Called The Roof of the World, the Himalayas are a mountain range in Asia. They span five different countries: India, Nepal, China, Bhutan, and Pakistan. In Sanskrit, hima means snow and alaya means abode… so they are “the house of snow.” Nine of the ten highest mountains are in the Himalayas, including Mount Everest… the tallest mountain on Earth.

The Andes Mountains in South America and the Saint Elias Mountains in Canada and Alaska (US) are outside the Tibetan Plateau. The Andes are the largest mountain range… but the Himalayas are the highest. One hundred of the peaks in the Himalayas are at least 23,622 feet (7,200 meters) above sea level. That’s more than four miles high!

These are the world’s tallest mountain ranges, calculated using the average elevation of the top three peaks, measured in feet and meters.

1. Himalayas: 28,379 feet (8,650 meters)
2. Karakoram: 27,057 feet (8,247 meters)
3. Pamir: 24,852 feet (7,575 meters)
4. Hindu Kush: 24,718 feet (7,534 meters)
5. Tian Shan: 23,501 feet (7,163 meters)
6. Nyenchen Tanglha: 23,320 feet (7,108 meters)
7. Hengduan: 23,061 feet (7,029 meters)
8. Kunlun: 23,048 feet (7,025 meters)
9. Andes: 22,582 feet (6,883 meters)
10. Saint Elias Mountains: 18,251 feet (5,563 meters)