Himalya means "The Abode of Snow"in Sanskrit

The Himalayas, in Asia, are the highest mountain system in the world.

The Himalayans contain peaks exeeding 20,000 ft. (6,100 m) above sea level. They are about 1,500 miles (2,400 km) long and about 100 to 150 miles (160 to 240 km) wide. The mountains form a massive barrier between the Plateau of Tibet on the north and the Indian subcontinent on the south.

Except for southern foothills and valleys, the mountains are sparsely inhabited. People live mainly by farming, hunting, and the grazing of sheep and goats. No railways and few roads cross the Himalayas; trade is limited, and mineral and forest resources are largely untouched.

Glaciers feed most of the upper courses of the rivers, while the middle and lower areas are fed by rain.

Chief cities include Srinagar, in Kashmir; Simla and Darjeeling, in India; and Kathmandu, Patan,and Bhadgaon, in Nepal.

The traditonal economy combines agriculture, herding and trade.