A mountain is a large , steep piece of land that rises high above the ground around it. Mountains are formed over millions of years as huge pieces of rock are pushed upwards by forces deep inside the Earth . A mountain is taller and steeper than a hill , though there is no exact height where a hill suddenly becomes a mountain — it depends on the country you are in.
✨ Mount Everest , on the border of Nepal and China , is the highest mountain on Earth . Its peak is 8,849 metres above sea level — almost nine kilometres into the sky!
📷 Megaurab09 · CC BY-SA 4.0Mountains rarely stand alone . They usually rise together in long lines called mountain ranges . A range forms because the forces that push up one mountain push up its neighbours at the same time . Famous ranges include the Himalayas in Asia , the Alps in Europe , the Rockies in North America , and the Andes in South America .
🔗 Match each mountain range to the continent it is found on.
South America North America Europe Asia
South America North America Europe Asia
South America North America Europe Asia
South America North America Europe Asia
The higher you climb a mountain , the colder and windier it gets . This is because the air gets thinner as you go up, so it holds less warmth from the Sun. That is why many mountain tops are permanently covered in snow and ice even in summer . Climbers heading up the very highest peaks must carry bottled oxygen to breathe , because the air becomes so thin .
📷 Chinobazaar · CC BY-SA 4.0💡 Mountain slopes often have different zones : forests near the bottom , then smaller plants , then bare rock and snow near the top. Each zone has its own animals suited to living there.
🗂️ Sort each animal or plant into where it lives on a mountain.
Lower slopes (forest) High up (cold and rocky)
Lower slopes (forest) High up (cold and rocky)
Lower slopes (forest) High up (cold and rocky)
Lower slopes (forest) High up (cold and rocky)
Mountains form in more than one way. Some, called fold mountains , form when two of Earth's giant rocky plates crash into each other and the rock crumples upward — just like pushing a tablecloth into a pile . Others are volcanic mountains , which form above volcanoes where lava builds up layer by layer until a tall cone has grown .
🧩 Order the steps of how a fold mountain forms.
The folded rock rises into a mountain ? ⤒ ↑ ↓ ⤓
The rock crumples and folds ? ⤒ ↑ ↓ ⤓
The plates push together with huge force ? ⤒ ↑ ↓ ⤓
Two tectonic plates move towards each other ? ⤒ ↑ ↓ ⤓
📷 Allard Schmidt (The Netherlands) · Public domain✨ The Andes in South America is the world's longest mountain range , stretching nearly 7,000 kilometres from north to south .
Mountains matter to people too. Their snow melts in spring to feed great rivers that millions of people rely on for drinking water and growing food . People visit mountains to ski, climb , and hike , and many of the world's cultures tell special stories about the peaks that tower over their homes .
🃏 Flip each card to learn a mountain fact.
? Mount Everest The tallest mountain on Earth at 8,849 m
? The Andes The world's longest mountain range
? Why is the peak cold? The air gets thinner and holds less heat
? How do fold mountains form? Two tectonic plates push rock upwards
Tap each card to see the answer.
