The Himalayas are mountains that are located in South Asia. They are a part of Nepal, India, Pakistan, China and Bhutan. The mountains are the highest in the world, reaching almost 9,000 meters sea level. The Himalayas separate the Indian subcontinent from the inner part of Asia. The word Himalaya means " home of snow". 14 mountains are over 8,000 meters high, among them the K2, Nanga Parbat and Mount Everest, at 8,848 meters, the world's highest mountain. The Himalayas extend over 1,500 miles( 2,400km ) from the Indus valley in the west to the Brahmaputra Valley in the east. Many of the mountain peaks are sacred to the people who live in the surrounding areas . Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims go there and pray to God. The Himalayas belong to the youngest mountain ranges in the world. They were formed when the Indian subcontinent, which was originally a part of the southern landmass, drifted to the north and crashed into Asia. This movement started about 70 million years ago and has been going on up to the present day. The Himalayas are still becoming taller, moving at about 7 cm per year. Earthquakes and volcanoes are evidences that the area is still very active. Glaciers and permanent snow fields cover the higher regions of the Himalayas. They are the source of streams that flow into the two big rivers of the region. The Indus flows to the west and through Pakistan into the Arabia Sea. The Ganges and Brahmaputra flow to the east and get together in Bangladesh. They form the largest delta in the world. Why do Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims go to Himalayas and pray to God?
Because they live in the surrounding areas. Because they believe the mountain peaks are sacred. Because the word Himalaya means " home of snow". Because the Himalayas are the youngest mountain ranges in the world.