of the Himalayas. It reaches more than five and a half miles into the sky. The Himalayas form a natural border between the Indian subcontinent and most of the rest of Asia. The Himalayas live up to their name, which means “home of snows.” The highest peaks are always covered in snow and ice. Fierce storms can dump 10 feet of snow on the area at one time. Water from glaciers in the Himalaya Mountains feeds northern India’s major rivers. Underneath the Himalaya Mountains, the Earth is always moving. This movement causes Mount Everest to rise slightly every year. It also makes earthquakes and landslides common in the area. Section 7 – Hindu Kush Mountains The Hindu Kush mountains form a rugged barrier between the Indus (IN-duhs) River valley and Afghanistan. This mountain range is not as tall as the Himalayas, but it is still one of the highest in the world. Some of its peaks are almost five miles high. Many parts of the mountain range are unlivable. Snow and ice permanently cover the steep slopes and peaks. The Khyber (KIE-ber) Pass forms a gap about 30 miles long in the mountains on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. The pass connects central Asia to the Indian subcontinent. For thousands of years, traders used the pass to enter the Indus River valley. Invaders also used the pass. But many died in the mountains’ unforgiving landscape. Section 8 – Indus River The Indus River begins in the Himalaya Mountains. It gets water from snow melting in the Hindu Kush mountains and other mountain ranges. This runoff of melting snow and ice from the mountains keeps the river’s water level high. Eventually, the river flows through present-day Pakistan and empties into the Arabian Sea. The Indus River valley contains some of the best farmland in the world. Like the Ganges River, the Indus River carries silt from the mountains to the plains. The silt leaves the surrounding soil rich and fertile. The Indus River has often been compared to Egypt’s Nile River. Like the Nile, the Indus is an important source of water for the farmland that lies along its banks. Section 9 – Thar Desert
of the Himalayas. It reaches more than five and a half miles into the sky. The Himalayas form a natural border between the Indian subcontinent and most of the rest of Asia. The Himalayas live up to their name, which means “home of snows.” The highest peaks are always covered in snow and ice. Fierce storms can dump 10 feet of snow on the area at one time. Water from glaciers in the Himalaya Mountains feeds northern India’s major rivers. Underneath the Himalaya Mountains, the Earth is always moving. This movement causes Mount Everest to rise slightly every year. It also makes earthquakes and landslides common in the area. Section 7 – Hindu Kush Mountains The Hindu Kush mountains form a rugged barrier between the Indus (IN-duhs) River valley and Afghanistan. This mountain range is not as tall as the Himalayas, but it is still one of the highest in the world. Some of its peaks are almost five miles high. Many parts of the mountain range are unlivable. Snow and ice permanently cover the steep slopes and peaks. The Khyber (KIE-ber) Pass forms a gap about 30 miles long in the mountains on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. The pass connects central Asia to the Indian subcontinent. For thousands of years, traders used the pass to enter the Indus River valley. Invaders also used the pass. But many died in the mountains’ unforgiving landscape. Section 8 – Indus River The Indus River begins in the Himalaya Mountains. It gets water from snow melting in the Hindu Kush mountains and other mountain ranges. This runoff of melting snow and ice from the mountains keeps the river’s water level high. Eventually, the river flows through present-day Pakistan and empties into the Arabian Sea. The Indus River valley contains some of the best farmland in the world. Like the Ganges River, the Indus River carries silt from the mountains to the plains. The silt leaves the surrounding soil rich and fertile. The Indus River has often been compared to Egypt’s Nile River. Like the Nile, the Indus is an important source of water for the farmland that lies along its banks. Section 9 – Thar Desert