A mountain range is a group or chain of mountains located close together.

Since neighboring
mountains often share the same geological origins, mountain ranges have similar form, size and
age. Think of them like a neighborhood of houses all built around the same time; while they are
not identical, they share similar features and are similar in their overall square footage.
One well-known mountain range is the Himalayas range in Asia. It was created when pieces of
the Earth's crust, called tectonic plates, crashed into each other several million years ago.
Many of the tallest mountains in the world (including the world's tallest, Mt. Everest) are part of
the Himalayas.
The longest mountain range in the world, the mid-ocean ridge, is one we cannot see; that is
because 90 percent of it is covered by the ocean. The mid-ocean ridge extends for 65,000
kilometers (or 40,389 miles), which is quite a distance if you consider that the Appalachian
Mountains, spanning from the American South to Canada, is 2,414 kilometers (or 1,500 miles)
long.

A mountain is a large landform that stretches above the surrounding land in a limited area,
usually in the form of a peak. A mountain is generally steeper than a hill. Mountains are formed
through tectonic forces or volcanism.High elevations on mountains produce colder climates than
at sea level. These colder climates strongly affect the ecosystems of mountains: different
elevations have different plants and animals. Because of the less hospitable terrain and climate,
mountains tend to be used less for agriculture and more for resource extraction and recreation,
such as mountain climbing.
The highest mountain on Earth is Mount Everest in the Himalayas of Asia, whose summit is
8,850 m (29,035 ft) above mean sea level. The highest known mountain on any planet in
the Solar System is Olympus Mons on Mars at 21,171 m (69,459 ft).

MOUNT EVEREST: the highest peak on Earth

Chimborazo Ecuador. The point on Earth's surface farthest from its center

The Alps are the largest mountain system in Europe. They cover parts of southeastern France and
northern Italy, most of Switzerland, part of southern Germany, and some of Austria and Yugoslavia. Most

travelers consider the towering Alpine peaks, covered with ice and snow, the most magnificent
natural sight in Europe.
This chain of mountains swings in a broad arc from near the Mediterranean Sea in France
northward to form the border between France and Italy. They continue eastward through
northern Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Austria. Then they turn southward into Yugoslavia.
They form a great barrier which separates northern Italy's Po Valley from the lowlands of France
and Germany and eastern Europe's Danubian Plain. The Alps are about 680 miles long, and
range in width between 80 and 140 miles. They cover about 80,000 square miles, more than the
combined areas of the states of Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Most Alpine peaks range in height between 6,000 and 8,000 feet (1,829 - 2,438 m.) above sea
level, but hundreds of peaks tower more than 10,000 feet (3,048 m.). Mont Blanc, in the
Pennine Alps, is the highest mountain in all the Alps. It towers 15,782 feet (4,810 m.) higher
than the sea. The second and third highest peaks, also in the Pennines, are Monte Rosa
(15,203 feet; 4,634 m.) and the Matterhorn (14,692 feet 4,478 m).The Alps are considered the
birthplace of "alpinism" or mountaineering. Summer visitors enjoy mountain climbing, swimming,
boating and hiking. In winter, Alpine resorts offer skiing, skating, tobogganing and curling. There
are many famous Alpine resorts here, including Chamonix (France); Zermatt, Saint Moritz, and
Davos (Switzerland); Sankt Anton and Innsbruck (Austria); Garmisch-Partenkirchen (in
Germany), and others.
Before the birth of Christ, Roman legions crossed the mountains to conquer Rhaeta
(Switzerland) and Gaul (France). Later conquerors also crossed over to invade Italy. The first
conqueror was Hannibal and his Cathaginians. A few centuries later, the Goths stormed through
the mountain passes. Then came the armies of Charlemagne and Charles V. In the early 1800s,
Napoleon built a magnificent road through the Simplon Pass for his invading armies.