TRANS-HIMALAYAS

eastward continuation of the most northerly Himalayan ranges in the southern part of the Tibet Autonomous Region, China. It consists of an ill-defined mountain area about 600 miles (1,000 km) long and 140 miles (225 km) wide in the centre, narrowing to a 20-mile (32-kilometre) width at the east and west ends. The Trans-Himalayas are bounded by the Kailas (southwest), Alung (north), and Nien-ch'ing-t'ang-ku-la (southeast) mountain ranges and by the Brahmaputra River (south). Unlike the main Himalayas, the mountains are not divided by deep river gorges and lack a definite alignment. Passes average 17,500 feet (5,330 m) in height, with the highest being Chargoding Pass (19,308 feet ). The first recorded European sighting of the mountains was that of Sven Hedin, a Swedish explorer, in 1906.