Karakoram Rangemountains, Asia Chinese (Wade-Giles) K’a-la-k’un-lun Shan, or (Pinyin) Karakorum Shan,
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![The Hindu Kush and the Karakoram Range.[Credits : Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]](http://web.archive.org/web/20080508002038im_/http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/27/5927-003.gif "The Hindu Kush and the Karakoram Range.[Credits : Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]")
great mountain system extending some 300 miles (500 kilometres) from the easternmost extension of Afghanistan in a southeasterly direction along the watershed between Central and South Asia. Found there are the greatest concentration of high mountains in the world and the longest glaciers outside the high latitudes. The borders of Tajikistan, China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India all converge within the Karakoram system, giving this remote region great geopolitical significance. The name “Kurra-koorrum,” a rendering of the Turkic term for “Black Rock” or “Black Mountain,” appeared in early 19th-century English writings.
Physical features » Physiography
The Karakorams consist of a group of parallel ranges with several spurs. Only the central part is a monolithic range. The width of the system is about 150 miles; the length is increased from 300 to 500 miles if the easternmost extension—the Ch’iang-ch’en-mo (called Chāng Chenmo in the Ladākh region) and Pangong ranges of the Plateau of Tibet—is included. The system occupies about 80,000 square miles (207,000 square kilometres). The average elevation of mountains in the Karakorams is about 20,000 feet (6,100 metres), and four peaks exceed 26,000 feet; the highest, K2 (also called Chogori and Dapsang), at 28,251 feet (8,611 metres), is the second highest peak in the world.
The topography is characterized by craggy peaks and steep slopes. The southern slopes are long and steep, the northern slopes steep and short. Cliffs and taluses (great accumulations of large fallen rocks) occupy a vast area. In the intermontane valleys, rocky inclines occur widely. Transverse valleys usually have the appearance of narrow, deep, steep ravines.
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Aspects of this topic are discussed in the following places at Britannica.
Assorted References
- drainage by Yarkand River ( in Yarkand River )
- water divide of Himalayas ( in Himalayas: Drainage )
mountain belts of Asia
( in Asia: The mountain belts )- geology ( in Hindu Kush: Geology )
- glaciation ( in Indus River: Physical features )
- transportation ( in Pakistan: The northern mountains )
physiography of
- Baltistan region ( in Baltistan )
- Jammu and Kashmir ( in Jammu and Kashmir: The Karakoram Range )
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one of the world’s longest mountain glaciers, lying in the Karakoram Range system of Kashmir near the India–Pakistan border, extending for 44 mi (70 km) from north-northwest to south-southeast. It has a number of fast-flowing surface streams and at least 12 medial moraines. It is the source for the 50-mi-long Nubra River, a tributary of the Shyok, which is part of the Indus River system.
great mountain system extending some 300 miles (500 kilometres) from the easternmost extension of Afghanistan in a southeasterly direction along the watershed between Central and South Asia. Found there are the greatest concentration of high mountains in the world and the longest glaciers outside the high latitudes. The borders of Tajikistan, China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India all converge within the Karakoram system, giving this remote region great geopolitical significance. The name “Kurra-koorrum,” a rendering of the Turkic term for “Black Rock” or “Black Mountain,” appeared in early 19th-century English writings.
The Karakorams consist of a group of parallel ranges with several spurs. Only the central part is a monolithic range. The width of the system is about 150 miles; the length is increased from 300 to 500 miles if the easternmost extension—the Ch’iang-ch’en-mo (called Chāng Chenmo in the Ladākh region) and Pangong ranges of the Plateau of Tibet—is included. The system occupies about 80,000 square miles (207,000 square kilometres). The average elevation of mountains in the Karakorams is about 20,000 feet (6,100 metres), and four peaks exceed 26,000 feet; the highest, K2 (also called Chogori and Dapsang), at 28,251 feet (8,611 metres), is the second highest peak in the world.
The topography is characterized by craggy peaks and steep slopes. The southern slopes are long and steep, the northern slopes steep and short. Cliffs and taluses (great accumulations of large fallen rocks) occupy a vast area. In the intermontane...
Aspects of this topic are discussed in the following places at Britannica.
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exploration of Karakoram Range Karakoram Range
...of Karakoram geography. Baltistān and its principal town, Skārdu, appear on F.J. Visscher’s 1680 map. Early 19th-century European travelers such as the Englishmen William Moorcroft, George Trebeck, and Godfrey Thomas Vigne plotted the locations of major rivers, glaciers, and mountains. The extraordinary topography, along with protracted military tensions in the Karakorams...
Aspects of this topic are discussed in the following places at Britannica.
-
Karakoram Range Karakoram Range
...of the system is about 150 miles; the length is increased from 300 to 500 miles if the easternmost extension—the Ch’iang-ch’en-mo (called Chāng Chenmo in the Ladākh region) and Pangong ranges of the Plateau of Tibet—is included. The system occupies about 80,000 square miles (207,000 square kilometres). The average elevation of mountains in the Karakorams is about...
Aspects of this topic are discussed in the following places at Britannica.
-
exploration of Karakoram Range Karakoram Range
...pre-European knowledge of Karakoram geography. Baltistān and its principal town, Skārdu, appear on F.J. Visscher’s 1680 map. Early 19th-century European travelers such as the Englishmen William Moorcroft, George Trebeck, and Godfrey Thomas Vigne plotted the locations of major rivers, glaciers, and mountains. The extraordinary topography, along with protracted military tensions in...
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Media
- The Hindu Kush and the Karakoram Range.[Credits : Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]
- K2 in the Karakoram Range, northern Baltistan, Pakistan.
- Godwin Austin Glacier and K2 in the Karakoram Range, Pakistan[Credits : Art Wolfe]
- Terraced fields of the Hunza River valley in the Karakoram Range, Pakistan.[Credits : © Jeffrey Alford/Asia Access]