The Himalayas (the Himalayan Range) are a mountain range in Asia, separating India and Pakistan on the south and southwest from the vast Tibetan plateau (occupied by China) on the north. Nepal and Bhutan are sovereign nations in the southern foothills. The Himalayas connect with the Hindu Kush mountain range in Afghanistan. The word Himalaya is of Sanskrit origin and means abode of snow.
Many of the world's highest mountains, such as Mount Everest (8850 m), K2 (8611 m) and Kanchenjunga (8598 m) are situated in the Himalayas.
According to plate tectonics, the Himalayas are the result of a convergent boundary between the Indo-Australian and Eurasian Plates. Due to the continued movement of these plates, the Himalayas are growing.
See also: Eight-thousander, Geography of China, Pumori