mountain

Table of Contents

Introduction
Geomorphic characteristics
Tectonic processes that create and destroy mountain belts and their components
- Mechanisms that support elevated terrains
- Tectonic processes that produce high elevations
  - Volcanism
  - Crustal shortening
  - Heating and thermal expansion
- Tectonic processes that destroy elevated terrains
Major types of mountain belts
- Mountain belts associated with volcanism
  - Mid-ocean ridges and rises
  - Volcanic structures along subduction zones
  - Landforms associated with hot spot volcanism
- Mountain belts associated with crustal shortening
  - Alpine- (or Himalayan-)type belts
  - Andean-type belts
  - Intracontinental mountain belts
Major mountain belts of the world
- The Circum-Pacific System
  - The Andes
  - The Caribbean chains
  - The North American Cordillera
  - Volcanoes and island arcs surrounding the northwest Pacific basin
- The Alpine-Himalayan, or Tethyan, System
  - The Himalayan chain
  - The Zagros and Bitlis mountains
  - The western segment of the system
- Residual mountain ranges and thermally uplifted belts
Selected world mountains

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images, Videos & Interactives

Understand how the age of mountains determine their types; young mountains and old mountains

The video thumbnail image shows a snow-capped mountain against a blue sky.

For Students

Karakoram Range: K2 (Mount Godwin Austen)

mountain summary

Selected world mountains

inmountain

Written by Peter H. Molnar

Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Feb 26, 2025 • Article History

Key People:: Alfred Elis Törnebohm

Related Topics:: How Are Mountains Formed?; volcanic dome; nunatak; mesa; butte

See all related content

News •

Wildfires in the mountain: Forest and wildlife officers battles blaze • Feb. 25, 2025, 10:31 PM ET (Nation.Africa)

‘Everything we had floated away’: Hurricane Helene survivors help each other as disinformation swirls • Feb. 18, 2025, 3:53 AM ET (The Guardian)

A list of selected world mountains is provided in the table.

Selected mountains of the world
				height
	name	range	location	feet	metres	year first climbed
Africa
	Kilimanjaro (Kibo peak)		Tanzania	19,340	5,895	1889
	Mount Kenya (Batian peak)		Kenya	17,058	5,199	1899
	Margherita	Ruwenzori	Congo (Dem.Rep.)-Uganda	16,795	5,119	1906
Antarctica
	Vinson Massif	Sentinel Range	Ellsworth Mountains	16,050	4,892	1966
	Tyree	Sentinel Range	Ellsworth Mountains	15,919	4,852	1967
	Shinn	Sentinel Range	Ellsworth Mountains	15,751	4,801	1966
Asia
	Everest (Chomolungma)	Himalayas	Nepal-Tibet, China	29,035	8,850	1953
	K2 (Godwin Austen; Chogori)	Karakoram	Pakistan-Xinjiang, China	28,251	8,611	1954
	Kanchenjunga (Gangchhendzonga)	Himalayas	Nepal-India	28,169	8,586	1955
	Lhotse I	Himalayas	Nepal-Tibet, China	27,940	8,516	1956
Caucasus
	Elbrus	Caucasus	Russia	18,510	5,642	1874
	Dykhtau	Caucasus	Russia	17,073	5,204	1888
	Koshtan-Tau	Caucasus	Russia	16,900	5,151	1889
Europe
	Mont Blanc	Alps	France-Italy	15,771	4,807	1786
	Dufourspitze (Monte Rosa)	Alps	Switzerland-Italy	15,203	4,634	1855
	Dom (Mischabel)	Alps	Switzerland	14,911	4,545	1858
North America
	McKinley (Denali)	Alaska	Alaska, U.S.	20,310	6,190	1913
	Logan	St. Elias Mountains	Yukon, Can.	19,551	5,959	1925
	Citlaltépetl (Orizaba)	Cordillera Neo-Volcánica	Mexico	18,406	5,610	1848
Oceania
	Jaya (Sukarno, Carstensz)	Sudirman	Indonesia	16,024	4,884	1962
	Pilimsit (Idenburg)	Sudirman	Indonesia	15,476	4,717	1962
	Trikora (Wilhelmina)	Jayawijaya	Indonesia	15,580	4,750	1912
South America
	Aconcagua	Andes	Argentina-Chile	22,831	6,959	1897
	Ojos del Salado	Andes	Argentina-Chile	22,615	6,893	1937
	Bonete	Andes	Argentina	22,546	6,872	1913

Conversions rounded to nearest 10 feet.