RELIEF FORMS OF THE CONTINENTS. 51

 

the line of the north-east trend, from the Arctic to
the Indian Ocean. Though in reality one vast
system, yet they are most conveniently arranged
in one predominant and several secondary systems.
The Predominant System is the plateau of
Thibet, the loftiest table-land in the world. It
is between 15,000 and 16,000 feet high, and is
crossed by three huge, nearly parallel, mountain-
“ranges: the Himalayas on the south, the Kuen-
dun on the north, and the Karakorum between
them. The Himalayas, the loftiest mountains

Fig. 50. Himalaya Mountains,

in the world, rise abruptly from the plains of
Northern Hindostan. Like the Alps, their axis
is curved, but in the opposite direction. The
breadth of the system varies from 100 to 200
miles; the length is about 1500 miles. The high-
est point is Mount Everest, 29,000 feet above the
sea; it is the culminating point of the Asiatic con-
tinent and of the world. Kunchinjunga and Dha-
walaghiri are scarcely inferior in height.

131. The Secondary Systems lie on all sides of
the predominant system, though mainly on the
north and east of the predominant system. Like
Europe, the Asiatic continent projects on the
south in the three mountainous peninsulas of
Arabia, Hindostan, and Indo-China.

On the north and east of the plateau of Thibet
is an extended region called the plateau of Gobi,
considerably lower than the surrounding country.
The Kuen-lun and Great Kinghan Mountains
bound it on the south and east, and the Altai

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Mountains on the north. On the west lie the
Lhian Shan and Altai, which by their open val-
leys afford ready communication with the low
plains on the west.

The plateau of Gobi varies in average height from 2000
to 4000 feet, The greatest depression is in the west, and
is occupied by Lake Lop and the Tarim River. A small
part of the region near the mountain-slopes is moderately
fertile, the remainder is mainly desert.

_ The Altai Mountains are but little known, but some of
their peaks exceed 12,000 feet. They are continued east-
ward by the Yablonoi Mountains. East of the plateau of
Gobi a range extends north-easterly through Mantchooria.

On the south and west of Thibet lie the pla-
teaus of Iran, Armenia, and Asia Minor.

The Plateau of Iran includes Persia, Afehan-
istan, and Beloochistan. It is a basin-shaped
region from 3000 to 5000 feet high. The Elburz
and Hindoo-Koosh Mountains form its borders on
the north, the Suliman on the east, and the Za-
gros on the south and west.

The Suliman Mountains rise abruptly from the plains
of the Indus. Across these mountains occurs the only
practicable inland route between Western Asia and the
Indies.

The Plateaus of Armenia and of Asia Minor
lie west of the Plateau of Iran. Armenia is 8000
feet high, and bears elevated mountains: Mount
Ararat, 16,900 feet, is an example. On the west,
the peninsula of Asia Minor, or Anatolia, extends
between the Black and Mediterranean Seas, and
is traversed by the Taurus Mountains.

The Caucasus Mountains lie north of the pla-
teau of Armenia. They are an elevated range
extending between the Black and Caspian Seas,
and form part of the boundary-line between Eu-
rope and Asia. Mount Elburz, the “Watch-
Tower,” the culminating peak, is 18,493 feet
high.

The Arabian Plateau occupies the entire penin-
sula of Arabia. It is separated from the plateau
of Iran by the Persian Gulf and the valleys of
the Tigris and the Euphrates.

‘The Plateau of Deccan occupies the lower part
of the peninsula of Hindostan. It is crossed on
the north by the Vindhya Mountains, and along
the coasts by the Eastern and Western Ghauts.

The Peninsula of Indo-China is traversed by
a number of mountain-ranges which diverge from
the eastern extremity of the Himalayas. The
Nanling and Peling extend from east to west
through China.

“~~ 182. The Great Low Plain is, in reality, but a
continuation of the European plain. It extends
from the Arctic Ocean south-westerly to the Cas-