Name
The name of the range hails from theGeography and key features
Geology
Hydrology
Despite their scale, the Himalayas do not form a major watershed, and a number of rivers cut through the range, particularly in the eastern part of the range. As a result, the main ridge of the Himalayas is not clearly defined, and mountain passes are not as significant for traversing the range as with other mountain ranges. The rivers of the Himalayas drain into two large river systems: * The western rivers combine into the ''Indus Basin''. TheGlaciers
The great ranges of central Asia, including the Himalayas, contain the third-largest deposit of ice and snow in the world, afterLakes
Climate
The vast size, huge altitude range, and complex topography of the Himalayas mean they experience a wide range of climates, from humid subtropical in the foothills to cold and dry desert conditions on the Tibetan side of the range. For much of the Himalayas – that on the south side of the high mountains, except in the furthest west, the most characteristic feature of the climate is the monsoon. Heavy rain arrives on the southwest monsoon in June and persists until September. The monsoon can seriously impact transport and cause major landslides. It restricts tourism – the trekking and mountaineering season is limited to either before the monsoon in April/May or after the monsoon in October/November (autumn). In Nepal and Sikkim, there are often considered to be five seasons: summer, monsoon, autumn, (or post-monsoon), winter, and spring. Using the Köppen climate classification, the lower elevations of the Himalayas, reaching in mid-elevations in central Nepal (including the Kathmandu valley), are classified as ''Cwa'', humid subtropical climate#South Asia, Humid subtropical climate with dry winters. Higher up, most of the Himalayas have a Oceanic climate#Subtropical highland variety (Cwb), subtropical highland climate (''Cwb''). In the furthest west of the Himalayas, in the west of the Kashmir valley and the Indus valley, the South Asian Monsoon of South Asia, monsoon is no longer a dominant factor and most precipitation falls in the spring. Srinagar receives around around half the rainfall of locations such as Shimla and Kathmandu, with the wettest months being March and April. The northern side of the Himalayas, also known as the Tibetan Himalaya, is dry, cold and generally, wind swept particularly in the west where it has a Desert climate#Cold desert climates, cold desert climate. The vegetation is sparse and stunted and the winters are severely cold. Most of the precipitation in the region is in the form of snow during the late winter and spring months. Local impacts on climate are significant throughout the Himalayas. Temperatures fall by 0.2 to 1.2 °C for every rise in altitude. This gives rise to a variety of climates from a nearly tropical climate in the foothills, to tundra and permanent snow and ice at higher elevations. Local climate is also affected by the topography: The leeward side of the mountains receive less rain while the well exposed slopes get heavy rainfall and the rain shadow of large mountains can be significant, for example leading to near desert conditions in the Upper Mustang which is sheltered from the monsoon rains by theEcology
The flora and fauna of the Himalayas vary with climate, rainfall, altitude, and soils. The climate ranges from tropical at the base of the mountains to permanent ice and snow at the highest elevations. The amount of yearly rainfall increases from west to east along the southern front of the range. This diversity of altitude, rainfall, and soil conditions combined with the very high snow line supports a variety of distinct plant and animal communities. The extremes of high altitude (low atmospheric pressure) combined with extreme cold favor extremophile organisms. At high altitudes, the elusive and previously endangered snow leopard is the main predator. Its prey includes members of the goat family grazing on the alpine pastures and living on the rocky terrain, notably the endemic bharal or Himalayan blue sheep. The Himalayan musk deer is also found at high altitudes. Hunted for its musk, it is now rare and endangered. Other endemic or near-endemic herbivores include the Himalayan tahr, the takin, the Himalayan serow, and the Himalayan goral. The critically endangered Himalayan brown bear, Himalayan subspecies of the brown bear is found sporadically across the range as is the Asian black bear. In the mountainous mixed deciduous and conifer forests of the eastern Himalayas, Red panda feed in the dense understories of bamboo. Lower down the forests of the foothills are inhabited by several different primates, including the endangered Gee's golden langur and the Kashmir gray langur, with highly restricted ranges in the east and west of the Himalayas respectively. The unique floral and faunal wealth of the Himalayas is undergoing structural and compositional changes due to climate change. ''Hydrangea hirta'' is an example of floral species that can be found in this area. The increase in temperature is shifting various species to higher elevations. The oak forest is being invaded by pine forests in the Garhwal Himalayan region. There are reports of early flowering and fruiting in some tree species, especially rhododendron, apple and ''Myrica esculenta, box myrtle''. The highest known tree species in the Himalayas is ''Juniperus tibetica'' located at in Southeastern Tibet.Religions
There are many cultural aspects of the Himalayas. In Jainism, Mount Ashtapad in Himalayas is a sacred place where the first Jain Tirthankara, Rishabhanatha, Rishabhdeva attained moksha. It is believed that after Rishabhanatha, Rishabhdeva attained ''nirvana'', his son, Emperor Bharata Chakravartin, had constructed three stupas and twenty four shrines of the 24 Tirthankaras with their idols studded with precious stones over there and named it ''Sinhnishdha''. For the Hindus, the Himalayas are personified as Himavath, the father of the goddess Parvati. The Himalayas is also considered to be the father of the river Ganges. Two of the most sacred places of pilgrimage for the Hindus is the temple complex in Pashupatinath Temple, Pashupatinath and Muktinath, also known as Saligrama because of the presence of the sacred black rocks called saligrams. The Buddhists also lay a great deal of importance on the Himalayas. Paro Taktsang is the holy place whereResources
The Himalayas are home to a diversity of medicinal resources. Plants from the forests have been used for millennia to treat conditions ranging from simple coughs to snake bites. Different parts of the plants – root, flower, stem, leaves, and bark – are used as remedies for different ailments. For example, a bark extract from an ''abies pindrow'' tree is used to treat coughs and bronchitis. Leaf and stem paste from an ''arachne cordifolia'' is used for wounds and as an antidote for snake bites. The bark of a ''callicarpa arborea'' is used for skin ailments. Nearly a fifth of the gymnosperms, Flowering plant, angiosperms and pteridophytes in the Himalayas are found to have medicinal properties, and more are likely to be discovered. Most of the population in some Asian and African countries depend on medicinal plants rather than prescriptions and such. Since so many people use medicinal plants as their only source of healing in the Himalayas, the plants are an important source of income. This contributes to economic and modern industrial development both inside and outside the region. The only problem is that locals are rapidly clearing the forests on the Himalayas for wood, often illegally.See also
* Eastern Himalaya, Eastern and Western Himalaya * Indian Himalayan Region * List of Himalayan peaks and passes * List of Himalayan topics * List of mountains in India, List of mountains in Pakistan, Pakistan, Mountains of Bhutan, Bhutan, List of mountains in Nepal, Nepal and List of mountains in China, China * List of Ultras of the Himalayas * Trekking peakNotes
References
Further reading
* William McKay Aitken, Aitken, Bill, ''Footloose in the Himalaya'', Delhi, Permanent Black, 2003. * Berreman, Gerald Duane, ''Hindus of the Himalayas: Ethnography and Change'', 2nd rev. ed., Delhi, Oxford University Press, 1997. * Bisht, Ramesh Chandra, ''Encyclopedia of the Himalayas'', New Delhi, Mittal Publications, c2008. * Edmundson, Henry, ''Tales from the Himalaya'', Vajra Books, Kathmandu, 2019. * ''Everest'', the IMAX movie (1998). * Fisher, James F., ''Sherpas: Reflections on Change in Himalayan Nepal'', 1990. Berkeley, University of California Press, 1990. * Augusto Gansser-Biaggi, Gansser, Augusto, Andreas Gruschke, Gruschke, Andreas, Olschak, Blanche C., ''Himalayas. Growing Mountains, Living Myths, Migrating Peoples'', New York, Oxford: Facts On File, 1987. and New Delhi: Bookwise, 1987. * Gupta, Raj Kumar, ''Bibliography of the Himalayas'', Gurgaon, Indian Documentation Service, 1981 * John Hunt, Baron Hunt, Hunt, John, ''Ascent of Everest'', London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1956. * Maurice Isserman, Isserman, Maurice and Weaver, Stewart, ''Fallen Giants: The History of Himalayan Mountaineering from the Age of Empire to the Age of Extremes''. Yale University Press, 2008. * Ives, Jack D. and Messerli, Bruno, ''The Himalayan Dilemma: Reconciling Development and Conservation''. London / New York, Routledge, 1989. * Lall, J.S. (ed.) in association with Moddie, A.D., ''The Himalaya, Aspects of Change''. Delhi, Oxford University Press, 1981. * Nandy, S.N., Dhyani, P.P. and Samal, P.K., ''Resource Information Database of the Indian Himalaya'', Almora, GBPIHED, 2006. * Michael Palin, Palin, Michael, ''Himalaya'', London, Weidenfeld & Nicolson Illustrated, 2004. * Swami Sundaranand, ''Himalaya: Through the Lens of a Sadhu''. Published by Tapovan Kuti Prakashan (2001). * Swami Tapovan Maharaj, ''Wanderings in the Himalayas'', English Edition, Madras, Chinmaya Publication Trust, 1960. Translated by T.N. Kesava Pillai. * Bill Tilman, Tilman, H. W., ''Mount Everest, 1938'', Cambridge University Press, 1948. * 'The Mighty Himalaya: A Fragile Heritage,’ National Geographic Magazine, National Geographic, 174:624–631 (November 1988). * Turner, Bethan, et al. ''Seismicity of the Earth 1900–2010: Himalaya and Vicinity''. Denver, United States Geological Survey, 2013.External links