Mount Everest is the highest mountain above sea level on Earth. Rising along the border between Nepal and China, its summit reaches 8,848.86 meters above sea level, placing it at the highest point of the Himalayan mountain system and making it one of the world's most recognizable natural landmarks.
Known as Sagarmatha in Nepali and Qomolangma in Tibetan, Everest is more than a record-setting peak. It is part of a vast mountain environment shaped by the collision of tectonic plates, surrounded by glaciers, culturally significant communities, protected landscapes, and some of the most demanding conditions encountered by high-altitude climbers.
Definition
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain above sea level, with an officially recognized elevation of 8,848.86 meters, or approximately 29,031.7 feet.
The mountain lies in the Himalayas on the international border between Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.
Why It Matters
Everest represents one of Earth's greatest geographic extremes. Its elevation provides scientists with opportunities to study geology, glaciers, atmospheric conditions, climate, and human physiology at exceptional altitudes.
The mountain also has enormous cultural and economic significance. Communities surrounding the Himalayas have longstanding relationships with the landscape, while mountaineering and trekking bring visitors from around the world to Nepal and the Everest region.
Where Is Mount Everest?
Mount Everest is located in the Mahalangur Himal section of the Himalayas. Its summit forms part of the boundary between Nepal to the south and China's Tibet Autonomous Region to the north.
On the Nepalese side, the mountain lies within Sagarmatha National Park. Kathmandu, Nepal's capital, is located considerably farther west and serves as a major international gateway for travelers heading toward the Everest region.
How High Is Mount Everest?
The officially recognized height of Mount Everest is 8,848.86 meters above sea level. Nepal and China jointly announced this measurement in December 2020 following separate surveying efforts and subsequent coordination between the two countries.
Measuring Everest is technically complicated because surveyors must determine the summit's position relative to sea level while accounting for factors including gravity, Earth's shape, surveying reference systems, and the snow covering the summit.
How Did Mount Everest Form?
Everest formed through the tectonic processes responsible for creating the Himalayas. The Indian tectonic plate moved northward and collided with the Eurasian plate, compressing and uplifting enormous masses of rock.
This continental collision began tens of millions of years ago and continues today. The Himalayas remain geologically active, and tectonic forces continue to deform the region.
Names of Mount Everest
The mountain has different names reflecting the languages and cultures of the region.
Sagarmatha
Sagarmatha is the Nepali name officially used for Mount Everest in Nepal. The name is also used in Sagarmatha National Park.
Qomolangma
Qomolangma, also written in several transliterated forms including Chomolungma, is the traditional Tibetan name for the mountain.
Everest
The English name honors Sir George Everest, a nineteenth-century Surveyor General of India. The name was proposed by Andrew Waugh of the Great Trigonometrical Survey and adopted by the Royal Geographical Society in the nineteenth century.
Who First Climbed Mount Everest?
Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa mountaineer born in the Himalayan region, became the first climbers confirmed to have reached the summit of Mount Everest. They reached the top on May 29, 1953, as members of a British expedition.
Their ascent became one of the defining events in the history of mountaineering and brought international attention to Himalayan climbing and the expertise of Sherpa mountaineers.
The Sherpa People
The Sherpa are an ethnic group with deep historical roots in the Himalayan regions of Nepal. Sherpa communities have developed extensive knowledge of high-altitude environments and have played a major role in the history of Himalayan mountaineering.
In modern climbing expeditions, Sherpa professionals may work as guides, climbing specialists, expedition organizers, cooks, porters, and support personnel. The word Sherpa properly refers to an ethnic group and should not be treated simply as another word for a mountain guide.
Routes to the Summit
Mount Everest has numerous climbing routes, though two have historically dominated attempts to reach the summit.
South Col Route
The South Col route approaches Everest through Nepal. Expeditions typically travel through the Khumbu region and establish camps progressively higher on the mountain before attempting the summit.
North Ridge Route
The North Ridge route approaches Everest from Tibet in China. It follows a different sequence of glaciers, ridges, camps, and high-altitude terrain toward the summit.
The Khumbu Icefall
On the Nepalese route, climbers must pass through the Khumbu Icefall, a constantly moving section of glacier containing crevasses, towering blocks of ice, and unstable formations.
Its movement can alter climbing routes and create hazards without warning, making it one of the most dangerous sections of the southern approach.
The Death Zone
Elevations above approximately 8,000 meters are commonly called the death zone. At these heights, atmospheric pressure is so low that the human body cannot obtain enough oxygen to function normally for extended periods.
Climbers can experience severe exhaustion, impaired judgment, loss of coordination, frostbite, high-altitude cerebral edema, high-altitude pulmonary edema, and other potentially fatal conditions.
Oxygen on Everest
Many Everest climbers use supplemental oxygen at extreme elevations. Bottled oxygen can improve physical and cognitive performance in the thin atmosphere and reduce some of the physiological strain associated with very high altitude.
A small number of climbers have reached the summit without supplemental oxygen, demonstrating that it is possible, though considerably more demanding and dangerous.
Sagarmatha National Park
Sagarmatha National Park protects a large Himalayan landscape on the Nepalese side of Everest. It contains mountains, glaciers, deep valleys, rivers, forests, wildlife, settlements, and culturally important places.
UNESCO inscribed Sagarmatha National Park on the World Heritage List in 1979 for its exceptional natural significance.
Wildlife Around Everest
The Everest region supports wildlife adapted to Himalayan environments. Species found within the wider protected landscape include snow leopards, Himalayan tahr, musk deer, Himalayan monal, and other mountain animals and birds.
Vegetation changes dramatically with elevation. Forests occur at lower elevations, followed by increasingly sparse alpine vegetation before permanent snow, glaciers, and exposed rock dominate the highest terrain.
Everest and Climate Change
Glaciers throughout the Himalayas are responding to changing temperatures and precipitation patterns. Changes in snow and ice can affect climbing conditions, mountain hazards, ecosystems, and downstream water systems.
Scientific research in the Everest region therefore contributes to the wider study of environmental change across high mountain environments.
Tourism and Mountaineering
Everest supports a substantial tourism economy extending well beyond attempts to reach the summit. Trekkers visit the Khumbu region, mountain communities provide accommodation and services, and expeditions employ guides, porters, pilots, cooks, and other workers.
Growing visitor numbers have also created challenges involving waste, crowding, safety, environmental management, and pressure on mountain communities and infrastructure.
Where You'll Encounter Mount Everest
You may encounter Mount Everest while reading about Nepal, South Asia, Kathmandu, the Himalayas, mountaineering, national parks, geography, tourism, or high-altitude environments.
Everest is particularly useful for understanding how geology, climate, human physiology, local culture, tourism, and international borders can converge around a single geographic landmark.
Common Misconceptions
Mount Everest Is Entirely in Nepal
No. The summit lies on the international border between Nepal and China.
Everest Is the Mountain Farthest From Earth's Center
No. Everest is the highest mountain above mean sea level. Because Earth bulges around the equator, Chimborazo in Ecuador has a summit farther from Earth's center.
Sherpa Simply Means Mountain Guide
No. Sherpa refers to an ethnic group native to the Himalayan region, although many Sherpa professionals have become renowned for their mountaineering expertise.
Climbers Can Stay in the Death Zone Indefinitely
No. The human body deteriorates at extreme altitude, making prolonged exposure above approximately 8,000 meters exceptionally dangerous.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Mount Everest?
Mount Everest is located in the Himalayas on the border between Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.
How tall is Mount Everest?
Mount Everest has an officially recognized elevation of 8,848.86 meters, or approximately 29,031.7 feet, above sea level.
Who first climbed Mount Everest?
Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers confirmed to reach the summit on May 29, 1953.
What is Mount Everest called in Nepal?
Mount Everest is known as Sagarmatha in Nepali.
What is Mount Everest called in Tibet?
The mountain is traditionally known as Qomolangma in Tibetan.
Is Mount Everest in Kathmandu?
No. Kathmandu is Nepal's capital and a major gateway for travel into the Himalayas, while Everest lies far to the east in the mountain region bordering China.
Why is Mount Everest important?
Mount Everest is Earth's highest mountain above sea level and holds major geographic, geological, cultural, scientific, mountaineering, and tourism significance.
