Page 95 - ICSE GEOGRAPHY
P. 95
the Hindu Kush and rises up to a height of Altay (or Altai)
7,690 metres.
Th e Altay Mountain range is situated in East-
Karakoram Range Central Asia near southern Siberia. It is at
Th e Karakoram Range is a large mountain this place that Russia, China, Mongolia and
range spanning the borders of Pakistan, India, Kazakhstan come together. Th e Irtysh and
China, and extending up to Afghanistan Ob rivers have their sources at this place.
and Tajikistan. It is located in the regions of Belukha Mountain is the highest peak at
Gilgit–Baltistan (Pakistan), Ladakh (India), 4,506 metres. It is an important habitat for
and southern Xinjiang (China), and even the famous snow leopard.
reaches the Wakhan Corridor (Afghanistan).
Th e Karakoram Range is home to the four most
closely located peaks that are over 8,000 metres
in height. Th ese are K2, the second highest peak
in the world at 8,611 metres, Gasherbrum I,
Broad Peak and Gasherbrum II.
Snow leopards are vulnerable species.
Zagros
Th e Zagros is the largest mountain range in
Iran and Iraq spanning the whole length of
Caravan of donkeys walk past the colourful camping the western and south-western Iranian plateau
tents on the way to K2 base camp. and ending at the Strait of Hormuz. Th e highest
point is Mount Dena is at 4,409 metres.
Th e Kunlun Mountains
Pamir Mountains
Th e Kunlun Mountains are one of the longest
mountain chains in Asia extending across An ocean of white and blue mountains form
western China and the Tibetan Plateau. Th e the mountain ranges of Pamir. Vast valleys of
highest mountain is the Kunlun Goddess at 7,000 metres and higher lie in the midst of the
7,167 metres. Th e Kunlun Mountains border mountain peaks. Th e Pamir Mountains lie at
the Gobi Desert. the junction of the Himalayas with the Tien
Shan, Karakoram, Kunlun and Hindu Kush
Tien (or Tian) Shan
ranges. Th e highest point is the Ismoil Somoni
Th e Tien Shan is a large mountain system
Peak which is at an elevation of 7,495 metres.
located in Central Asia. It is positioned Th ese Central Highlands are also
to the north and west of the Taklamakan
characterised by intermontane plateaus—
Desert, near the border region of Kazakhstan, plateaus surrounded by mountain ranges.
Kyrgyzstan and western China. Th e highest
Th e most famous among these is the Tibetan
peak is Victory Peak at 7,439 metres.
93
