Give a brief description of the Himalayan Mountains. Describe three parallel ranges of the Himalayas.

Himalayan Mountains lie in the north of India which runs from Indus River to Brahmaputra River in a west-east direction. The perennial river, Ganga originate from these mountains. Being a source of many large and small rivers, they help in the deposition of fertile soil in plains which are flooded by these rivers and provides a source of livelihood.

• The northernmost range of Himalayas is Great Himalayan Range. It is also known as Himadri or Inner Himalayas. It is the most continuous range having an average height of 6000m. The average width of the range is 400 km to 150 km. It contains all prominent peaks like Mount Everest, Kanchenjunga etc. Kashmir Valley is a beautiful valley which is also a part of this range.

• Himachal Range lies between Himadri and Shiwalik. It is also known as Lesser Himalayas. These Himalayas have an average height of 1500m to 5000m. Pir Panjal Range which is the longest range and beautiful valleys like Kashmir valley.

• Shivalik Range is also known as the outer Himalayas. It is a southernmost division of Himalayas. The average height of these Himalayas is 900m to 1200m. The width of the Shivalik Hills varies from 10 to 50 km. It contains alluvial sediments which are brought by the rivers flowing from the upper Himalayas. Shivalik ranges are more prone to landslides and earthquakes.