Himalaya
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Overview
The Himalaya are young fold mountains formed when the Indian plate collided with Asia and folded the sediments of the Tethys Sea. They have three parallel ranges: the Himadri (Greater), the Himachal (Lesser) and the Shiwalik (Outer).
They are still rising by a few millimetres a year and store strain that is released as earthquakes, as in Nepal in 2015 (magnitude 7.8). Rivers divide them into the Punjab, Kumaon, Nepal and Assam Himalaya. India's highest Himalayan peak is Kanchenjunga.
Geography and key facts
- Young fold mountains from the Tethys sediments
- Three ranges: Himadri, Himachal, Shiwalik
- Still rising; earthquake-prone
- Highest peak in India: Kanchenjunga
Why it matters for UPSC
Asked in peak–mountain pairs (2022) and a 2007 statements question; the Himalaya also appear across questions on rivers, passes and hotspots.
Note for UPSC
Young fold mountains made of three parallel ranges: Himadri (Greater), Himachal (Lesser) and Shiwalik (Outer).
Questions test the order of ranges, the states they cover and the rivers and passes linked with them.
Asked in PYQs
- UPSC Prelims 2022 · Q25Consider the following pairs : Peak — Mountains Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched ?…
- UPSC Prelims 2007 · Q94Consider the following statements : Which of the statements given above is/are correct?…
Questions from our Prelims bank whose text names Himalaya.
Key facts
- Type
- Mountain range
- States / UTs
- Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Ladakh, Sikkim, Jammu and Kashmir
- Extent on map
- 26.9°–33.9°N, 75.5°–95.7°E
- Asked in Prelims
- 2 questions · 2022, 2007
From the Map Explorer data; positions are for orientation.