12 interesting facts about mountains

1. The world’s highest peak on land is Mount Everest in the Himalayas. It is 8,850.1728 m (29,036 ft) tall. The highest 14 mountains in the world are all found in the Himalayas.
2. It is estimated that one eighth of the world’s population lives in mountainous zones, and that mountains cover a quarter of the world’s surface.
3. More than half of the world’s fresh water originates in mountains, and all the world’s major rivers are fed from mountain sources.
4. The Andes, which runs more than 4,900 miles, is the longest mountain range in the world.
5. The top 109 highest mountains in the world are all in Asia and 96 of them are in the Himalayas.
6. The Alps are the most densely populated mountain area in the world.
7. There are five basic kinds of mountains: fold Mountains (folded mountains) , fault-block mountains (block mountains), dome mountains, volcanic mountains, plateau mountains.
8. Fold Mountains: Fold mountains are the most common type of mountains. Examples of fold mountains are the Himalayas (Asia), the Alps (Europe). They are formed due to collision of two plates, causing folding of the Earth's crust. The fold that descends on both sides is called anticline; whereas, the fold that ascends from a common low point (on both sides) is called syncline.
9. Fault-Block Mountains: As the name suggests, fault mountains or fault-block mountains are formed when blocks of rock materials slide along faults in the Earth's crust. There are two types of block mountains, namely the lifted and tilted. In the former type, the mountain has two steep sides; whereas, the tilted type has one steep side and gentle sloping side. Example of fault-block mountain is the Sierra Nevada mountains (North America).
10. Volcanic Mountains: Volcanic mountains are formed due to volcanic eruptions, for e.g. Mount Fuji (Japan). They are formed when volcanic magma erupts and piles up on the surface of the Earth.
11. Dome Mountains: Dome mountains are formed when the hot magma rises from the mantle and uplifts the overlying sedimentary layer of the Earth's crust. In the process, the magma is not erupted, but it cools down and forms the core of the mountain. Example of dome mountain is the Navajo Mountain in Utah. They are called dome mountains due to their appearance that resembles dome shape.
12. Plateau Mountains: Plateau mountains are pseudo mountains that are formed because of erosion. An example of plateau mountain is the Catskill Mountains (New York). They usually occur near the fold mountain ranges.