Himalayan states
The Himalayan states are defined by the mountains that run through all of them. For two of the five core members, those mountains cover nearly the entire country. Bhutan and Nepal sit almost entirely within the range. The other three core members, China, India, and Pakistan, each have the Himalayas crossing only part of their territory. Some broader definitions also bring Afghanistan and Myanmar into the grouping. The range extends across southern Tibet, the Indian Himalayan Region, and northern Pakistan. What languages have taken shape among the inhabitants of these heights? And what becomes of the rivers that pour outward from the peaks?
Among the world's major transboundary rivers, four originate in the Himalayan states. They are the Brahmaputra, the Ganges, the Indus, and the Irrawaddy. These are rivers that cross national borders as they flow outward from their mountain sources. The people of these territories belong to two broad language traditions.
Indo-Aryan languages and Tibeto-Burman languages are the two major families spoken by most inhabitants of the Himalayan states. Both families together account for the bulk of the region's population. The region's linguistic map, like its political boundaries, continues to depend on how broadly the term Himalayan states is drawn.
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Common questions
What countries are included in the Himalayan states?
The core Himalayan states are Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. Some broader definitions of the grouping also include Afghanistan and Myanmar.
Are Bhutan and Nepal entirely within the Himalayan mountain range?
Bhutan and Nepal are located almost entirely within the Himalayan mountain range, making them unique among the core Himalayan states. The other core members, China, India, and Pakistan, each have the Himalayas crossing only a portion of their territory.
What major rivers originate in the Himalayan states?
Four of the world's major transboundary rivers originate in the Himalayan states: the Brahmaputra, the Ganges, the Indus, and the Irrawaddy. All four cross national borders as they flow outward from their mountain sources.
What languages do people speak in the Himalayan states?
Most inhabitants of the Himalayan states speak languages from one of two major families: Indo-Aryan languages or Tibeto-Burman languages.
Why are Afghanistan and Myanmar sometimes considered Himalayan states?
Some broader geographic definitions of the Himalayan states extend the grouping to include Afghanistan and Myanmar. The core definition covers Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, and Pakistan.
What parts of the Himalayas fall within the Himalayan states?
The Himalayan mountain range, within the Himalayan states, covers southern Tibet, the Indian Himalayan Region, and northern Pakistan. Bhutan and Nepal are almost entirely within the range, while China, India, and Pakistan each have the mountains crossing only a portion of their territory.
All sources
5 references cited across the entry
- 1The HimalayasPBS — 11 February 2011
- 3Himalayas (mountains, Asia)Barry Bishop
- 4Himalayas (mountains, Asia)Shiba Chatterjee
- 5BookInternational Conflict over Water Resources in Himalayan Asia – R. Wirsing, C. Jasparro, D. Stoll – Google BooksR. Wirsing et al. — Springer — 16 November 2012