Jon Oliver, age 11, of London, Ky., for his question:
WHERE ARE THE WORLD'S MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGES?
The world's five highest peaks are all part of the rugged Himalaya range. Ranking No. 1 is Mount Everest. Located on the frontiers of Tibet and Nepal, north of India, the peak reaches up 29,028 feet. Just 778 feet shorter is Mount Godwin Austen, or K2, which is in the Karakoram range of the Himalayas in northern Kashmir.
Eight separate mountain ranges must be listed in the major networks of high ground in the world. Here they are:
1 Himalaya range extends about 1,500 miles along the border between India and Tibet. Here stand the world's most lofty peaks.
2 Atlas Mountains extend for 1,500 miles across northwestern Africa, stretching from Cape Rhir on the Atlantic Ocean to Cape Bon on the Mediterreanean Sea.
3 Ural Mountains run for 1,500 miles through western Russia. Many geographers say the range is the official boundary between Europe and Asia.
4 Alps run 750 miles, stretching northward from near the Mediterranean Sea in France and continuing through northern Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, southern West Germany, Austria and northern Yugoslavia. Many say this range wins honors for having the world's most magnificent sceney.
5 Alaska range curves about 600 miles across south¬central Alaska from the Alaska Peninsula to the Yukon Territory. Mount McKinley, its highest peak, is also the highest point in North America. Several hundred large glaciers are on the slopes of this 20,320 foot peak.
6 Appalachian Mountains extend 1,500 miles from the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec to central Alabama. Over the past several million years, frost, wind and rain have worn most of the mountains in this range smooth.
7 Rocky Mountains extend from Alaska to northern New Mexico a distance of more than 3,000 miles. It's the world's second longest mountain range.
8 Andes Mountains form the longest range of mountains in the world. They stretch along the full west coast of South America from Cape Horn to Panama for a distance of 4,500 miles. Only the Himalaya Mountains are higher than the Andes range.
Geologists say high ground isn't mountainous unless the ground rises at least 2,000 feet above its surroundings. The land surface should consist of long slopes, deep canyons and valleys, as well as high and narrow ridges. A mountain region should also include two or more zones of climate and plant life.