Most Mountainous Countries 2022

Approximately 20% of the Earth’s geographical surface is covered by mountain ranges, including well-known ones like Asia’s Himalayas, North America’s Rocky Mountains, Europe’s Alps, and South America’s Andes.

Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah are the states with the highest concentration of mountains in the United States.

Many mountainous nations are among the most beautiful in the world. The mountains also permit a wide variety of unique outdoor sports, such as skiing, snowboarding, hiking, mountaineering, trekking, rock climbing, mountain biking, base jumping, hang gliding, and more.

Identifying the World’s most mountainous nations begins with determining what makes one country greater mountainous than another. Why are there so many mountains? Are mountains a major factor in determining the proportion of land covered by mountains in a given area?

If so, does it have more mountainous land than other nations (in terms of square miles or kilometers)? Perhaps the best indicator is the greatest average height above sea level (which allows nations with many lesser mountains to compare with those with few but higher mountains).

According to the tables below, each approach may provide a distinct list of potential candidates.

10 Best Mountainous Countries in the World (by average height above sea level)

1. Bhutan — 10,760 feet
2. Nepal — 10,715 feet
3. Tajikistan — 10,455 feet
4. Kyrgyzstan — 9,805 feet
5. Lesotho — 7,090 feet
6. Andorra — 6,550 feet
7. Afghanistan — 6,180 feet
8. Chile — 6,140 feet
9. China — 6,035 feet
10. Armenia — 5,879 feet

The World’s Top 10 Mountainous Countries (by % area covered in the mountains)

1. Bhutan — 98.8
2. Tajikistan — 91.9
3. Kyrgyzstan — 90.7
4. Lesotho — 90.5
5. Montenegro — 89.3
6. Armenia — 85.9
7. North Macedonia — 85.5
8. Switzerland — 83.6
9. Lebanon — 81.1
10. Nepal — 80.7

Bhutan: World’s most mountainous country

Bhutan is the World’s most mountainous nation by practically every standard. Bhutan has an average elevation of 10,760 feet, with mountains making up almost all (98.8%) of its land.

The highest peak in Bhutan is Gangkhar Puensum, which stands at 24,840 feet above sea level in the country’s north.

Gangkhar Puensum is the tallest peak in the World that has yet to be climbed. Valleys, hills, and highlands are home to most of Bhutan’s people in the nation’s southern half.

Second, through ten: Nepal, Tajikistan, and more Located on the Nepalese-Chinese border, Mount Everest stands at 29,035 feet above sea level and is the World’s tallest mountain peak. With an average height of 10,455 feet above sea level, Tajikistan is the third most mountainous country.

As tectonic plates move under the surface and collide, earthquakes occur, and mountains are generated. Tajikistan is located in a seismic belt, which has contributed to the country’s numerous high mountains and earthquake activity.

There are 18,077 feet of peaks in Tajikistan’s Turkestan Range, located in the western part of the country.

In Kyrgyzstan, the Tian Shan and Pamir mountain ranges occupy around 65 percent of the country’s total land area. Most of the mountains in Kyrgyzstan are just a few hundred years old. The average elevation of the nation is 3,050 meters (9,805 feet) above sea level.

Although Antarctica isn’t a nation, it boasts some of the World’s most mountainous topography. Antarctica has the greatest average height of any continent at 7,545 meters above sea level, making it the sixth most mountainous nation in the World. Mount Vinson, Antarctica’s highest peak, stands at 16,050 feet.

Many of Lesotho’s landscape is covered by the Drakensburg-Maloti mountain ranges, which extend from north to south. The majority of Lesotho’s population lives in the mountainous lowlands. Lesotho is home to southern Africa’s highest mountain, Thabana Ntlenyana, which rises to 11,424 feet.

The Pic de Coma Pedrosa, Andorra’s highest peak, rises to a height of 9,665 feet above sea level, placing it sixth on the list of countries with the greatest average elevation.

Chile offers a high-altitude landscape with an average height of 6,140 feet above sea level. With peaks that average 15,000 feet above sea level, this region of the country is home to the Andes Mountains.

At 6,035 feet above sea level, China has an average elevation of 6,035 feet above sea level and shares ownership of Mount Everest with Nepal.

The most popular mountainous countries in the World.

When choosing a destination, many people look beyond the land mass and sheer quantity of mountains to the activities that may be enjoyed in such areas. Visitors to Sweden and France are drawn to the Alps because of its world-class skiing.

Many people visit the Rocky Mountains for skiing, hiking, climbing, etc. Skiing, hiking, and canyoning are popular activities in New Zealand’s South Island.

To see Machu Picchu and Mount Fuji in Peru and Japan is to see two of the most magnificent places in the World.

Also See: MENA Countries 2022

The snow-capped peaks of Australia, whose name conjures up ideas of the desert-like Australian Outback, attract those who like winter sports, outdoor activities, and the raw beauty of the country’s landscape.