Editing Himalayas (section)

==Geography and key features==
{{anchor | Geo | Geography }}

{{see also|List of Himalayan peaks and passes|Himalayan Rim}}
[[File:Himalayas Map.png|thumb|Map of the Himalayas (including the [[Hindu Kush]])]]
[[File:Himalaya sud avion.JPG|thumb|The [[Annapurna (mountain range)|Annapurna]] range of the Himalayas]]
[[File:Marsyangdi valley with Annapurna II - Annapurna Circuit, Nepal - panoramio.jpg|thumb|[[Marsyangdi]] valley with [[Annapurna II]]]]
[[ File:Eastern Hindu Kush range Pakistan-Afghanistan.webm|thumb|right|The eastern end of the [[Hindu Kush]] mountain range as seen from a plane above the [[Lowari Pass]] connecting [[Chitral]] and [[Upper Dir District]] in [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]], Pakistan]]

The Himalayas consists of four parallel [[mountain ranges]] from south to north: the [[Sivalik Hills]] on the south; the [[Lower Himalayan Range]]; the [[Great Himalayas]], which is the highest and central range; and the [[Tibetan Himalayas]] on the north.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Himalayas |title=Himalayas|publisher=Encyclopedia Britannica|last1= Bishop|first1= Barry C. |last2= Chatterjee|first2= Shiba P.|date=14 August 2023 }}</ref> The [[Karakoram]] are generally considered separate from the Himalayas.

In the middle of the great curve of the Himalayan mountains lie the {{cvt|8000|m|||}} peaks of [[Dhaulagiri]] and [[Annapurna]] in [[Nepal]], separated by the [[Kali Gandaki Gorge]]. The gorge splits the Himalayas into Western and Eastern sections, both ecologically and orographically – the pass at the head of the Kali Gandaki, the [[Kora La]], is the lowest point on the ridgeline between Everest and [[K2]] (the highest peak of the Karakoram range). To the east of Annapurna are the {{convert|8000|m|mile|abbr=on}} peaks of [[Manaslu]] and across the border in Tibet, [[Shishapangma]]. To the south of these lies [[Kathmandu]], the capital of Nepal and the largest city in the Himalayas. East of the [[Kathmandu Valley]] lies the valley of the Bhote/[[Sun Kosi]] river which rises in Tibet and provides the main overland route between Nepal and China – the [[Araniko Highway]]/[[China National Highway 318]]. Further east is the [[Mahalangur Himal]] with four of the world's six highest mountains, including the highest: [[Cho Oyu]], [[Everest]], [[Lhotse]], and [[Makalu]]. The [[Khumbu]] region, popular for trekking, is found here on the south-western approaches to Everest. The [[Arun River, China-Nepal|Arun river]] drains the northern slopes of these mountains, before turning south and flowing to the range to the east of Makalu.

In the far east of Nepal, the Himalayas rise to the [[Kangchenjunga]] massif on the border with India, the third-highest mountain in the world, the most easterly {{convert|8000|m|ft|abbr=on}} summit and the highest point of [[India]]. The eastern side of Kangchenjunga is in the Indian state of [[Sikkim]]. Formerly an independent Kingdom, it lies on the main route from India to [[Lhasa]], Tibet, which passes over the [[Nathu La]] pass into Tibet. East of Sikkim lies the ancient Buddhist Kingdom of [[Bhutan]]. The highest mountain in Bhutan is [[Gangkhar Puensum]], which is also a strong candidate for the highest unclimbed mountain in the world. The Himalayas here are becoming increasingly rugged, with heavily forested steep valleys. The Himalayas continue, turning slightly northeast, through the Indian State of [[Arunachal Pradesh]] as well as Tibet, before reaching their easterly conclusion in the peak of [[Namche Barwa]], situated in Tibet, inside the great bend of the [[Yarlung Tsangpo River|Yarlang Tsangpo]] river. On the other side of the Tsangpo, to the east, are the [[Kangri Garpo]] mountains. The high mountains to the north of the Tsangpo, including [[Gyala Peri]], however, are also sometimes included in the Himalayas.

Going west from Dhaulagiri, Western Nepal is somewhat remote and lacks major high mountains, but is home to [[Rara Lake]], the largest lake in Nepal. The [[Karnali River]] rises in Tibet but cuts through the centre of the region. Further west, the border with India follows the [[Sarda River]] and provides a trade route into China, where on the Tibetan plateau lies the high peak of [[Gurla Mandhata]]. Just across [[Lake Manasarovar]] from this lies the sacred [[Mount Kailash]] in the [[Kailash Ranges]], which stands close to the source of the four main rivers of Himalayas and is revered in Hinduism, [[Jainism]], [[Buddhism]], Sufism and Bonpo. In [[Uttarakhand]], the Himalayas are regionally divided into the [[Kumaon division|Kumaon]] and [[Garhwal division|Garhwal]] Himalayas with the high peaks of [[Nanda Devi]] and [[Kamet]].<ref name=britannica>{{Cite web | url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Kumaun-Himalayas|title=Kumaun Himalayas|publisher = Encyclopedia Britannica|first1= Kenneth |last1= Pletcher |date =March 13, 2009 }}</ref> The state is also home to the important pilgrimage destinations of Chota [[Chota Char Dham|Chaar Dhaam]], with [[Gangotri]], the source of the holy river [[Ganges]], [[Yamunotri]], the source of the river [[Yamuna]], and the temples at [[Badrinath]] and [[Kedarnath]].

The next Himalayan Indian state, [[Himachal Pradesh]], is noted for its hill stations, particularly [[Shimla]], the summer capital of the [[British Raj]], and [[Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh|Dharamsala]], the centre of the Tibetan community and [[Central Tibetan Administration|government in exile]] in India. This area marks the start of the [[Punjab Himalaya]] and the [[Sutlej river]], the most easterly of the five tributaries of the [[Indus]], cuts through the range here. Further west, the Himalayas form much of the disputed Indian-administered union territory of [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]] where lie the mountainous [[Jammu division|Jammu region]] and the renowned [[Kashmir Valley]] with the town and lakes of [[Srinagar]]. The Himalayas form most of the south-west portion of the disputed Indian-administered union territory of [[Ladakh]]. The twin peaks of [[Nun Kun]] are the only mountains over {{convert|7000|m|mile|abbr=on}} in this part of the Himalayas. Finally, the Himalayas reach their western end in the dramatic 8000&nbsp;m peak of [[Nanga Parbat]], which rises over {{convert|8000|m|ft|abbr=on}} above the Indus valley and is the most westerly of the 8000&nbsp;m summits. The western end terminates at a magnificent point near Nanga Parbat where the Himalayas intersect with the Karakoram and [[Hindu Kush]] ranges, in the disputed Pakistani-administered territory of [[Gilgit-Baltistan]]. Some portion of the Himalayas, such as the [[Kaghan Valley]], [[Margalla Hills]], and [[Galyat]] tract, extend into the Pakistani provinces of [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]] and [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]].