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Kanchenjunga
The 3rd highest mountain of the world, Kanchenjunga has an elevation of 8586 m in a part of Himalayas referred to as Kanchenjunga Himal. It remains confined to west by Tamur River and by Teesta River in the east. Kanchenjunga remains allocated between the border of Sikkim state of India and Nepal.
As per a geological survey done, Kanchenjunga is the highest peak in the country and also is the easternmost peak having a height over 8,000 m. It is referred to as Five Treasures of Snow as there are 5 high peaks. It has been seen that people of Sikkim and Darjeeling always worship these peaks.
Two out of five peaks fall in district of Taplejung of Nepal whereas the other 3 peaks namely, main, south as well as central lie on boundaries of Nepal and North Sikkim. The main Kanchenjunga remains the second highest peak of Nepal smaller than Mount Everest.
Kanchenjunga till 1852 was considered as the highest mountain under the sun but several surveys and measurements came up with Mount Everest as the highest one declared in 1849. It was called as Peak XV at that time. Then further studies and verifications in 1856 came up with the fact that Kanchenjunga is actually the 3rd highest mountain.
For the first time, Kanchenjunga got climbed on May 25, 1955 by George Band and Joe Brown who had come for a British expedition. According to Maharaja of Sikkim, they stopped the summit and the top of the mountain had remained inviolate. Every climbing group or climber reached the summit following the tradition.
Facts and Features
The Kanchenjunga Himal part of the Himalayas falls both in Sikkim and Nepal and spreads over 16 peaks which are more than 7,000 m. Lhonak Chu, Jongsang La and Goma Chu limits it in the north while the Teesta River limits it in the east. The limit of west is found to be running from Jongsang La having Kanchenjunga glacier as well as Tamur and Ghunsa rivers.
Kanchenjunga has a range of 125 km in the eastern direction having Mt. Everest while 20 km south of the Great Himalayan range. The southern part of Kanchenjunga is running 3,000–3,500 m high having Singalila Ridge separating Nepal from Sikkim as well as North Bengal.
Conservation
Kanchenjunga Conservation Area remains to be protected in Himalayas of Nepal. Incorporated in 1997, it encompasses an area of about 2,035 km2 in the district of Taplejung and consists of 2 Kanchenjunga peaks. In Tibet, it adjoins Qomolangma National Nature Preserve while in the east, there is a Kanchenjunga Biosphere Reserve in the state of Sikkim and adjoining Sankhuwasabha District in the west. The altitude ranges from 1,200 m-8,586 m. The conservation area of Kanchenjunga represents high mountains, physiographic regions having 65% of the area wrapped with ice and rocks. While the remaining 35% remains covered by forests. There is 10.1% of shrub land while 9.2% of grassland along with 1.6% of agricultural land. The area is quite famous for the three river valley: the Ghunsa, the Simbua Khola and the Tamur valleys.
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