The Himalayan range is the highest and also one of the youngest mountain ranges in the world, having been formed during the Jurassic Era (about 80 million years ago). Situated in Asia, it separates the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau and stretches across six countries (Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan) for about 2,400 km, from Nanga Parbat in the west to Namche Barwa in the east.

The range is home to all fourteen of the world's highest peaks (all exceeding 8,000 metres), including Mount Everest, and over 100 of its mountains exceed 7,000 metres. It is the source of three of the world's major river systems, affecting an estimated 750 million people who live in its watershed area, which includes Bangladesh. The range also encompasses an impressive number of glaciers, including Siachen Glacier, the largest in the world outside the polar regions.