- Study of mountains: Orology
- Organized hills → Mountain ranges
- Geosyncline Theory
- Thermal Contraction Theory – Jeffreys
- Plate Tectonics Theory – Harry Hess
- Himalaya's origin: From the Tethys Geosyncline (Kober)
⚡ Quick Recall
The Himalayas formed from sediments of the ancient
Tethys Sea (Geosyncline) being uplifted.
Fold Mountains
- Himalayas (India)
- Alps (Europe)
- Rockies (N. America)
- Andes (S. America) — World's longest mountain range
Block Mountains
- Vosges (France)
- Black Forest (Germany)
- Satpura (India)
Volcanic Mountains
- Mauna Loa (Hawaii Islands)
- Loihi (Hawaii)
- Popa (Myanmar)
- Mount Fuji (Japan)
- Mount Kilimanjaro (Tanzania)
Residual Mountains
- Appalachian (N. America)
- Aravalli (India) — World's oldest mountains
⚠ Exam Trap
Andes = World's
longest mountain range; Aravalli = World's
oldest mountain range — these two superlatives are often swapped.
| Mountain Range | Location |
|---|
| Great Dividing Range | Eastern Australia |
| Ural Mountains / Caucasus | Russia (divides Asia & Europe) |
| Atlas / Drakensberg | Africa |
| Apennines | Italy |
| Pyrenees | France-Spain Border |
| Scandinavian Range | Europe – Norway, Finland, Sweden |
⚡ Quick Recall
Ural Mountains form the conventional boundary between
Europe and Asia.
| Peak / Height | Location | Key Fact |
|---|
| Mount Everest (8848 m) | Nepal-Tibet Border | Highest peak in world • Sagarmatha (Nepal) / Chomolungma (Tibet/China) |
| K-2 / Godwin-Austen (8611 m) | Pakistan (PoK)-China Border | Second highest peak in world |
| Kangchenjunga (8586 m) | India-Nepal Border | Third highest |
| Lhotse (8516 m) | Nepal-Tibet Border | Fourth highest |
| Makalu (8485 m) | Nepal-Tibet Border | Fifth highest |
| Dhaulagiri (8167 m) | Nepal | Seventh highest |
⚡ Quick Recall
Kangchenjunga is the only Top-5 peak located on the
India-Nepal border — and is India's highest peak.
| Type of Plateau | Examples |
|---|
| Intermontane Plateau | Plateau of Tibet (World's highest, ~5000 m), Pamir, Peru, Bolivia, Asia Minor (Turkey), Colombia |
| Continental Plateau | Brazilian Plateau, Arabian Plateau, Southern India Plateau, South Africa Plateau |
| Mountainous / Dissected Plateau | Plateau of Patagonia (Argentina), Malwa Plateau, Shillong Plateau |
| Dome-shaped Plateau | Chota Nagpur Plateau (India), Ozark Plateau (USA) |
| Rejuvenated Plateau | Missouri Plateau (America), Ranchi Plateau (India) |
| Arid / Desert Plateau | Potwar Plateau (Pakistan), Asean Plateau |
| Fluvial Plateau | Shan Plateau (Myanmar), Cherrapunji Plateau of Meghalaya |
| Loess Plateau | Loess Plateau (China) |
| Glacial Plateau | Antarctica and Greenland Plateau (World's second largest) |
⚠ Exam Trap
Plateau of
Tibet is the World's highest plateau (~5000 m); don't confuse it with the largest plateau by area (
Antarctica's ice plateau ranks among the largest).
- Water divide of Asia (often cited in India context) – Turkestan to Karakoram
- Highest peak of Africa – Mount Kilimanjaro (5895 m), Tanzania
- Pidurutalagala – Highest peak of Sri Lanka
- World's longest mountain range on land – Andes (S. America)
- World's oldest mountain range – Aravalli (India)
⚡ Quick Recall
Mount Kilimanjaro = Highest peak of Africa (5895 m) and also a Volcanic Mountain — combine both facts when revising.