Where the plates of Earth's crust crash into each other, land is pushed upwards, forming mountains. The Himalayas are the tallest mountains on Earth, and the youngest. They formed over the last 145 million years, as India crashed into Asia. Mountains are also formed when volcanoes erupt and molten rock builds up into steep mounds.
The Tallest Mountain on Earth is Mauna Kea in Hawaii, which rises 10,205m from its base on the seabed to its summit.
Four Famous Peaks
- Kilimanjaro, Tanzania: At 5,895m this extinct volcano is the tallest mountain that is not part of a mountain range.
- Mount Fuji, Japan: Each year more than 200,00 people climb 3,776m to the top of the tallest mountain in Japan, also a sacred site.
- Matterhorn, Switzerland: At 4,478m high, its not the tallest mountain in the Alps, but has a classic pyramid-shaped peak.
- K2, Pakistan and china: The world's second highest mountain at 8,611m is said to be the trickiest mountain to climb.
The Tallest Mountains in every continent
- Asia: Mount Everest, Nepal and China 8,848m
- South America: Aconcagua, Argentina 6,960m
- North America: Mount McKinley, USA 6,194m
- Africa: Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania 5,895m
- Europe: Mount El'brus, Russia 5,642m
- Antarctica: Vinson Massif 4,897m
- Australia: Puncak Jaya, New Guinea 5,040m
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