The Himalaya Range is the highest mountain chain in the world located in Asia, stretching across Bhutan, India, Nepal, and China. It contains four mountains over 8,000 meters including Mount Everest at 8,844 meters. The name "Himalaya" comes from the Sanskrit words "jima" meaning snow and "alaya" meaning abode, literally translating to "abode of snow." The mountain range was formed by the collision of the Indo-Australian and Eurasian tectonic plates and continues rising approximately 5 mm per year due to ongoing geological activity.