Longest Mountain Ranges in the World

From the Rocky Mountains to the Himalayas, our planet Earth is blessed with some of its longest and most amazing mountain ranges! They extend over thousands of kilometers and have been a great sign of scenic beauty too. Find out more about the longest mountain ranges in the world in the article below.

The Rocky Mountains

Rocky Mountains

Also known as the Rockies, the Rocky Mountains are the longest mountain range in North America. It stretches 4,800 kilometers (3,000 miles) from British Columbia in Canada, to New Mexico, USA. Believed to be formed about 80 million years ago, The Rockies are now protected, and there are several public parks intended to preserve most of the mountain range. The highest peak on The Rockies is the Mount Elbert of Colorado. The height of these mountains extends up to 14,440 feet.

Javan Mountains Range

Javan Mountains

Also known as the West Sumatran/Javan Range, most of it consists of the Barisan Mountains in Sumatra, Indonesia. It stretches 1,700 kilometers (1,050 miles) from the northern to southern tips of the island. These are one of the longest mountain ranges in Indonesia.

Tian Shan Mountain Ranges, Central Asia

The Tian Shan or Tien Shan is the system of mountain ranges located in Central Asia. Lying 2,253 kilometers on the borders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and northwestern China, its highest peak is the JengishChokusu, which rises at 24,406 feet. The word Tian Shan means “Mountains of the Heavens.” UNESCO also considers them among their list of World Heritage Sights. This mountain is known as the heavenly mountain because of its height and its beautiful scenic view around.

Transantarctic range, Antarctica

The Transantarctic range stretches across this ice continent, from Victoria Land to Coats Land. Its highest peak is the Mount Kirkpatrick (14,856 feet). These mountain ranges are known to be dividing Antarctica into East Antarctica and West Antarctica. The length of these mountain ranges is about 3500 kilometers which makes it the most prominent mountain ranges of the entire continent. These mountain ranges were first spotted in the year 1841.

The Ural Mountains

Urals Mountain

The Ural Mountains or the Urals are one of the world’s existing mountain ranges and also one of the richest in terms of mineral deposits. It stretches roughly 1,600 miles or 2500 kilometers from north to south, from the coast of the Atlantic Ocean down to the Ural River in central Russia. In contrast, the width of these mountains is 150 kilometers or 93 miles. The highest peak on these mountain ranges is the Mount Narodnaya which is 1900 meters or 6217 feet high.

The Altai Mountains

The Altai Mountains share borders with Russia, China, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan, and are among the highest mountains in Siberia. “Altai” is derived from the Mongolian word Altan, which means “golden.”

Andes Mountain Range

The Andes is considered to have the longest continental mountain range in the world. It stretches from Venezuela down to almost the tip of Argentina, making it look like a “backbone” in South America. The range is about 7000 kilometers long which is almost 4300 miles. The width of these mountains is only 50 kilometers whereas the highest peak of these mountains is the Aconcagua. This peak has an elevation gain of about 23,000 feet or 7000 meters.

Brazilian Highlands

Brazilian Highlands

Also known as Brazilian Highlands, it borders on Amazon Basin and rainforest and the country’s eastern coast, fronting the Atlantic Ocean. The total area of these mountains is 4,500,000 km2, and the highest peak on these mountain ranges is Mount Kirkpatrick. The length of these mountains extends up to 3500 kilometers. These mountain ranges go up at 2891 meters and 9845 feet. Majority of Brazil’s population lives in the surroundings of these mountains. The Brazilian Highlands are divided into three areas which are Southern Plateau, Central Plateau, and Atlantic Plateau.

New Guinea Highlands

Also known as the New Guinea Highlands, Central Cordillera or Central Range, the Central New Guinean Range stretches across New Guinea (Papua Island), and shares borders with Indonesia in the west and Papua New Guinea in the east. These are basically intermountain river valleys and ranges of tall mountains. The highest peak on these mountains stands at 16000 feet or 4900 meters. The highest peak is named Puncak Jaya.

The Eastern Ghats

The Eastern Ghats are a series of detached hills and mountains, which lie between the Mahanadi river and the Vaigai river. The Mahendragiri is the highest peak on the northern part of the range, rising at 1,501 meters whereas the Nallamala range is the most prominent in the southern part. They are located on the coast of India. Arma Konda is the highest point in these mountain ranges which stands at 5510 feet or 1700 meters. The Eastern Ghats are quite high but not as high as the Western Ghats.

The Great Dividing Range

The Great Dividing Range is the fourth longest mountain range in the world. The range spans over 2,175 miles along the entire east coast of Australia, from the Dauan Island off the northeast tip of Queensland, down to the to the eastern part of Victoria, at Grampians National Park. It is also known as the Eastern Highlands. The tallest point in these mountain ranges is the Mount Kosciuszko which stands at 7300 feet or 2300 meters. The length of these mountains is 3500 kilometers which is also about 2200 miles. The Great Dividing Range consists of a complex of mountain ranges, plateaus, upland areas, and escarpments.

Himalayas, Hindu Kush, Karakoram

The Himalayas/Karakoram/Hindu Kush are among the biggest mountain range in the world. Although the Karakoram and the Hindu Kush are possibly identified as the subranges of the Great Himalayas, other sources point that the Karakoram and the Hindu Kush are separate and distinct from each other.

The Karakoram even has its own 13 subranges. These mountain ranges are located between Pakistan and China. These mountain ranges have K2 as the highest peak which is at 8611 meters above the sea level or 28251 feet. K2 is known as the Savage Mountain due to the extreme difficulty of ascent.

Another interesting yet very dangerous peak in these mountain ranges is the Nanga Parbat. The Nanga Parbat is also one of the tallest peaks, but it is known as the killer mountain for the fact that a lot of people have been killed on the way to climbing up or coming back down.

MahalangurHimal sub-mountain Ranges

The world’s tallest peak stands in the MahalangurHimal sub-mountain-ranges. The highest peak at this point is Mount Everest. The length of these mountain ranges is more than 4000 kilometers as they end up and merge with the giant Himalayas too. The highest peak, i.e. Mount Everest is 8848 meters high or 29029 feet.

The above-mentioned mountain ranges are some of the longest mountain ranges in the world. If you are interested in mountain climbing, choose one of these mountain ranges and have a wonderful accomplishment.