You are on page 1of 1

Northern Mountains

The Northern Mountains of India stretch across the Northern boundary of India comprising of the
Himalayas, that are the highest mountain ranges.
The area consists of high mountains, beautiful valleys, mountain passes and hills. The area is divided into
three parallel mountain ranges namely - Himadri (Greater Himalayas), Himachal (Lesser Himalayas) and
the Shiwalik (Lower Himalayas)

Himadri Range: The northernmost Himadri range is the highest mountain range in the Himalayas. Most of
the highest mountain peaks of the world are located in this region. Mount Everest at an altitide of 8,848
metres is the highest peak in this region. Mt. Kanchenjunga, Mt Lhotse, Mt Dhaulagiri, Mt Annapurna are
some of the highest peaks of the world that are located in this region. The region is covered with snow
most of the time and is a very cold region not suitable for farming and cultivation.

Himachal Range: The range lies next to the Himadri region and consits of mountains of average height.
The region consists of beautiful valleys such as Kashmir and Kullu. Hill stations like Shimla, Mussoorie,
Nainital, Darjeeling, Pelling are located in this regions and attract summer tourists.
Mountain passes like Baralacha Pass, Pin Parbati Pass and Rohtang Pass are located in this region. Some
of the highest peaks of the region are Reo Purgyil, Gya and Parvati Parvat.
The region is cold in winter and pleasant in summer that helps in cultivation of fruits and tea. The thick
forests are covered with pine, oak, deodar and fir trees.

Shiwalik Range: The region is the southermmost stretch of the Northern Himalayas and is made up of low
lying hills and slopes. The region is suitable for farming and cultivation and the land is utilized for growing
various crops like rice, potatoes and maize. The average elevation of this region is 1,500m to 2,000m.
Dehradun located in the Doon valley is a part of the Shivalik range.
The Himalayas has helped to shape the culture and lifestyle of India to a great extent.
The importance of the region are as given below:
1. It acts as a natural boundary and prevents India from invasion
2. It prevents the ice cold winds of Northern Asia from entering India and helping in a pleasant climate of
India
3. It prevents the rain bearing winds from leaving India helping in heavy rainfall over the country
4. The forests in the Himalayas provide us with valuable forest products like timber, medicined, resin,
honey and others.
5. It provides a shelter in its hills and mountains for various animals like snow leopard, tiger, rhinoceros
and wild yak.
6. The glaciers of the Himalayan range provide us with the rivers like Ganga, Yamuna and Bramhaputra

Do You Know:
Himalaya means the "abode of snow"
Himachal means "Snow-ladden" or snow covered
Shivalik means "tresses of Shiva" or lock hair of shiva
Shivalik is the youngest of the mountain ranges of the Himalayas
9 of the 10 highest peaks of the world are located in the Himalayas
Ayurvedic medicines are prepared with various plants obtained from the Himalayas

You might also like