Deutsch: Berg / Español: Montaña / Português: Montanha / Français: Montagne / Italiano: Montagna
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. These forces can locally raise the surface of the earth by over 3,000 m. Mountains erode slowly through the action of rivers, weather conditions, and glaciers. A few mountains are isolated summits, but most occur in huge mountain ranges.
High elevations on mountains produce colder climates than at sea level. These colder climates strongly affect the ecosystem 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 8,849.868 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).
In the travel context, a mountain is a large natural landform that rises steeply above the surrounding terrain and typically has a peak or summit. Mountains are popular travel destinations for hikers, climbers, and nature enthusiasts, and offer stunning views and outdoor recreation opportunities.
Here are some examples of famous mountains around the world:
- Mount Everest in the Himalayas, Nepal
- Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania
- Mount Fuji in Japan
- Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps
- Denali (formerly Mount McKinley) in Alaska, USA
- Mont Blanc in the French Alps
- Uluru (also known as Ayers Rock) in Australia
Similar natural landmarks that travelers might be interested in visiting include:
- Volcanoes, such as Mount Vesuvius in Italy and Kilauea in Hawaii, USA
- Canyons, such as the Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA and the Fish River Canyon in Namibia
- Waterfalls, such as Niagara Falls on the border of Canada and the United States and Iguazu Falls in Brazil and Argentina
- Natural arches and rock formations, such as the Arches National in Utah, USA and the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland
- Glaciers, such as Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina and Franz Josef Glacier in New Zealand.