India has amongst the world’s largest snow mountain system; highest rainfalls; biggest deserts; longest rivers; biggest waterfalls; thickest vegetation; longest coastlines and most fertile land.
World’s Highest Mountains (except Asia)
Source: National Geographic Society
| Continent | Place | Height (ft) |
| N. America S. America Africa Pacific Europe Antartica |
McKinley, Alaska Aconcagua, Argentina Kilimanjaro, Tanzania Jaya, New Guinea Mt Blanc, France-Italy Vinson Massif |
20,320 22,834 19,340 16,500 15,771 16,864 |
Asia’s Highest Mountains
Source: National Geographic Society
| Peak | Place | Height (ft) |
| Everest K2 Kanchenjunga Lhotse I Makalu I Lhotse II Dhaulagiri Manaslu I Cho Oyu Nanga Parbat Annapurna I Gasherbrum Broad Gosainthan Annapurna II GyachungKang Disteghil Sar Himalchuli Nutpse Masherbrum Nanda Devi Rakaposhi Kamet Namcha Barwa Gurla Mandhat Ulugh Muz Tagh |
Nepal India India Nepal Nepal Nepal Nepal Nepal Nepal India Nepal India India Tibet Nepal Nepal India Nepal Nepal India India India India Tibet Tibet Xinjiang |
29,028 28,250 28,208 27,923 27,824 27,560 26,810 26,760 26,750 26,660 26,504 26,470 26,400 26,287 26,041 25,910 25,868 25,801 25,726 25,660 25,645 25,550 25,447 25,445 25,355 25,340 |
Note: Some peaks mentioned above fall in the Indian State of Jammu & Kashmir but are illegally occupied by Pakistan.
The tallest peaks in the other continents of the world are not even taller than Thirty tallest mountains of India.
India’s largest Peaks
Source: National Geographic Society
(Not counting the ones mentioned above)
| Peak | Height (ft) |
| Skyang Kangri Jongsang Peak Sia Kangri Tent Peak Kabru Baltoro Kangri Mana Nepal Peak Badrinath Nunkun Pyramid Pauhunri Trisul Kangto Trisuli Dunagiri |
24,750 24,472 24,350 24,165 24,002 23,990 23,860 23,500 23,420 23,410 23,400 23,385 23,360 23,260 23,210 23,184 |
Principal World Rivers
Source: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute Library
| River | Continent | Outflow | Length (mi) |
| Nile Congo Niger |
Africa Africa Africa |
Mediterranian Sea Atlantic Ocean Atlantic Ocean |
4160 2900 2590 |
| Chang Huang Ob-Irtysh Lena Mekong Yenisey Ob Brahmaputra Indus |
Asia Asia Asia Asia Asia Asia Asia Asia Asia |
East China Sea Yellow Sea Gulf of Ob Laptev Sea South China Sea Kara Sea Gulf of Ob Bay of Bengal Arabian Sea |
3964 3395 3362 2734 2700 2543 2268 1800 1800 |
| Murray-Darling | Australia | Indian Ocean | 2543 |
| Volga | Europe | Caspian Sea | 2290 |
| Amazon Parana Purus Madiera Sao Francisco |
S. America S. America S. America S. America S. America |
Atlantic Ocean Rio de la Plata Amazon River Amazon River Atlantic Ocean |
4000 2485 2100 2013 1988 |
| Mississipi-Red Rock Mobile Mississipi Missouri-Red Rock Yukon Rio Grande |
N. America N. America N. America N. America N. America N. America |
Gulf of Mexico Mississipi River Gulf of Mexico Mississipi River Bering Sea Gulf of Mexico |
3710 2540 2340 2315 1979 1900 |
Note – Only rivers longer than Brahmaputra are shown above.
Other Indian Rivers
| River | Outflow | Length (mi) |
| Ganges Godavari Yamuna Krishna Narmada |
Bay of Bengal Bay of Bengal Ganges River Bay of Bengal Arabian Sea |
1560 900 855 800 800 |
Waterfalls
Source: National Geographic Society
The earth has thousands of waterfalls, some of considerable magnitude. Their relative importance is determined not only by height but also by volume of flow, steadiness of flow, crest width, whether the water drops sheerly or over a sloping surface, and where it descends in one leap or in a succession of leaps. A series of low falls flowing over a considerable distance is known as a cascade.
| Name | Elevation (ft) |
| Tugela, South Africa# | 2014 |
| Jog, Sharavathi R., India* | 830 |
| Wollomombi, Australia | 1,100 |
| Tully, Australia | 885 |
| Wallaman, Stony Cr., Australia# | 1,137 |
| Helena, NZ | 890 |
| Sutherland, Arthur R., NZ# | 1,904 |
| Gavarnie, Austria* | 1,385 |
| Maralsfossen, Norway (N) | 1,535 |
| Maralsfossen, Norway (S)# | 2,149 |
| Skjeggedal, Nybuai R., Norway #** | 1,378 |
| Skykje, Norway ** | 984 |
| Vetti, Morka-Koldedola R, Norway | 900 |
| Giessbach, Switzerland (C) | 984 |
| Staubbach, Switzerland | 984 |
| Trummelbach, Switzerland # | 1,312 |
| Della, Canada# | 1,443 |
| Takakkhaw, Daly Glacier, Canada# | 1,200 |
| Ribbon, USA** | 1,612 |
| Silver Strand, Meadow Br., USA** | 1,170 |
| Yosemite, USA## | 2,425 |
| Glass, Brazil | 1,325 |
| Catarata de Candelas, Cusiana R, Colombia | 984 |
| Great, Kamarang R, Guyana | 1,600 |
| Angel, Venezuela#* | 3,212 |
| Cuquenan, Venezuela | 2,000 |
Note:
Estimated mean annual flow, in cubic feet per second, of major waterfalls, are as follows: Niagara, 212,200; Paulo Afonso, 100,000; Urubupunga, 97,000; Iguazu, 61,000; Patosa-Maribondo, 53,000; Victoria, 35,4000; and Kaieteur, 23,400.
Elevation= total drop in feet in one or more leaps. # = falls of more than one leap; * = falls that diminish greatly seasonally; ** = falls that reduce to a trickle or are dry for part of each year. If the river names are not shown, they are same as the falls. R = river; (C) = cascade type.
Biggest deserts in the world
Source: National Geographic Society
| Name | Country | Size (sq mi) |
| Arabian (E) Chihuahuan Dasht-e Kauir Gibson Gobi Great Sandy Great Victoria Kalahari Kara Kum Kyzyl Kum Libyan Namib Nubian Patagonia Rub a-Khali Sahara Sonoran Syrian Taklimakan Thar |
Egypt US-Mex. Iran Australia Mongolia Australia Australia Africa Turkmenistan Kazakhstan Libya Africa Sudan Argentina S Arabia Africa US-Mex Saudia China India |
70,000 140,000 30,000 120,000 500,000 150,000 150,000 225,000 120,000 100,000 450,000 48,000 100,000 300,000 250,000 3,500,000 70,000 100,000 140,000 100,000 |