How do Mountains grow?

Where the plates of Earth's crust crash into each other, land is pushed upward, forming mountains. The Himalayas are the tallest mountains on Earth and the youngest. They formed over the last 145 million years, as India crashed into Asia. Mountains are also formed when volcanoes erupt and molten rock builds up into steep mounds.

The tallest mountains in every continent

• Asia - Mount Everest, Nepal and China 8,848 m (29,028 ft)
• South America - Aconcagua, Argentina 6,960 m (22,834  ft)
• North America - Mount McKinley, USA 6,194 m (20,320 ft)
• Africa - Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania 5,895 m (19,340 ft)
• Europe - Mount El'brus, Russia 5,642 m (18,510 ft)
• Antarctica - Vinson Massif 4,897 m (16,066 ft)
• Australasia - Puncak Jaya, New Guinea 5,040 m (16,535 ft)