Mountain Ranges in India | Overview & Map

Of all the northern mountains of India, the northernmost are the Karakoram Mountain Range. The range extends southeast from Tajikistan, through China, and into India. It is the second-highest mountain range in the world, with four distinct summits that exceed 26,000 feet in elevation. The range is small, at only about 300 miles in length. And its altitude makes it the most heavily glaciered area on Earth (outside of the polar regions). In the 1850s, British surveyor Thomas Montgomerie mapped out the region from his station in the Kashmir Valley. He labeled the six visible peaks from K1-K6. The second peak, K2, has since become famous. It is the second-highest mountain in the world and it is regarded as the hardest mountain on Earth to climb and also the deadliest. Approximately one climber dies for every four who reach the summit.

Far to the south, there are two other mountain ranges in India. The Western Ghats rise beside the country's western coast, extending almost 1,000 miles and reaching near India's southern tip. Their average elevation is about 4,000 feet and the highest peak is Anamudi, with a height of 8,842 feet. The mountain range plays an important role in blocking the southwest monsoon winds and humidity from reaching central India. The range also contains impressive biodiversity, including thousands of plant species and insect species, as well as hundreds of mammal, reptile, amphibian, and bird species. The area also includes at least 325 threatened species, and scientists believe it is likely that many undiscovered species live in the Western Ghats as well.

The Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot in India.

Far to the east, along India's opposite coast, lie the Eastern Ghats, which border the Bay of Bengal. They are a smaller and more fragmented mountain range of similar length to the Western Ghats. The highest peak is Jindagadha, which rises to about 5,545 feet in elevation. The range is home to a tropical monsoon climate which is also extremely biodiverse and includes hundreds of mammal, reptile, amphibian, and bird species. Historically, it has been an important agricultural region. But recent pressure from farming, mining, and urbanization have left the Eastern Ghats one of the most exploited and degraded ecosystems in all of India.

In the northwest region of India, the Aravalli Mountain Range spans 430 miles across India, parallel with the border of Pakistan. With an altitude of 5,650 feet, the range's highest peak is Guru Shikhar. To the west lies the arid climate of the Thar Desert, while to the east lies central India with its tropical monsoon climate. The Aravalli's have played an important role in India's mining industry. Deposits of copper and other metals were mined as early as the 5th century BCE. Archaeologists have long studied the region. Evidence of flint mining, cattle domestication, copper mining, and early metallurgy have all been found in the area. Some of these discoveries date back tens of thousands of years.

In the southern part of Asia, just north of the Indian ocean, sits the country of India. The mountains of India are divided into seven distinct ranges: the Greater Himalaya Range, the Middle Himalaya Range, the Outer Himalaya Range, the Karakoram Range, the Western Ghats, the Eastern Ghats, and the Aravalli Range. Far to the north, the Himalayas are the most well-known for their size, altitude, cultural significance, and history of mountaineering. The Karakoram range lies even further north, and is home to K2, the second-tallest mountain in the world. Far to the south, spanning opposite coastlines, lie the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats. Both are smaller than the northern mountain ranges, but are home to immense biodiversity. Finally, in the northwest corner, one can find the Aravalli Mountain Range, which contains important copper deposits as well as a long archaeological history.