Profile
Settings
Refer your friends
Sign out
Question: Name the Highest Plateau in the World.
Answer: Plateaus are flat-topped high elevated topographic features. The Tibetan Plateau is the highest in the world and stands at 4500 meters tall above sea level. Located in the continent of Asia (South, West, and East Asia) and surrounded by massive mountains including the two highest mountain peaks of the world; Mount Everest and the K2, it is popularly known as the ‘Roof of the World’ and is also known as the Qinghai-Tibet plateau.
Dimensions of the Tibetan Plateau
- Length- 2,500 square kilometres
- Width- 1,000 square kilometres
- Area- 2,5000,000 square kilometres
Formation of the landform
It is believed that the plateau is the result of the collision between the Indo-Australian and Eurasian tectonic plates. According to experts, this collision started about 70 million years ago and the plates are still moving so the height of the plateau may change in the future. The plateau is accompanied by many fresh-water as well as saline glacial lakes.
The geology of the plateau is very similar to that of the Himalayan mountains and most of the area is covered with montane grasslands and has an Alpine-tundra-type climate. A wide variety of plants and animal species can be seen in this vast area of land. The Tibetan plateau also provides the headwaters for the three longest rivers of Asia; The Yellow, Yangtze, and the Mekong Rivers). Not much human population can be found and most of the population are pastoral nomads.
