ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the geography of some of the major mountainous areas of the world. After a brief description of the primary high altitude regions in which people reside, it considers the people, terrain, climate, and socioeconomic features of these regions with a focus primarily on two of the major high altitude regions of the world in which people reside on a permanent basis, the Himalaya and Andes Mountains. In addition to the European Alps and the Rocky Mountains of the United States and Canada, three of the major regions that support large populations are the Himalayas and Tibetan plateau, the Andes Mountains of South America, and the Ethiopian highlands. Each is considered in this chapter. Most mountain communities depend on animal husbandry and agriculture; mining is important in some regions while, more recently, tourism and adventure travel have assumed a greater significance.
