The Himalayas are a mountain range in Asia, which separates the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau.
The Himalayas are where the highest mountains in the world, such as Mount Everest and Kangchenjunga, are located. Etymologically, the Himalayas mean "snow-dwelling place" in Sanskrit (from hima "snow", and aalaya "residence").
The Himalayas extend over five countries - Pakistan, India, China, Bhutan and Nepal. It is the source of two major river systems of the world - the Indus River and the Ganga-Brahmaputra River. Approximately 750 million people live in the area around the waterways from the Himalayas, which belong to Bangladesh.
The Himalayas due to their large size and vastness, have been a great natural barrier for humans since ancient times. In particular, the prevention of relations between people from the Indian sub-continent and people from China and Mongolia, led to very different languages and cultures of the region.
The Himalayas have also prevented trade routes and military expeditions through it. For example, Genghis Khan could not expand his empire south of the Himalayas into the Indian sub-continent.
