Tim Hornak, age 13, of Kansas City, Kan., for his question:
HOW WAS THE HIMALAYA MOUNTAIN RANGE NAMED?
Highest mountain system in the world is the Himalaya range. The name came from a Sanskrit word meaning House of Snow, or the Snowy Range. It was a perfect name for the mountain range since snow can always be found there.
The Himalaya actually consists of several parallel ranges. Mountains extend in a 1,500 mile curve across southern Asia from the Pamirs, west of the great bend of the Indus River, eastward to the great bend of the Brahmaputra River.
The mountains form a barrier that separates northern India from the Plateau of Tibet, in China. Parts of the Himalayan range are as much as 200 miles wide. The Himalaya joins with other mountain ranges of Asia which stretch east and west. The Karakoram, or Mustagh, Range is the northwestern extension of the Himalaya.
The Himalaya rises in steps from the plains of northern India, which have an elevation of about 1,000 feet above sea level. The highest step is Mount Everest, which lies between Tibet and Nepal. This is the highest mountain in the world. It has an elevation of 29,028 feet.
One of the most famous peaks in the Himalaya is mount Kailas which is 22,028 feet high. It lies in Tibet. The Tibetans call it Kang Rimpochoe, or the Mountain of Precious Snow. This mountain is holy to the Hindus and Buddhists and is said to contain the thrones of their gods.
Pilgrims from all parts of Central Asia and India climb Mount Kailas. They usually climb on foot and the journey takes them from tropical jungles to freezing snowy heights. Lying below the peak is the holy Lake Manasarowar, where the pilgrims worship.
Second highest mountain in the world at 28,250 feet is Mount Goodwin Austen in the Karakoram Range. Third highest mountain, located near Mount Everest, is Kanchenjunga.
Passes that run through the Himalaya are among the highest in the world. Only a few of them are lower than 15,000 or 16,000 feet above sea level.
Most of the passes are buried deep under drifts of snow from early November until the last of May. It is impossible to cross the passes during this period of time.
Almost every type of climate is found in the Himalaya because of the great difference in altitude in various parts of the range. This wide range of climate makes it possible for a very wide variety of plant and animal life.
On the steep southern slopes of the Himalaya you'll find tropical.
plants such as the fig and palm trees. These trees are found up to
a height of 3,000 feet.
Oak, chestnut and laurel trees are common up to 7,000 feet while the deodar and pine trees start to appear at 12,000 feet.
In many sections of the Himalaya you'll find thick forests of trees.
On the southern slopes of the mountain range you'll find rice, corn and millet growing all the way up to 6,000 feet. Wheat and barley are grown in even higher areas.
Many animals that live in tropical, temperate and cold regions will be found in the Himalaya. You'll find tigers, leopards, rhinoceroses, elephants, yaks and some kinds of monkeys.