Tallest Mountains Quiz

From Everest to Aconcagua.

The world's highest peaks and the ranges that hold them — plus the highest summit on each continent, which is how most quizzes frame it.

All the highest peaks are in one place

Every one of the world's highest mountains is in the Himalaya and Karakoram ranges, along the borders of Nepal, China, Pakistan and India. Not most of them — all of them. The highest peak outside that region does not come close.

That single fact answers a surprising number of questions on its own.

Why they are there

The Himalaya are still rising, pushed up by the collision of the Indian tectonic plate with Eurasia — a collision that began tens of millions of years ago and has not stopped. The range is geologically young, which is why the peaks are so sharp and so high: erosion has not had time to wear them down.

The seven summits

The highest peak on each continent is the framing most quizzes use, because it spreads the answers around the world:

Asia — the Himalayan high point, and the highest on Earth.
South America — Aconcagua, in the Andes on the Argentina–Chile border. The highest outside Asia.
North America — Denali, in Alaska.
Africa — Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania.
Europe — Elbrus, in the Caucasus, though some lists prefer Mont Blanc depending on where the Europe–Asia boundary is drawn.
Antarctica — Vinson.
Oceania — either Puncak Jaya in Indonesia or Kosciuszko in Australia, depending on how the continent is defined.

Note that three of the seven are disputed for definitional reasons, which is why different sources give different lists.

Kilimanjaro is the odd one

It is a free-standing volcano rather than part of a range, rising directly from surrounding plains. That is why it looks so dramatic and why it is climbable without technical mountaineering — it is a long walk at altitude rather than a climb.

Height measured differently

Measured from base rather than from sea level, Mauna Kea in Hawaii is taller than any Himalayan peak, because most of it is underwater. And because the Earth bulges at the Equator, the summit furthest from the planet's centre is Chimborazo in Ecuador, not the highest peak above sea level.

Both are favourite quiz questions precisely because they sound like errors and are not.

Where to go next

Physical Features covers the rivers, oceans and deserts alongside these, which together form the physical layer underneath the political map. For the ranges at home, the US Mountain Ranges Quiz matches the Rockies, Appalachians, Sierra Nevada and Cascades to their highest peaks, from Denali to Mount Marcy.

Frequently asked questions

Where are the world's highest mountains?

All of them are in the Himalaya and Karakoram ranges along the borders of Nepal, China, Pakistan and India. The highest peak outside that region, Aconcagua in the Andes, is substantially lower than the Himalayan giants.

What are the Seven Summits?

The highest peak on each continent — in Asia the Himalayan high point, Aconcagua in South America, Denali in North America, Kilimanjaro in Africa, Elbrus in Europe, Vinson in Antarctica, and either Puncak Jaya or Kosciuszko in Oceania. Three are disputed because continent boundaries are conventions.

Is Everest the tallest mountain measured from base?

No. Measured from its base on the ocean floor, Mauna Kea in Hawaii is taller, though most of it is underwater. And because Earth bulges at the Equator, the summit furthest from the planet's centre is Chimborazo in Ecuador.

Why is Kilimanjaro not part of a mountain range?

It is a free-standing volcano rising directly from the surrounding plains rather than part of a folded range. That is why it appears so dramatic and why it can be ascended as a long high-altitude walk rather than a technical climb.

Play Tallest Mountains offline in the app

Tallest Mountains Quiz and the rest of the arcade are in the free Geography Quiz Arcade app: Get it on Google Play · Download on the App Store.