IMPORTANCE OF MOUNTAINS

CONTENT

• What are mountains ?• Formation of mountains• Mountains around the world• Importance of mountains• Conclusion

OBJECTIVE

• “Mountain is the beginning and the end of all the natural scenery” Mountain are god given physical features. Objective of this presentation is to make you people aware of the importance of mountains.

MOUNTAIN

• “a natural raised part of the earth’s surface, usually rising more or less abruptly, and larger than a hill.”

FORMATION OF MOUNTAINS

• Collision of plates• deformation and thickening of crust• crustal uplift

SOME CHARACTERISTICS• 1/8 (one-eighth) of the world's people live in the

mountains.• 1/4 (one-fourth) of the world’s landscape is

mountainous.• 1/2 (one-half) of the world's people rely on mountain

watersheds for fresh water.• 3/4 (three-fourths) of the world’s countries have

mountain ranges or high plateaus.• 2,000,000,000 (two billion) people depend on

mountains for food, hydroelectricity, timber, or mineral resources.

MOUNT EVEREST

•Himalayan Range, Mount Everest, Nepal. 8850m

•Highest peak in the world

K2 – KARAKORAM RANGECHINESE/PAKISTAN BORDER

• World’s 2nd highest mountain at 8612m.

ANNAPURNA – HIMALAYA, NEPAL

• 10th highest in world.

• Name means ‘The Provider’

MALAKU – HIMALAYA, NEPAL.

• 8462m, 5th highest.

ACONCAGUA - ANDES, ARGENTINA.

• At 6962m – the highest peak in Western Hemisphere.

MT. ELBRUS – CAUCAUSES, RUSSIA.

• At 5642m, Europe’s highest peak

THE EIGER - SWISS ALPS.

• At 3970m, one of Europe’s most fearsome Peaks –

THE EIGER - SWISS ALPS.• The Matterhorn (4476m) • Mont Blanc below (4807m)

BRITISH PEAKS – BEN NEVIS (1343M) AND SNOWDONIA

(1085M)• Impressive and challenging to

climbers

MOUNTAINS IN THE USMCKINLEY(6194M) AND EL

CAPITAIN(2307M)• Part of the Alaskan range, McKinley is the highest

mountain in the US.

MOUNTAINS IN AFRICA – KILIMANJARO (5963M)AND

MOUNT KENYA(5199)• Kili is the biggest extinct volcano in the world.

• Mt Kenya is also an extinct volcano.

JAPAN’S HIGHEST MOUNTAINMOUNT FUJI (3776M)

• Close to Tokyo.

• first climbed by a monk

IMPORTANCE OF MOUNTAINS

• Agriculture

• resource value

• influence on climates

• the water cycle,

• Source of water

• political significance of mountains

• Tourist centres

• biodiversity.

AGRICULTURE

• Rivers that originate from mountains form different type of plains

RESOURCE VALUE

• Minerals• Timber• Medicinal herbs• Wood for making pulp• Tea and coffee plantations

INFLUENCE ON CLIMATES

• Serve as climatic divide between two adjoinig regions• Impact on weather patterns• Regulate climate• Contain glaciers which radiate the radiation

MOUNTAINSRAIN SHADOW

THE WATER CYCLE

• Key role in hydrological cycle• Generation of hydro-electricity

SOURCE OF WATER

• Source of major rivers of the world• Promote irrigation• 1/2 (one-half) of the world's people rely on mountain

watersheds for fresh water.

POLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF MOUNTAINS

• Political frontiers between countires• protection

TOURIST CENTRES

• Salubrious climate• Beautiful scenery• Additional encouragement to hotel industry

CENTRES OF BIODIVERSITY

• Greatest diversity of vascular plant species• Fauna• 17% of world’s population live in, on or at the edges

of mountains

CONCLUSION

• Mountain are god given physical features. They occupy one-fifth of the earth's surface area. They provide direct life suppport for about 10 per cent of humankind and are repositories of great ecological and hydrological importance.