", and ālaya "abode"; see also Himavat). Together, the Himalaya mountain system is the planet's highest and home to all fourteen of the world's highest peaks: the Eight-thousanders, including Mount Everest. The mountain ranges are the source of three of the world's major river systems, the Indus Basin, the Ganga-Brahmaputra Basin and the Yangtze Basin. The people of the Himalayan region are largely of Indo-Tibetan descent and distinctive religions include Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism.

Arunachal Pradesh • Bhutan • Buddhism • Himachal Pradesh • Himalaya • Hindu Kush • Hinduism • Karakoram • Kashmir • Nepal • Sikkim • Tibet • Uttarakhand

News

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October 26, 2007: UN Security Council urges Nepal to set early date for election.
October 1, 2007: Bomb blast near Japanese embassy in Kathmandu
July 22, 2006: The U.N. sends a high-level team to assist in forging a peace agreement between the government and the Maoists.[1]
June 11, 2006: The Parliament of Nepal declares Nepal a secular state.[2] and approves stripping the King's powers.[3] Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala enlarges coalition government and begins talks with rebel leader Prachanda.[4]

Selected article

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Darjeeling is a town in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of Darjeeling district, in the Shiwalik Hills on the lower range of the Himalaya, at an average elevation of 2,134 m (6,982 ft). The name "Darjeeling" is a combination of the Tibetan words Dorje ("thunderbolt") and ling ("place"), translating to "The land of the thunderbolt." During the British Raj in India, Darjeeling's temperate climate led to its development as a hill station (hill town) for British residents to escape the heat of the plains during the summers. Darjeeling is internationally famous for its tea industry and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tea plantations date back to the mid 1800s as part of a British development of the area. The tea growers of the area developed distinctive hybrids of black tea and fermenting techniques, with many blends considered among the world's finest. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway connecting the town with the plains was declared a World Heritage Site in 1999 and is one of the few steam engines still in service in India. Darjeeling has several British-style public schools, which attract students from many parts of India and neighbouring countries. The town, along with neighbouring Kalimpong was a major centre for the demand of a separate Gorkhaland state in the 1980s, though the separatist movement has gradually decreased over the past decade due to the setting up of an autonomous hill council. In the recent years the town's fragile ecology is threatened by a rising demand for environmental resources, stemming from growing tourist traffic and poorly planned urbanisation. (more...)

Selected picture of the week

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Pangong Tsothe largest Himalayan lake located at an altitude of 4,600 m. Photo credit: Abhi182

Did you know?

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...that the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is a UNESCO World Heritage Railway?
...that the fort at Arki, India was captured by Gurkhas in 1806 and used as their stronghold till 1815, when they ceded it during the Gurkha War?

...that the original tunnel built to connect the Kalka-Shimla Railway at Barog (pictured), Himachal Pradesh was abandoned as the two constructed ends did not meet?
...that Baba Kanshi Ram swore in 1931 to wear black clothes till India achieved independence and wore them without exception for twelve years till his death in 1943 ?
...that Siddhartha Gautama was born in Lumbini in Nepal?
...that King Birendra was considered an avatara of Vishnu?

Highest peaks of the Himalayas

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Peak Name Other names and meaning Elevation (m) Elevation (ft) First ascent Notes EverestSagarmatha -"Forehead of the Sky",
Chomolangma or Qomolangma -"Mother of the Universe" 8,850 29,035 1953 World's highest mountain. Located in Nepal. K2Chogo Gangri 8,611 28,251 1954 World's 2nd highest. Located on border between Pakistan and Xinjiang, China. World's toughest mountain to climb. KanchenjungaKangchen Dzö-nga 8,586 28,169 1955 World's 3rd highest, highest in India and second highest in Nepal. Lhotse- 8,501 27,939 1956 World's 4th highest and close to Mt Everest situated in Nepal. Makalu- 8,462 27,765 1955 World's 5th highest. Located in Nepal. Cho OyuMt. Zhuoaoyou 8,201 26,906 1954 World's 6th highest. Located in Nepal. DhaulagiriWhite Mountain 8,167 26,764 1960 World's 7th highest. Located in Nepal. ManasluKutang - "Mountain of the Spirit" 8,163 26,758 1956 World's 8th highest. Located in Nepal. Nanga ParbatNangaparbat Peak or Diamir, "Naked Mountain" 8,125 26,658 1953 World's 9th highest. Located in Pakistan. Considered one of the world's most dangerous mountains to climb. Annapurna"Goddess of the Harvests" 8,091 26,545 1950 World's 10th highest. Located in Nepal. Gasherbrum IHidden Peak (Khumbu Gangri) or K5 8,068 26,470 1958 World's 11th highest. Located on border between Pakistan and Xinjiang, China. Broad PeakK3 (Phalchen Gangri) 8,047 26,400 1957 World's 12th highest. Located on border between Pakistan and Xinjiang, China. Gasherbrum IIK4 8,035 26,360 1956 World's 13th highest. Located on border between Pakistan and Xinjiang, China. Shishapangma"Crest above the grassy plains"
Gosainthan -Sanskrit for "place of the saint", 8,027 26,289 1964 Gyachung Gangri - 7,922 26,089 1964 Nanda Devi"Bliss-Giving Goddess" 7,817 25,645 1936 Kamet- 7,756 25,447 1931 Kabru- 7,338 24,258 1935 Bumo Gangri "Unmarried Daughter" 7,161 23,494 1962 Popular climbing peak.

Note: The peaks in Pakistan are on the Pakistani side of the border, but are claimed by India.