Highest Mountain Peaks in the World, Top 10 Peaks, Continent-wise List

The highest mountain peaks in the world are concentrated in Asia, particularly in the Himalayas and Karakoram mountain systems. Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world above mean sea level, followed by K2 and Kangchenjunga.

Top 10 Highest Mountain Peaks in the World

The top 10 highest mountain peaks in the world are all located in Asia. Nine belong to the Himalayan mountain system and one, K2, belongs to the Karakoram.

Highest Mountain Peaks in Each Continent

The highest mountain peaks of the seven continents are important for world geography and map-based questions.

Important Facts About the Highest Peaks of Each Continent

• Mount Everest (Asia): The highest mountain in the world, located in the Himalayas on the Nepal–China border.
• Aconcagua (South America): The highest mountain outside Asia. It is located in the Andes mountain range in Argentina.
• Denali (North America): Formerly known as Mount McKinley, it is the highest peak in North America and is located in the Alaska Range in the United States.
• Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa): The highest peak in Africa. It is a dormant volcanic mountain in Tanzania and consists of three volcanic cones: Kibo, Mawenzi and Shira.
• Mount Elbrus (Europe): The highest peak in Europe, located in the Caucasus Mountains in Russia. Its position as Europe's highest mountain follows the geographical convention that places the Caucasus within Europe.
• Mount Vinson (Antarctica): The highest mountain in Antarctica, located in the Ellsworth Mountains.
• Mount Kosciuszko (Australia): The highest peak on the Australian mainland, located in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales.

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Top 10 Highest Mountain Peaks in the World

1. Mount Everest (8,848.86 metres)

Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world above mean sea level. It is located on the Nepal-China border in the Mahalangur Himal range of the Himalayas.

• It is known as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Chomolungma (Qomolangma) in Tibet.
• It was initially identified as Peak XV during the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India.
• The mountain was named after Sir George Everest, who served as the Surveyor General of India.
• Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay of Nepal made the first successful ascent on 29 May 1953.
• Nepal and China jointly announced its revised elevation as 8,848.86 metres on 8 December 2020.

2. K2 (8,611 metres)

K2 is the second-highest mountain in the world and the highest peak in the Karakoram Range. It is located on the Pakistan–China border.

• It is also known as Mount Godwin-Austen and Chhogori.
• It is situated in the Baltoro Muztagh sub-range of the Karakoram.
• Italian climbers Achille Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli made the first successful ascent on 31 July 1954.
• It is popularly called the Savage Mountain because of the extreme difficulty and risks associated with climbing it.
• Unlike Mount Everest, K2 is not located in the Himalayas.

3. Kangchenjunga (8,586 metres)

Kangchenjunga is the third-highest mountain in the world. It is located on the India–Nepal border in the Eastern Himalayas.

• Its name means Five Treasures of Snow, referring to its five principal peaks.
• It is part of the Kangchenjunga Himal section of the Himalayas.
• Joe Brown and George Band made the first successful ascent on 25 May 1955.
• It is the highest peak on the India–Nepal border.
• The summit is traditionally treated with respect by climbers because of its religious significance to local communities.

4. Lhotse (8,516 metres)

Lhotse is the fourth-highest mountain in the world. It is located on the Nepal–China border in the Mahalangur Himal range.

• Its name means South Peak in Tibetan.
• It is connected to Mount Everest through the South Col.
• Swiss climbers Fritz Luchsinger and Ernst Reiss made the first successful ascent on 18 May 1956.
• It is located close to Mount Everest and forms part of the same mountain massif.

5. Makalu (8,485 metres)

Makalu is the fifth-highest mountain in the world. It lies on the Nepal–China border in the Mahalangur Himal range.

• It is known for its distinctive four-sided pyramid-shaped summit.
• It is situated southeast of Mount Everest.
• French climbers Lionel Terray and Jean Couzy made the first successful ascent on 15 May 1955.

6. Cho Oyu (8,188 metres)

Cho Oyu is the sixth-highest mountain in the world. It is located on the Nepal–China border in the Mahalangur Himal range.

• Its name is commonly translated as Turquoise Goddess.
• It lies west of Mount Everest, near the Nangpa La pass.
• Herbert Tichy, Joseph Jöchler and Pasang Dawa Lama made the first successful ascent on 19 October 1954.

7. Dhaulagiri I (8,167 metres)

Dhaulagiri I is the seventh-highest mountain in the world. It is located in Nepal in the Dhaulagiri Himal range.

• Its name is derived from Sanskrit and means White Mountain.
• It lies west of the Kali Gandaki River valley.
• The Kali Gandaki valley separates the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna mountain massifs.
• A Swiss-Austrian-Nepali expedition made the first successful ascent on 13 May 1960.

8. Manaslu (8,163 metres)

Manaslu is the eighth-highest mountain in the world. It is located in Nepal in the Mansiri Himal range.

• It is also known as Kutang.
• Its name is derived from the Sanskrit word Manasa, meaning intellect or soul. It is often translated as the Mountain of the Spirit.
• Toshio Imanishi of Japan and Gyalzen Norbu of Nepal made the first successful ascent on 9 May 1956.

9. Nanga Parbat (8,126 metres)

Nanga Parbat is the ninth-highest mountain in the world. It is located in Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and forms part of the Western Himalayas.

• Its name means Naked Mountain.
• It is popularly known as the Killer Mountain because of the high number of fatalities during early climbing expeditions.
• Austrian climber Hermann Buhl made the first successful ascent on 3 July 1953.
• It is an important geographical landmark in the western Himalayan region.

10. Annapurna I (8,091 metres)

Annapurna I is the tenth-highest mountain in the world. It is located in Nepal in the Annapurna Himal range.

• Its name is derived from Sanskrit and means Full of Food or Goddess of the Harvest.
• French climbers Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal made the first successful ascent on 3 June 1950.
• It was the first mountain above 8,000 metres to be successfully climbed.