World Rivers and Mountains

One source for UPSC

Continent
Feature
Exam

Summits

Important peaks

Fourteen peaks exceed 8,000 m. This source keeps the ten UPSC uses, plus the continental summits. The other four — three in the Karakoram and Shishapangma, entirely in China — are elimination traps only.

Seven Summits

Bass list uses Kosciuszko for Australia. Messner’s list uses Puncak Jaya for Oceania. Europe is Elbrus on both.

ContinentBassMessner
AsiaEverest8,848.86 m (exam-safe rounded value 8,848 m)Everest8,848.86 m (exam-safe rounded value 8,848 m)
South AmericaAconcagua6,961 mAconcagua6,961 m
North AmericaDenali6,190 mDenali6,190 m
AfricaKilimanjaro5,895 mKilimanjaro5,895 m
EuropeElbrus5,642 mElbrus5,642 m
AntarcticaVinson4,892 mVinson4,892 m
Australia / OceaniaKosciuszko2,228 mPuncak Jaya4,884 m
PeakHeightRangeWhere
8,849 mHimalayasNepal–China
8,611 mKarakoramPakistan–China
8,586 mHimalayasIndia (Sikkim)–Nepal
8,516 mHimalayasNepal–China
8,485 mHimalayasNepal–China
8,188 mHimalayasNepal–China
8,167 mHimalayasNepal
8,163 mHimalayasNepal
8,126 mHimalayasPakistan
8,091 mHimalayasNepal
6,961 mAndesArgentina
6,190 mAlaska RangeUnited States (Alaska)
5,895 mEastern Rift volcanic massif — not a fold rangeTanzania
5,642 mCaucasusRussia
5,199 mEastern Rift volcanic massif — not a fold rangeKenya
4,892 mEllsworth MountainsAntarctica
4,884 mSudirman Range, New GuineaIndonesia (Papua)
4,809 mAlpsFrance–Italy
2,228 mGreat Dividing Range (Snowy Mountains)Australia (New South Wales)

Asia · Himalayas

Everest

8,848.86 m (exam-safe rounded value 8,848 m)

Where
Nepal–China
Rank
Highest on Earth. First of the 8,000 m peaks.

The 2020 China–Nepal joint survey is 8,848.86 m. Older keys say 8,848 m or 8,848.13 m. Write 8,848.86 m if the question is current, and 8,848 m is the safe rounded figure.

Trap. On the Nepal–China border. It is not in India. It is a Himalayan peak, unlike K2.