Editing Kangchenjunga (section)

==Geography==
{{wide image|Panorama Kangchenjunga from Darjeeling.jpg|600px|Panorama of the Kangchenjunga massif from Tiger Hill, Darjeeling}}
[[File:Majestic Kanchendzonga from Darjeeling early morning.jpg|thumb|Kanchendzonga from Darjeeling on a winter morning]]
[[File:Round Kangchenjunga; a narrative of mountain travel and exploration (1903) (14771327254).jpg|alt=|thumb|Kangchenjunga map by Garwood, 1903<ref name=Freshfield1903/>]]
[[File:Kangchenjunga South Face.jpg|thumb|Southwest (Yalung) face of Kangchenjunga seen from Nepal]]
The ''Kangchenjunga Himal'' section of the Himalayas lies both in Nepal and India and encompasses 16 peaks over {{cvt|7000|m}}. In the north, it is limited by the [[Lhonak River|Lhonak Chu]], Goma Chu and [[Jongsong Peak|Jongsang La]], and in the east by the Teesta River. The western limit runs from the Jongsang La down the Gingsang and Kangchenjunga glaciers and the rivers of Ghunsa and [[Tamur River|Tamur]].<ref name=Freshfield1903>{{cite book |author=Freshfield, D. W. |year=1903 |title=Round Kangchenjunga: a narrative of mountain travel and exploration |publisher=Edward Arnold |location=London |url=https://archive.org/stream/roundkangchenjun00fresrich#page/n7/mode/2up}}</ref><ref name=Carter1985>{{cite journal |last=Carter |first=H. A. |year=1985 |title=Classification of the Himalaya |journal=American Alpine Journal |volume=27 |issue=59 |pages=109–141 |url=http://c498469.r69.cf2.rackcdn.com/1985/109_carter_himalaya_aaj1985.pdf}}</ref> It lies in the border region between [[Koshi Province]] of [[Nepal]] and [[Sikkim]] state of [[India]], with the peaks West and Kangbachen in Nepal's [[Taplejung District]],<ref name=nbrb2007>{{cite book |last1=Bhuju, U. R. |last2=Shakya, P. R. |last3=Basnet, T. B. |last4=Shrestha, S. |year=2007 |title=Nepal Biodiversity Resource Book. Protected Areas, Ramsar Sites, and World Heritage Sites |location=Kathmandu, Nepal |publisher=International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, in cooperation with United Nations Environment Programme, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific |isbn=978-92-9115-033-5 |url=https://lib.icimod.org/api/files/2be35669-2f3f-48a7-8610-a4b6f35f8654/Nepal%20Biodiversity%20Resource%20Book.pdf}}</ref> and three of the five peaks, namely Main, Central and South, directly on the border.<ref>{{cite book |author=Gurung, H. |author2=Shrestha, R. K. |name-list-style=amp |year=1994 |title=Nepal Himalaya Inventory |publisher=Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation |location=Kathmandu}}</ref>

Kanchenjunga rises about {{cvt|20|km}} south of the general alignment of the Great Himalayan range, about {{cvt|125|km}} east-southeast of [[Mount Everest]] in a straight line. South of the southern face of Kanchenjunga runs the {{cvt|3000|-|3500|m}} high [[Singalila Ridge]] that separates Sikkim from Nepal and northern [[West Bengal]].<ref name=Dhar2000>{{Cite journal |last1=Dhar|first1=O. N.| last2=Nandargi| first2=S. |year=2000 |volume=55 |doi=10.1002/j.1477-8696.2000.tb04065.x |title=An appraisal of precipitation distribution around the Everest and Kanchenjunga peaks in the Himalayas |journal=Weather |issue=7| pages=223–234 |bibcode=2000Wthr...55..223D | s2cid=121273656}}</ref>
Until 1852, Kangchenjunga was assumed to be the [[List of past presumed highest mountains|highest mountain in the world]], but calculations and measurements by the [[Great Trigonometrical Survey]] of India in 1849 showed that [[Mount Everest]], known as Peak XV at the time, is actually higher. After allowing for further verification of all calculations, it was officially announced in 1856 that Kangchenjunga was the third-highest mountain<ref name=Gillman1993>{{cite book |last=Gillman, P. |year=1993 |title=Everest: The Best Writing and Pictures from Seventy Years of Human Endeavour |publisher=Little, Brown and Company |location=Boston |isbn=978-0316904896 |page=208}}</ref> after Everest and [[K2]] of Karakoram.<ref>{{cite book |last=Searle |first=M.P. |title=Colliding Continents: A Geological Exploration of the Himalaya, Karakoram, and Tibet |publisher=OUP Oxford |series=EBL ebooks online |year=2013 |isbn=978-0-19-965300-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WmK-hpZtHWgC&pg=PA65 |page=65}}</ref>

Kangchenjunga and its satellite peaks form a huge mountain [[massif]].<ref name=Smythe>{{cite book |author=Smythe, F. S. |year=1930 |title=The Kangchenjunga adventure |publisher=Victor Gollancz Ltd. |place=London |url=https://archive.org/stream/KanchenjungaAdventure/kanchenjunga#page/n13/mode/2up}}</ref> The massif's five highest peaks are listed in the table at the end of this section.

The main ridge of the massif runs from north-northeast to south-southwest and forms a watershed to several rivers.<ref name=Smythe/> The main ridge intersects with other ridges running roughly from east to west to form a giant cross.<ref name=Freshfield1903/> These ridges contain a host of peaks between {{cvt|6000|and|8586|m}}. The northern section includes Yalung Kang, Kangchenjunga Central and South, Kangbachen, [[Kirat Chuli]] and [[Gimmigela Chuli]], and runs up to the Jongsang La. The eastern ridge in Sikkim includes [[Siniolchu]]. The southern section runs along the Nepal–Sikkim border and includes [[Kabru]] I to III.<ref name=Carter1985/> This ridge extends southwards to the [[Singalila Ridge]].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Mason, K. |year=1932 |title=The Recent Assaults on Kangchenjunga: Review |journal=The Geographical Journal |volume=80 |issue=5 |pages=439–445}}</ref> The western ridge culminates in the Kumbhakarna, also known as [[Jannu]].<ref name=Carter1985/>

Four main [[glacier]]s radiate from the peak, pointing roughly to the northeast, southeast, northwest and southwest. The [[Zemu Glacier|Zemu]] glacier in the northeast and the Talung glacier in the southeast drain to the Teesta River; the Yalung glacier in the southwest and the Kangchen glacier in the northwest drain to the [[Arun River, China-Nepal|Arun]] and [[Kosi river]]s.<ref name=Freshfield1902>{{cite journal |author=Freshfield, D. W. |year=1902 |title=The Glaciers of Kangchenjunga |journal=The Geographical Journal |volume=19 |pages=453–475 |url=https://archive.org/stream/geographicaljou17britgoog#page/n492/mode/2up}}</ref>
The glaciers spread over the area above approximately {{cvt|5000|m}}, and the glacialized area covers about {{cvt|314|km2}} in total.<ref>{{cite report |author=Asahi, K. |year=1999 |title=Data on inventoried glaciers and its distribution in eastern part of Nepal Himalaya. Data Report 2, Basic studies for assessing the impacts of the global warming on the Himalayan cryosphere, 1994–1998 |publisher=Institute for Hydrospheric-Atmospheric Sciences, Nagoya University and Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, HMG/Nepal}}</ref> There are 120 glaciers in the Kanchenjunga Himal, of which 17 are [[Glacial debris|debris]]-covered. Between 1958 and 1992, more than half of 57 examined glaciers had retreated, possibly due to [[Global warming|rising of air temperature]].<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Ashahi, K. |author2=Watanabe, T.|year=2000 |title=Past and recent glacier fluctuations in Kanchenjunga Himal, Nepal |journal=Journal of Nepal Geological Society |volume=22 |pages=481–490}}</ref>

Kangchenjunga Main is the highest elevation of the [[Brahmaputra River]] basin, which forms part of the [[Monsoon of South Asia|southeast Asian monsoon]] regime and is among the globally largest river basins.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Bajracharya, S. R. |author2=Palash, W. |author3=Shrestha, M. S. |author4=Khadgi, V. R. |author5=Duo, C. |author6=Das, P. J. |author7=Dorji, C. |year=2015 |title=Systematic Evaluation of Satellite-Based Rainfall Products over the Brahmaputra Basin for Hydrological Applications |journal=Advances in Meteorology |page=398687}}</ref>
Kangchenjunga is one of six peaks above {{cvt|8000|m}} located in the basin of the [[Kosi River]], which is among the largest tributaries of the [[Ganges]].<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Shijin, W. |author2=Tao, Z. |year=2014 |title=Spatial change detection of glacial lakes in the Koshi River Basin, the Central Himalayas |journal=Environmental Earth Sciences |volume=72 |issue=11 |pages=4381–4391}}</ref>
The Kangchenjunga massif forms also part of the [[Ganges Basin]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Peakbagger.com |year=1987–2015 |url=http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=10653 |title=Kangchenjunga, India/Nepal |access-date= 11 May 2014}}</ref>

Although it is the third highest peak in the world, Kangchenjunga is only [[List of peaks by prominence|ranked 29th]] by [[topographic prominence]], a measure of a mountain's independent stature. The key col for Kangchenjunga lies at a height of {{cvt|4664|m}}, along the watershed boundary between Arun and Brahmaputra rivers in Tibet.<ref name=pkbrkc>{{cite web |url=http://peakbagger.com/keycol.aspx?pid=10653|title= Key Col for Kangchenjunga|publisher=Peakbagger.com|access-date=3 April 2016}}</ref> It is, however, the fourth-most-prominent peak in the Himalayas, after Everest, and the western and eastern anchors of the Himalaya, [[Nanga Parbat]] and [[Namcha Barwa]], respectively.<ref name=pkbrprom>{{cite web |url=http://www.peakbagger.com/list.aspx?lid=403|title= World Top 100 by Prominence|publisher=Peakbagger.com|access-date=3 April 2016}}</ref>
{{static row numbers}}{{sort under}}{{Table alignment}}{{row hover highlight}}
{|class="wikitable sortable static-row-numbers static-row-header-text col1left col2center col3center col5center col6center sort-under-center hover-highlight" "style="font-size: 100%"
|-
! class="unsortable" ! rowspan=2 | Name of peak
! colspan="2" | Height
! class="unsortable" ! rowspan=2 | {{tooltip|Coordinates|Click on the link to see the approx. location, maps and aerial images of the peak, provided by global services}}
! colspan="2" | Prominence
! rowspan="2" | Nearest Higher Neighbour
! rowspan="2" |  Location
|-
! meters
! feet
! meters
! feet
|-
| Kangchenjunga Main<ref name="peaklist">{{cite web |author1=Jurgalski, E. |author2=de Ferranti, J. |author3=Maizlish, A. |year=2000–2005 |title=High Asia II – Himalaya of Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim and adjoining region of Tibet |publisher=Peaklist.org |url=http://peaklist.org/WWlists/ultras/everest.html | access-date=16 May 2019}}</ref>
| 8,586
| 28,169
| {{coord|27|42|10.8|N|88|08|53.52|E}}
| 3,922
| 12,867
| Mount Everest&nbsp;– South Summit
| [[Mangan district]], [[Sikkim]], [[India]] / [[Taplejung District|Taplejung]], [[Koshi Province]], [[Nepal]]
|-
| [[Yalung Kang]] (Kangchenjunga West)<ref>Peakbagger.com (1987–2012). [http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=28920 Yalung Kang]</ref>
| 8,505
| 27,904
| {{coord|27|42|18|N|88|08|12|E}}
| 135
| 443
| Kangchenjunga
| Taplejung, Koshi Province, Nepal
|-
| Kangchenjunga Central<ref>Peakbagger.com (1987–2012). [http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=28922 Kanchenjunga Central]</ref>
| 8,482
| 27,828
| {{coord|27|41|46|N|88|09|04|E}}
| 32
| 105
| Kangchenjunga South
| Mangan district, Sikkim, India / Taplejung, Koshi Province, Nepal
|-
| [[Kangchenjunga South]]<ref>Peakbagger.com (1987–2012). [http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=28921 Kanchenjunga South]</ref>
| 8,494
| 27,867
| {{coord|27|41|30|N|88|09|15|E}}
| 119
| 390
| Kangchenjunga
| Mangan district, Sikkim, India / Taplejung, Koshi Province, Nepal
|-
| [[Kangbachen]]<ref>Peakbagger.com (1987–2012). [http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=28923 Kangbachen]</ref>
| 7,903
| 25,928
| {{coord|27|42|42|N|88|06|30|E}}
| 103
| 337
| Kangchenjunga West
| Taplejung, Koshi Province, Nepal
|}

===Protected areas===
The Kangchenjunga landscape is a complex of three distinct [[ecoregion]]s: the [[Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests|eastern Himalayan broad-leaved]] and [[Eastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests|coniferous forests]], the [[Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows]] and the [[Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands]].<ref>{{cite book |editor=Wikramanayake, E. D.|year= 2001 |title=Ecoregion-based Conservation in the Eastern Himalaya: Identifying Important Areas for Biodiversity Conservation |publisher=World Wildlife Fund and International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development |location=Kathmandu |isbn=978-9993394006}}</ref>
The Kangchenjunga transboundary landscape is shared by Nepal, India, [[Bhutan]] and [[China]], and comprises 14 [[protected area]]s with a total of {{cvt|6032|km2}}:<ref name=Chettri2006>{{cite book |author1=Chettri, N. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Bajracharya, B. |author3=Thapa, R. |year=2008 |chapter=Feasibility Assessment for Developing Conservation Corridors in the Kangchenjunga Landscape |pages=21–30 |title=Biodiversity Conservation in the Kangchenjunga Landscape |editor1=Chettri, N. |editor2=Shakya, B. |editor3=Sharma, E. |publisher=International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development |location=Kathmandu |chapter-url=http://lib.icimod.org/record/7890/files/attachment_520.pdf}}</ref>
* Nepal: [[Kanchenjunga Conservation Area]]
* Sikkim, India: [[Khangchendzonga National Park]], [[Varsey Rhododendron Sanctuary]], [[Fambong Lho Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary]], [[Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary]] and [[Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary]]
* [[Darjeeling]], India: [[Jore Pokhri Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Singalila National Park]], [[Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary]] and [[Neora Valley National Park]]
* Bhutan: [[Torsa Strict Nature Reserve]]
These protected areas are habitats for many globally significant [[plant]] species such as [[rhododendron]]s and [[orchid]]s and many [[Endangered species|endangered]] flagship species such as [[snow leopard]] (''Panthera uncia''), [[Asian black bear]] (''Ursus thibetanus''), [[red panda]] (''Ailurus fulgens''), [[white-bellied musk deer]] (''Moschus leucogaster''), [[blood pheasant]] (''Ithaginis cruentus'') and [[chestnut-breasted partridge]] (''Arborophila mandellii'').<ref name=Chettri2006/>