People have studied almost every corner of our planet, measured the highest mountains and the deepest depressions. However, nature creates amazing, unique creations, and you cannot measure everything with one size.
Over millions of years, the terrain of the Earth has changed many times before becoming the way we see it now. Of course, many more millennia will pass, and some records will replace others. But for now, we can observe the unique landscape of our planet.
This collection contains the most interesting geological records of our planet!
1 Highest point
Everest, Shanmufeng, Chomolungma, Sagarmatha - all these are the names of the highest peak on the planet. Above sea level, the mountain rises to 8848 meters. Despite its impressive size, it attracts many tourists. Everest is over 60 million years old, but the first attempts to conquer the peak began only in the 1920s. The history of its discovery is full of failures and sacrifices - about 280 people died only according to official statistics.
2 Highest mountain from base to peak
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Of course, Everest is recognized as the highest point of the Earth - taking into account sea level. However, if you take into account what is hidden under water, Maomung Kea displaces the Jomolungmu from its pedestal. Most of it is located under water, and only 4205 meters above sea level. If we consider the entire height of an extinct volcano, then it will be about 10 kilometers. Mauna Kea formed in Hawaii about a million years ago, during an active period of eruption.
3 The highest settlement in the world
The highest points on the planet are simply unsuitable for human life. But still there is a place remote from sea level on Earth where people live. On the border with Bolivia, in the middle of the Andes, is the town of La Rinconada. About 30 thousand people live in it, although the climate at an altitude of 5100 meters is quite severe. The population is attracted by a huge reserve of gold ore, for which this city was founded.
4 The farthest point from the center of the earth
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But there is one more peak that claims to be the highest. The Chimborazo volcano in Ecuador has been considered the highest point of the Earth for several centuries, and this is partly true. From the center of the planet, its peak is the most remote. According to recent reports, this extinct volcano rises to 6384 meters. In the course of research, it was possible to find out that if we compare from the center of the planet, then Chimboraso is a couple of kilometers above Everest.
5 The deepest trench in the world
The sea has many secrets, and one of them is the deepest hollow in the world created by nature. The deepest point on the planet, the Challenger Abyss, is located in the Mariana Trench. The name was given to this place because of the Challenger II vessel, which first registered the point in 1951. It was later established that the depth reaches 11,023 meters. By the way, a curious fact is that director James Kemeron alone was able to visit the Abyss in 2012.
6 The deepest well in the world created by human hands
Not only nature works on the appearance of our planet. Man also actively intervenes in the relief of the Earth, especially for mining. The Guinness Book of Records got an ultra-deep Kola well, the depth of which no one has yet been able to exceed. At the moment, this place is mothballed, but the depth is still 12,262 meters. In the world there are wells longer, but not deeper.
7 Lowest point on land
Our planet is really amazing, because there are places on it where you stand in the middle of the sand, and the sea level shows that you are already at sea. This place is the shore of the Dead Sea, located at the level of 417.5 meters. In fact, this point is at a depth of almost half a kilometer, but still on land. However, the Dead Sea is still unique in many ways. Its water has healing properties, and a person can easily lie on its surface reading a newspaper.
8 The deepest cave in the world
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Among the caves also have their own champions. For more than 15 years, until 2017, it was believed that the Krubera Cave was the deepest in the world. It is located in Abkhazia and is 2199 meters deep. However, in 2017, it was possible to establish that the cave named after Verevkin, which is also located in Abkhazia, advanced 2204 meters deep.
9 The highest waterfall in the world
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Separately, in the list of the highest points in the world, waterfalls can be noted. These incredibly beautiful creations of nature with a flowing stream of water are even more beautiful. And the highest of them is Angel, which is located in Venezuela. Its height is 979 meters, but the height of free fall is lower, 807 meters.
10 The deepest lake in the world
There are many lakes on the whole planet, but the deepest of them is Baikal. According to reports, its maximum depth is 1642 meters. However, the underwater secrets of Lake Baikal have not yet been discovered, and the lake is constantly explored. Its volumes are amazing - about 19% of the supply of all fresh water on the planet.
Our planet is unique and beautiful. Its relief has been formed for millions of years, and the result is impressive!
From the dark depths of the ocean to one of the highest peaks on Earth, below are twenty-five of the most extensive, highest, deepest, and tiniest places in the world!
25. The deepest lake is Lake Baikal
This Siberian rift lake is not only the deepest lake on Earth, but it also has the largest volume and contains about 20 percent of the fresh water on the entire surface of the Earth.
24. The highest mountain - Everest
As you may have suspected, Everest is officially the highest mountain in the world. But this is only if we begin our measurement at sea level ...
23. The highest mountain from base to top - Mauna Kea
Mauna Kea, a volcano on the large island of Hawaii, is more than two times higher than Everest, if you count from the base of the mountain, located on the seabed, to its peak.
22. The point farthest from the center of the Earth is Mount Chimboraso
Due to the convexity of the Earth at the equator, the peak of Mount Everest is also not the farthest point from the center of the Earth. This honor belongs to the top of Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador.
21. The lowest point on Earth - Challenger Deep
This depression, located at a depth of almost 11 kilometers below the surface of the ocean, is the deepest point of the already deep Mariana Trench. In fact, Everest would be conveniently located here below the surface.
20. The highest waterfall - Angel (Angel Falls)
This waterfall in Venezuela is so high that water sometimes evaporates before reaching the ground.
19. The driest place is the Atacama Desert
In the middle of the Chilean Atacama Desert, there is a point where it never rained. Scientists call this region "absolute desert."
18. The highest human settlement - La Rinconada
This mining town located in Peru is located in the highest inhabited region of the globe. At a height exceeding the location of La Rinconada, a person simply will not be able to adapt.
17. The highest temperature - Death Valley
With a recorded temperature of almost 57 degrees Celsius, the Death Valley in California has once again recently become the hottest place on Earth.
16. The most remote inhabited place on Earth - Tristan da Cunha (Tristan da Cunha)
This small archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, located thousands of kilometers from both South Africa and South America, has a population of 271 people. Mail arrives here only a few times a year.
15. The deepest cave - Krubera-Voronya Cave
This cave, located in Abkhazia, is the only known cave in the world whose depth exceeds 2,000 meters.
14. The largest elevation difference - Mount Tor
Mount Thor, located in Canada, has a height of 1250 meters and despite its very remote location in the frozen tundra of the northern provinces of Canada, it is a popular climbing spot.
13. The hottest inhabited place - Dallol, Ethiopia
The hottest permanently inhabited region in the world is in Ethiopia. Although today Dallol has become even less populated and some even say that it has become a ghost town. However, it is also worth noting that an official census has not been conducted in this region for a long time, so studies are based on previously obtained data.
12. The northernmost point of land on Earth - Kaffeklubben Island
This island, belonging to Greenland, is officially considered the northernmost point of land on Earth. However, there are several slowly moving gravel streamers that lie farther north.
11. The lowest temperature - Vostok Station, Antarctica 
-89.2 ° С - this temperature was recorded in East Antarctica and, in addition to some new satellite measurements, is still considered the lowest ground temperature in history.
10. The Deepest Ice - Bentley Subglacial Trench
This place is also located in Antarctica, and the depth of the local ice exceeds 2.5 kilometers. In fact, the land on which it rests is much lower than sea level and is the lowest point on Earth, not covered by the ocean.
9. The deepest point measured from ground level - Kola superdeep well
Although it was artificially created, this Russian scientific project tried to get as deep as possible into the earth's crust. The drill reached a depth exceeding 12 kilometers.
8. The deepest point made by man is the TauTona Mine
This South African mine is the deepest point below the surface of the Earth into which a person could fit. Its depth is almost 4 kilometers.
7. The coldest locality - Oymyakon, Russia
Sometimes the temperature drops below zero in mid-September and remains there until May. The average temperature in January is -46 ° C. The population of the village is less than 500 people.
6. The highest road is the mining road in Aucanquilcha (Aucanquilcha mining road)
This mining road was once used for trucks that climbed this Chilean volcano to a height of more than 6,000 meters.
5. The highest mountain pass - Marsimik La, India 
Although the volcanic mountain road we saw in the previous paragraph is technically the highest road in the world, it is a dead end and is no longer used. In contrast, the Marsimik-La passage, located at an altitude of 5,582 meters in northern India, is often considered the highest functional road in the world.
4. The highest lake - Lake Titicaca (Titicaca)
This lake is located on the border of Peru and Bolivia in the Andes at an altitude of 3,812 meters. There are several unnamed crater lakes in the world that can be located a little higher.
3. The most remote island - Bouvet Island
This small, uninhabited Norwegian island in the southern Atlantic Ocean is located between Antarctica and Tristan da Cugna (a place which, as you remember, is quite remote in itself).
2. The longest river is the Nile
Despite the difficulties in accurately calculating the origins and directions of various rivers, the Nile is generally considered the longest river in the world. Its length is 6,650 kilometers. In the old days, when water still flowed from Lake Tanganyika, the Nile was 1,500 kilometers longer.
1. The farthest point from the ocean - Xinjiang, China
This region in China is the Asian pole of inaccessibility. Basically, this means that it is the most remote point from any ocean on the continent.
Ecology
The highest peaks are at the peak of the highest mountains of seven continents. For climbers, they are known as " Seven peaks"which Richard Bass first conquered on April 30, 1985.
Here are a few interesting facts about the highest points in all parts of the world.
Highest mountain peaks
The other day the program Google Maps ’Street View invited everyone to enjoy the view of the highest peaks of the world, offering interactive galleries of the highest mountains on Earth.
Maps include panoramic view of 4 of 7 peaks: Everest in the Himalayas of Asia, Kilimanjaro in Africa, Elbrus in Europe and Aconcagua in South America.
You can make a virtual climb to these peaks without endangering yourself with the heights and natural difficulties that climbers face.
1. The highest peak in the world and Asia - Mount Everest (Chomolungma)
Mount Everest
8848 meters
Geographic coordinates of Mount Everest:
27.9880 degrees north latitude and 86.9252 degrees east longitude (27 ° 59 "17" N, 86 ° 55 "31" E)
Where is Mount Everest?
Mount Everest or Chomolungma is the highest mountain on earthlocated in the area Mahalangur-Himal in the Himalayas. The international border between China and Nepal runs along its top. The Everest massif includes the neighboring peaks of Lhotse (8516 m), Nuptse (7861 m) and Changze (7543 m).
The highest mountain in the world attracts many experienced climbers and hobbyists from around the world. Although technically climbing the standard route does not pose big problems, on Everest the biggest dangers are lack of oxygen, illness, weather and wind.
Other facts:
Mount Everest, which is also called Chomolungma from Tibetan it is translated as “The Divine Mother of the Snows” and from Nepali as “Mother of the Universe”. The mountain is considered sacred to the locals. The name Everest was awarded in honor of the British George Everest, who first measured the height of the highest mountain peak in the world.
Mount Everest annually rises 3-6 mm and shifts northeast by 7 cm.
- First climb to Everest New Zealander Edmund Hilary (Edmund Hillary) and Nepali Sherpas Tenzing Norgay (Tenzing Norgay) as part of the British expedition on May 29, 1953.
The largest expedition climbing Mount Everest consisted of 410 members of the 1975 Chinese team.
- The safest year 1993 became Everest, when 129 people reached the summit, and 8 died. The most tragic year became 1996, when 98 people conquered the summit, and 15 people died (8 of them died on May 11).
Nepali Sherpa Appa is the person who climbed Mount Everest most often. He set a record, rising 21 times from 1990 to 2011.
2. The highest peak of South America - Mount Aconcagua
Aconcagua Height
6.959 meters
Geographic coordinates of Aconcagua
32.6556 degrees south latitude and 70.0158 west longitude (32 ° 39 "12.35" S 70 ° 00 "39.9" W)
Where is Mount Aconcagua
Aconcagua is the highest mountain on the American continent, located in the Andes mountain system in the province Mendoza in argentina. Also this the highest peak in both the western and southern hemispheres.
Mountain is part Aconcagua National Park. It consists of a number of glaciers, the most famous of which is the Polish glacier in the northeast - a frequent ascent route.
Other facts:
- The name "Aconcagua" probably means from the Araucanian language “on the other side of the Aconcagua River” or from the Quechua language “Stone Guard”.
In terms of mountaineering, Aconcagua is easy mountain to climb, if you go along the northern route, which does not require ropes, hooks and other equipment.
- First conquered Aconcagua british Edward Fitzgerald (Edward FitzGerald) in 1897.
The youngest climber to reach the summit of Aconcagua was 10 years old Matthew Monitz (Matthew Moniz) December 16, 2008. The oldest is 87 years old Scott Lewis (Scott Lewis) in 2007.
3. The highest mountain of North America - Mount McKinley
McKinley Height
6194 meters
Geographic coordinates of McKinley
63.0694 degrees north latitude, 151.0027 degrees west longitude (63 ° 4 "10" N, 151 ° 0 "26" W)
Where is Mount McKinley
Mount McKinley is located in Alaska's Denali National Park and is the highest peak in the United States and North America, as well as the third most outstanding peak in the world after Mount Everest and Aconcagua.
Other facts:
Mount McKinley used to be the highest peak of Russiauntil Alaska was sold to the United States.
Locals call it "Denali" (translated from the Atabascan language as "Great"), and the Russians living in Alaska simply "Big Mountain". Later it was renamed "McKinley" in honor of US President William McKinley.
- The first to conquer McKinley became American climbers led by Hudson Stack (Hudson Stuck) and Harry Carstens (Harry Karstens) June 7, 1913.
Best climbing period - from May to July. Due to the far northern latitude, there is lower atmospheric pressure and less oxygen at the top than on other high mountains of the world.
4. The highest peak in Africa - Mount Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro Height
5895 meters
Geographic coordinates of Kilimanjaro
3.066 degrees south latitude and 37.3591 degrees east longitude (3 ° 4 "0" S, 37 ° 21 "33" E)
Where is Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro is africa's highest mountain and is located in Kilimanjaro National Park in Tanzania. This volcano consists of three volcanic cones: Kiba, Mawenzi and Shira. Kilimanjaro is a huge stratovolcano that began to form a million years ago when lava erupted in the Rift Valley region.
Two peaks: Mawenzi and Shira are extinct volcanoes, while the highest - Kibo is sleeping volcanothat may erupt again. The last major eruption occurred 360,000 years ago, and activity was recorded only 200 years ago.
Other facts:
There are several versions explaining origin of "Kilimanjaro". According to one theory, the name came from a Swahili word “Kilima” (“mountain”) and a word from the Kichagga language “Njaro” (“whiteness”). According to another version, Kilimanjaro is the European origin of the phrase kichagga, which means "we did not climb it."
Since 1912, Kilimanjaro has lost more than 85 percent of snow. According to scientists in 20 years all the snow of Kilimanjaro will melt.
- First climb was committed by a German researcher Hans Meyer (Hans Meyer) and Austrian climber Ludwig Purtscler (Ludwig Purtscheller) on the third attempt on October 6, 1889
- About 40,000 people try to conquer Mount Kilimanjaro every year.
The youngest climber to climb Kilimanjaro was a 7-year-old Keats Boyd (Keats Boyd), who climbed on January 21, 2008.
5. The highest peak in Europe (and Russia) - Mount Elbrus
Mount Elbrus
5642 meters
Geographic coordinates of Mount Elbrus
43.3550 degrees north latitude, 42.4392 east longitude (43 ° 21 "11" N, 42 ° 26 "13" E)
Where is Mount Elbrus located?
Mount Elbrus is an extinct volcano located in the western part of the Caucasus Mountains on the border of Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia in Russia. The top of Elbrus is the highest in Russia, in Europe and western Asia. The western peak reaches 5642 m, and the eastern one 5621 m.
Other facts:
- Title "Elbrus" comes from the Iranian word "Albors", which means "high mountain". It is also called Ming Tau ("eternal mountain"), Yalbuz ("snow mane") and Oshhamaho ("mountain of happiness")
Elbrus is covered by a permanent ice sheet, which supports 22 glaciers, which in turn feed the Baksan, Kuban and Malka rivers.
Elbrus located in a moving tectonic regionand deep beneath an extinct volcano is molten magma.
- First climb to the eastern peak of Elbrus was committed July 10, 1829 Hilar Kachirov, which consisted in the expedition of the Russian General G.A. Emmanuel, and to the west (which is about 40 m higher) - in 1874 by an English expedition led by F. Crawford Grove (F. Crauford Grove).
From 1959 to 1976 it was built here cable car, which raises visitors to a height of 3750 meters.
Per year on Elbrus about 15-30 people die mainly due to poorly organized attempts to conquer the summit
In 1997, an SUV Land rover defender climbed to the top of Elbrus, setting a Guinness world record.
6. The highest peak of Antarctica - Vinson Massif
Vinson array height
4892 meters
Geographical coordinates of the Vinson Massif
78.5254 degrees south latitude and 85.6171 degrees west longitude (78 ° 31 "31.74" S, 85 ° 37 "1.73" W)
Vinson Array on Map
The Vinson Massif is Antarctica's highest mountain, which is located on the Sentinel Range in the Ellsworth Mountains. The massif is approximately 21 km long and 13 km wide, located 1200 km from the South Pole.
Other facts
The highest peak is Vinson Peak, named after Karl Vinson - Member of the US Congress. For the first time they learned about the Vinson massif in 1958, and first climb was committed in 1966.
In 2001, the first expedition ascended to the summit via the Eastern Route and measurements of the height of the summit were made using GPS.
More 1400 people tried to conquer Vinson peak.
7. The highest peak in Australia and Oceania - Mount Punchak Jaya
Punchak Jaya Height
4884 meters
Geographic coordinates of Punchak Jaya
4.0833 degrees south latitude 137.183 degrees east longitude (4 ° 5 "0" S, 137 ° 11 "0" E)
Where is Punchak Jaya
Punchak Jaya or the Carstens Pyramid is the highest peak of Mount Carstens in the western part of Papua province in Indonesia.
This mountain is highest in Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea, in Oceania (on the Australian plate), the highest mountain on the island, and the highest point between the Himalayas and the Andes.
The highest peak on the Australian continent is Mount Kosciuszkowhose height is 2228 meters.
Other facts:
When Indonesia began to govern the province in 1963, the peak was renamed the peak of Sukarno in honor of the president of Indonesia. Later it was renamed Punchak Jaya. The word "Puncak" from Indonesian means "mountain or peak", and "Jaya" is translated as "victory."
Punchak Jaya Top first conquered in 1962, Austrian climbers led by Heinrich Garrera (Heinrich Harrer) and three other expedition members.
Access to the top requires government permission. The mountain was closed to tourists and climbers from 1995 to 2005. Since 2006, access has been possible through various travel agencies.
Punchak Jaya is considered one of the hardest climb. He has the highest technical rating, but not the greatest physical requirements.
Since Sir Edmund Hillary reached the summit of Mount Everest in 1953, thousands of climbers have been eager to repeat his feat. Due to the fact that Everest has an impressive title “the highest mountain in the world”, so many people have visited it that every year this Himalayan beauty gradually turns into a literal garbage dump.
Everest - the highest mountain in the world (∼ 8 848 m)
When we say which is the highest mountain in the world, we usually think about the height above sea level. And if we take this parameter, then the height of the mountain (8849 meters above sea level) is beyond competition. Everest extends higher into the atmosphere than any other peak in the world.
However, the farthest point from the center of the Earth, and therefore the highest in terms of distance, is Chimborazo (6384 meters above sea level). This is a stratovolcano in Ecuador, which is part of the Andes mountain range.
The earth is not flat, it sticks out at the equator and smoothes near the poles. This means that mountains near the equator are technically higher than in other areas of the planet. And so it turned out that Chimborazo is closer to the convex center of the Earth than Everest. It turns out that it is closer to the stars than the highest point of Mount Everest.
The heaviest mountain for climbers
According to one report, Everest extends to a distance of 6382 meters from the center of the Earth. At the same time, Chimborazo extends to a distance of 6384 meters. Although the height difference between the two mountains is only 2 km, this is enough to convey the title "highest mountain" to the Ecuadorian stratovolcano.
So why does Mount Everest continue to receive all laurels, while Chimborazo remains relatively unnoticed? It all comes down to the difficulties of climbing.
If you are a climber and want to test yourself by conquering Everest, then the path to the base camp will take 10 days. It will take another six weeks to acclimatize, and then climbing to the top will take nine days. On the other hand, acclimatization at Chimboraso takes about two weeks, and the path to the top takes about two days. Simply put, after Everest, climbing to Chimboraso will seem like a walk in the park.
Above and below sea level
Mount Everest is the highest point above sea level, but if we are talking about a clear height from the base to the top, then the honor of being called the highest mountain belongs to the White Mountain (Mauna Kea) on the island of Hawaii. Its height above sea level is 4205 meters, but the mountain goes 5,998 meters down to the bottom. More than half of the mountain is submerged in water.
The total height of Mauna Kea is 10 203 meters. This is 1345 meters higher than the height of Everest.
Mauna Kea is actually an extinct volcano on the big island of Hawaii. It arose about a million years ago when a tectonic plate of the Pacific Ocean moved above a train of liquid magma deep inside the Earth. The last time Mauna Kea erupted about 4,600 years ago.
The top of the mountain is a paradise for astronomers: It has low humidity, a clear sky above it, and a large distance from any light pollution. That is, from the top of the volcano, perhaps the best view of celestial objects opens. Now at the peak of Mauna Kea there are 13 telescopes.
It is important to note once again that Everest is the highest of the highest mountains, if measured from sea level. If you use this parameter, then Chimborazo can’t even count on the title “highest peak in the Andes”. This title belongs to Mount Aconcagua, which rises to 6961 meters above sea level.
The highest mountains on every continent
- In Asia - Mount Everest (8,849 meters).
- In South America, Mount Aconcagua (6,961 meters).
- In North America, Mount McKinley (6,190 meters).
- In Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895 meters).
- In Europe - Mount Elbrus (5,642 meters)
- In Antarctica - the Vinson Massif (4,897 meters).
In Australia - Oceania - Mount Punchak Jaya (4,884 meters) in Oceania and Mount Kosciuszko - the highest point on the Australian continent (2,228 meters).
Top 10 highest mountains in the world
The measurement problem is that it is often not clear where the dividing line lies between a mountain with several peaks and a separate mountain. For this reason, it is better to use a measurement called “topographic elevation” (the height of the mountain peak above the bottom of the valley closest to the mountain). Given first of all this criterion, and, secondly, altitude above sea level, we made a rating of the highest points of the Earth.
Topographic elevation - 4,741 m.
Above sea level rises to 5 642 m.
Mount Elbrus is an extinct volcano located in the western part of the Caucasus Range, in Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia, not far from the Russian-Georgian border. This is the highest peak in the Caucasus.
Excess - 4,884 m.
Height - 4,884 m.
This mountain, located on the Australian plate on the island of New Guinea, was originally called the discoverer - the Dutchman Jan Carstens. In 1965, she changed her name in honor of the Indonesian President Sukarno, and in 1969 she was renamed for the third time, to Jaya (in Indonesian means Victory), and so far have stopped.
Excess - 4 892 m.
The height of the peak is 4,892 m.
The record holders of Antarctica and part of the Elsuert Mountains, which rise above the Ronne ice shelf.
Excess - 4 922 m
Altitude according to GPS - 5 636 m, according to INEGI - 5 611 m.
Stratovolcano, the highest mountain in Mexico and the third largest in North America. Orisaba last erupted in 1687, after which he “fell asleep” and does not wake up to this day.
Topographic elevation - 5,250 m
Altitude - 5,959 m.
The highest mountain in Canada and the second in North America, after McKinley. Due to the active tectonic uplift, Logan is still growing in height. Until 1992, the exact height of the mountain was unknown and was assumed to be in the range from 5,959 to 6,050 meters. In May 1992, the GSC expedition climbed Logan and set a current altitude of 5,959 meters using GPS
Topographic elevation - 5,585 m.
Above the sea - 5 776 m
The highest point in Colombia. The Colombian peak of Simon Bolivar is almost equal in height to it. Together they are the two peaks of the country closest to the stars.
Topographic elevation - 5,885 m.
Above sea level - 5,895 m.
Kilimanjaro, and its three volcanic cones (Kibo, Mawenzi and Shira) is an inactive volcanic mountain in Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania. It is the highest mountain in Africa. There is no documented evidence of the eruption of Kilimanjaro, but local legends say that the volcano was active 150-200 thousand years ago.
Topographic elevation - 6,144 m
Altitude - 6,190 m
The two-headed Mount McKinley (aka Denali), located in Alaska, is the highest mountain peak in the United States and North America. At the beginning of the 19th century, it was called the Big Mountain and was the highest point of the Russian Empire.
Topographic elevation - 6,962 m.
Above sea level - 6,962 m.
The highest mountain in the Americas. It is located in the Andes mountain range, in the Argentine province of Mendoza. In 2013, the youngest climber climbed the mountain - nine-year-old American Tyler Armstrong. And last year, Aconcagua was conquered by the youngest climber, twelve-year-old Romanian Dor Jeta Popescu.
1. Mount Everest (Chomolungma)
Topographic elevation - 8 848 m.
Altitude - 8 848 m.
The leader of the mountain charts was named after the English colonel, Sir George Everest, who was India's chief surveyor from 1830 to 1843. Mount Everest is also known under the Tibetan name Jomolungma (Mother Goddess of life energy) and the Nepalese name Sagarmatha (Forehead of Heaven).
Where is the highest mountain in the world
Chomolungma is located in the Mahalangur-Himal mountain range in the Himalayas. Part of it lies on the border of Nepal and China, part on the territory of the Tibet Autonomous Region.
Many human triumphs and tragedies have been associated with Everest. George Mallory (Great Britain) was the first climber to attempt to storm Everest. In 1924, he died near the top and his remains were found only in 1999, but his partner’s body wasn’t found by a bunch of Andrew Irwin.
Mount Everest was an inspiration for many Guinness World Records: from the simple fact that it is the highest peak in the world to the highest (at the venue) concert in the world.
Despite the title of “highest peak on Earth,” Everest is not the highest mountain on the planet. That is, Everest has no equal in height above sea level. But as for the height from the base to the top, then Mauna Kea holds the palm in Hawaii, USA. Its visible part is 4,205 meters, and everything else is under water. The total height of Mauna Kea reaches 10 203 meters.
In the world there are many high mountains that climbers managed to conquer. However the highest mountain in the world for a long time remained unconquered.
Highest mountain in the world
The highest mountain in the world is Chomolungma (Everest). Its height is 8 848 m above sea level.
In this case, it is worth paying attention to the clarification “above sea level”, since if you measure the height of the mountain from the core, then the record will belong to the extinct Chimboraso, that c.
Everyone knows that our planet has the shape of an ellipse. From this it follows that the mountains located near the equator are higher than in other zones of the Earth.
Height from the center of the earth In this regard, Chimborazo is closer to the convex center of the Earth than any other mountains, including Everest.
The most difficult mountain for climbers
Given all these facts, the question involuntarily arises: why is Everest the most popular mountain in the world, while the Ecuadorian Chimborazo (6384 m) remains in the shade?
In many respects, this is due to difficulties in climbing the Chomolungma.
Let's imagine that we want to conquer both of these peaks.
Climbing Chomolungma
In order to climb Everest, you will initially have to walk to the base camp.
This section of the journey will take you about 10 days. After that, it will take another month and a half for just one acclimatization!
View of Everest from the plane Then you will have to ascend directly to the top itself for about 9 days. And this is the most difficult part of the journey.
Climbing Chimboraso
Now let's imagine how much time it will take to conquer Chimborazo.
When climbing, acclimatization will take you no more than 2 weeks, and the path to the top will not exceed 2 days.
Chimborazo From all that has been said, it can be concluded that after Everest, climbing to the Ecuadorian peak will seem like an evening walk.
"Above" and "below" sea level
So, Everest is the highest point on the planet above sea level.
However, speaking of the highest mountain in the world, and taking into account some other factors, it is appropriate to recall another mountain.
If you measure the absolute height from the base to the top, in this case, the highest mountain will be Mauna Kea, located on the territory.
Mauna Kea It may be difficult for some to understand what is at stake, so let's look into this confusion in order.
Unlike Everest, most of Mount Mauna Kea is below the surface of the water.
Thus, if we measure the height from the base (under water) and to the top, it will be 10203 m, which is 1355 m higher than the Jomolungma.
Everest and Mauna Kea Mauna Kea is an extinct volcano that last erupted about 4,600 years ago. An interesting fact is that at the top of this mountain there are 13 telescopes.
This is because there is a very low level of humidity and clear skies. Thanks to this, astronomers can follow celestial objects, studying outer space.
The highest mountains on every continent
- Europe - (5,642 m)
- - Kilimanjaro (5 895 m)
- Asia - Everest (8 848 m)
- - Aconcagua (6,962 m)
- North America - McKinley (6,190 m)
- - Vinson massif (4 892 m)
- - Kosciusko (2,228 m)
And now let's go back to the highest mountain in the world - Chomolungma, and we will learn not only its geographical features, but also how people conquered it.
Chomolungma is located on the Mahalangur-Himal ridge. It occupies such a large area that its base is located on the territory of the Tibet Autonomous Region.
Over the centuries, the mountain has attracted the attention of many people who wanted to be on top of it. As a result, hundreds of climbers were killed trying to conquer Chomolungma.
Attempts to conquer the Chomolungma
It is officially believed that the British George Mallory was the first climber to attempt an ascent to the mountain. However, he and his partner did not succeed in achieving their goal.
They died on one of the slopes of the Chomolungma back in 1924. It is interesting that their bodies were discovered only in 1999. According to experts, they were only 200 meters short to conquer the mountain peak.
After this expedition, many brave souls tried to be at the peak of Everest, but all of them either died or returned back, not daring to step on the most dangerous sections of the path.
As mentioned earlier, climbing Mount Jomolungma is accompanied by many different difficulties:
- High rarefied atmosphere (lack of oxygen);
- Low temperature (below -50 ° C);
- Hurricane winds, as a result of which the human body feels frosts up to -120 ° C;
- Sunny ;
- Frequent convergence of avalanches, steep slopes, falling into crevices.
First climb to the highest mountain in the world
When did the first successful ascent to the highest mountain on earth take place?
And it happened a little over half a century ago.
On May 29, 1953, New Zealander Edmund Hillary, along with Sherpas Tenzing Norgay, were able to conquer Everest, as a result of which they became the first people to be at its top.
It is worth noting that before setting off on an expedition, they carefully prepared for it.
Climbers took oxygen devices with them and chose the most convenient route. Having reached a height of 8500 m, they set up a tent for the night.
Waking up in the morning, climbers found that their boots were covered with ice.
It took them about 2 hours to unfreeze their shoes and make the final breakthrough to conquer Everest.
A few hours later they were already at the top, where they spent about 15 minutes. During this time, climbers took several photos and set a flag.
Having descended to the ground, they immediately became real heroes. The whole world press wrote about their feat, wishing to find out all the details of the expedition.
In subsequent years, climbers from different countries conquered Jomolungma. The first woman to be at her top was Japanese Junko Tabei (1976).
Despite the fact that hundreds of people continue to die on Everest today, this mountain is still of greatest interest to fans of extreme sports.
It is curious that Chomolungma was conquered by a variety of images. They climbed it without oxygen masks, descended from its summit on skis and snowboards, and also competed in the time spent on its ascent.
View of the northern wall of Chomolungma from the path leading to the base camp An interesting fact is that the youngest man to visit the highest mountain in the world was the 13-year-old Indian girl Purna Malawath, and the oldest man was 72-year-old American Bill Berg.
According to official figures, more than 260 people died on the slopes of the mountain, and about 8300 climbers conquered the peak of the Jomolungma.
Who knows what other records will be set in the future, but it can be stated with accuracy that Everest will forever remain the most popular mountain in the world.
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