List of Major Mountain Ranges of the World

A Mountain Range is a sequential chain or series of mountains or hills with similarity in form, structure and alignment that have arisen from the same cause, usually an orogeny. Here, we are giving the list of Major Mountain Ranges of the World and their highest peak, which is very useful for the competitive examinations like UPSC-prelims, SSC, State Services, NDA, CDS, and Railways etc.

A Mountain Range is a sequential chain or series of mountains or hills with similarity in form, structure and alignment that have arisen from the same cause, usually an orogeny. There are five major Mountain Ranges of the World which are discussed below:

1. The Himalayan Mountain Range

Himalayan Mountain Range

Source: upload.wikimedia.org

The Himalayas or Himalaya is form of a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. It is young fold mountain of the tertiary period, which was folded over Tethys Sea due to the inter-continental collision. It extends for about 2500 km between Indus and Brahmaputra gorges from west to east in an arc-shaped manner. It plays an important role in the determination of the climate of Indian Sub-continent. It has enormous potential for various metallic minerals like Cobalt, Nickel, Zinc, Copper, Antimony, and Bismuth.

Highest Peaks: Mount Everest (8,848 m)

2. The Alps Mountain Range


Source: www.worldatlas.com

The Alps Mountain Range is the highest and most extensive mountain range system of Europe, stretching approximately 1,200 kilometres (750 mi) across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, and Slovenia. It plays an important role in the determination of the climate of Europe.

Highest Peak: Mont Blanc (4,808.73 m)

3. The Atlas Mountains Range

The Atlas Mountains Range stretches around 2,500 km (1,600 mi) through Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. It separates the Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines from the Sahara Desert and inhabited by Berber populations. It was formed during the Precambrian period.

Highest Peak: Toubkal (4,167 m)


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4. The Andes Mountain Range

The Andes or Andean Mountain Range is the longest continental mountain range in the world, stretching approximately 7,000 km (4,300 mi). It is formed by a continuous highland along the western edge of South America.

Highest Peak: Aconcagua (6,961m)

5. The Rockies Mountain Range

The Rocky Mountain Range situated in western North America, stretches more than 3,000 miles (4,800 km) from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the Southwestern United States. It is protected by public parks and forest lands and is a popular tourist destination, especially for hiking, camping, mountaineering, fishing, hunting, mountain biking, skiing, and snowboarding.

Highest Peak: Mount Elbert (4,401 m) 

The position of the mountain ranges influences the climate of any region. It also obstructs the moisture laden winds. For Example- Himalayas act as a climate barrier by blocking extremely cold winds coming from Central Asia and Siberia. These mountain ranges are also the source of the rivers.

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