A mountain is a raised part of the Earth’s crust with steep sides and exposed bedrock. A mountain is bigger than a hill and has a smaller peak area than a plateau, rising at least 300 meters (1000 feet) above the surrounding ground. Only a few mountains have solitary peaks, while the majority are part of larger mountain ranges.

Mountains are created by tectonic forces, erosion, and volcanism, all of which operate on time spans of millions of years or more. Mountains are gradually flattened once mountain formation stops, due to weathering, slumping, and other kinds of mass wasting, as well as erosion by rivers and glaciers.

At equal latitudes, high altitudes on mountains provide cooler temperatures than at sea level. These cooler temperatures have a significant impact on mountain ecosystems, as various elevations have distinct flora and animals. Mountains are utilized less for agriculture and more for resource extraction, such as mining and logging, and recreation, such as mountain climbing and skiing, due to the less favorable terrain and climate.

Mount Everest, in Asia’s Himalayas, is the tallest peak on the planet, with an elevation of 8,850 meters (29,035 feet) above mean sea level. Olympus Mons on Mars, at 21,171 meters, is the tallest known peak on any planet in the Solar System (69,459 ft).
A mountain has no widely recognized definition. The criteria for defining a mountain have included elevation, volume, relief, steepness, spacing, and continuity. “A natural elevation of the earth surface rising more or less suddenly from the surrounding level and achieving an altitude which, relative to the neighboring elevation, is remarkable or conspicuous,” according to the Oxford English Dictionary.

Whether or whether a landform is referred to be a mountain may be determined by local custom. Mount Scott is located outside of Lawton, Oklahoma, and rises to a height of 251 meters (823 feet). “Some sources classify eminences exceeding 600 meters (2,000 feet) as mountains, whereas those below are referred to as hills,” according to Whittow’s Dictionary of Physical Geography.

In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a mountain is typically described as any peak that is at least 2,000 feet (610 meters) high, which corresponds to the official UK government definition of a mountain as a top that is 2,000 feet (610 meters) or higher for the purposes of access. Some definitions additionally include a criterion for topographical prominences, such as the peak rising 300 meters (980 feet) over the surrounding landscape. The United States Board on Geographic Names used to define a mountain as being 1,000 feet (300 meters) or higher, but this definition has been abandoned since the 1970s. Any landform that was less than this height was classified as a hill. However, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) has concluded that these words in the United States lack technical meanings.

Any of the following are included in the UN Environmental Program’s definition of “mountainous environment”:74

At least 2,500 meters (8,200 feet) above sea level;

At least 1,500 meters (4,900 feet) above sea level, with a slope of at least 2 degrees;

At least 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) above sea level, with a slope of more than 5 degrees;

At least 300 meters (980 feet) above sea level, with a 300 meter (980 foot) elevation range within 7 kilometers (4.3 mi).

Mountains cover 33 percent of Eurasia, 19 percent of South America, 24 percent of North America, and 14 percent of Africa, according to these criteria.

14 Mountainous terrain makes about 24% of the Earth’s landmass.

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