Himalaya Mountains #

Image courtesy of USGS., under PD

Soaring, snow-capped peaks and ridges of the eastern Himalaya Mountains create an irregular white-on-red patchwork between major rivers in southwestern China in this enhanced satellite image.

The Himalayas are made up of three parallel mountain ranges that together extend more than 2,900 km (1,800 mi) and are the youngest mountain range on the planet.

Some of the worlds major rivers rise in these mountains and their combined drainage basin is home to almost half of the worlds entire population.