MT. Everest
Nepal is known as the land of the Himalayas. These are the loftiest mountains in the world. The Himalayas extend all over northern Nepal and occupy nearly forty percent of the total area of our country. They consist of several parallel ranges, one higher than the other. The higher Himalayas are perpetually covered with snow, that’s why they are called the Himalayas. In Sanskrit, ‘Himalaya’ means the abode of snow. The higher Himalayas contain most of the highest peaks in the world. Some of the highest peaks Mt. Everest, Kanchanjungha, Lhotse and Cho Oyu. These peaks attract climbers every year. The high Himalayas contain several big glaciers and lakes. They are devoid of vegetation and human settlement.
The lower Himalayas are forested. The forests contain pine trees and rhododendrons. The rhododendron is the national flower of our country. On the flower parts of these mountains we find valleys and lakes. The lower Himalayas are inhabited but the density of populations. People rear goats and sheep. Some cultivation is done on the hill-slopes and in the valleys.
The Himalayas are a great hindrance to the development of our country. The cover a large part of our country. As they are unfit for cultivation, a big area of our country is a huge waste. Transport is difficult across the mountains and people cannot easily travel from one part of the country to another. Some parts of the Himalayas are inaccessible and inhospitable.
Though the Himalayas are an obstacle to the development of our country, we derive many benefits from them. They stand as sentinels on our northern border. They form an insurmountable wall and protect us from enemy attacks. Because of the Himalayas, we don’t have to deploy a big army on our northern frontier. The Himalayas also protect us from the cold winds blowing from Central Asia. Were it not for the Himalayas, the climate of Nepal would have been awfully cold in winter. The Himalayas also give us plenty of rain. They stop the monsoons coming from the Bay of Bengal and cause a good deal of rainfall.
The Himalayas supply our rivers with water. All our big rivers originate from the Himalayas. The rivers are full of water all the year round. They are useful for irrigation and generating electricity. The climate on the lower Himalayas is cool and conductive to health. A number of hill stations can be developed in these regions. The Himalayas are full of fine scenery and attract a large number of tourists and climbers. The influx of tourists is helping us to earn a large amount of foreign currency. The slopes of the lower Himalayas are rich in minerals, soft-wood tress, medicinal herbs and cash crops like tea and cardamom. Thus, the Himalayas are useful to us in many ways.
