Mountain pass facts for kids
A mountain pass is like a special path that helps people cross over a group of hills or mountains. Imagine it as a low spot or a "saddle" between two higher areas. For a long time, mountains have made travel very hard. Because of this, passes have been super important throughout history for things like trade, war, and people moving to new places.
A pass often looks like a saddle between two mountains. They are usually found near where a river starts. This creates a natural "bridge" to the beginning of another river. Passes can be very short with steep sides, or they can be long valleys that stretch for many kilometers.
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What is a Mountain Pass?
Mountain passes are natural gaps in mountain ranges. They offer the easiest way to get from one side of a mountain to the other. Think of them as natural doorways through giant walls of rock. These paths are often the only flat ground in a mountainous area.
How We Use Mountain Passes
People have built roads and railways through many mountain passes. This helps cars, trucks, and trains travel across mountains. For very high or rough passes, engineers sometimes dig tunnels underneath. Tunnels allow traffic to move much faster and avoid bad weather.
The top of a pass is often the only flat spot around. This makes it a good place to build things like small towns or forts. If a country's border runs along a mountain range, the pass is often part of that border. Passes are not just for crossing mountains. They also connect different mountain tops. This means many walking trails meet at a pass. They are useful for hikers going between a mountain peak and the valley below.
Famous Mountain Passes Around the World
Many mountain passes are famous because of their history or how high they are. Here are a few well-known examples:
- The Great St. Bernard Pass is in the Alps. It is about 2,473 meters (8,114 feet) high.
- The Khyber Pass connects Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is about 1,027 meters (3,369 feet) high.
- The Khardong La Pass is in Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is very high at about 5,359 meters (17,582 feet).
Images for kids
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Sani Pass in Mokhotlong, Lesotho
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Idealised mountain pass represented as the green line; the saddle point is in red.
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Col between Kensgriff and Yarlsidine in the Howgill Fells, England
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Agua Negra Pass between Argentina and Chile.
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The Bealach na Bà linking Applecross in the Scottish North-west Highlands.
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Dead Woman's Pass on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru
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Pass in Tatras (Ornak, Poland).
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Zádielska tiesňava Pass in Slovak Karst (Slovakia).
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Trail from Manang to Mustang via Thorong La pass, Nepal.
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Crawford Notch in New Hampshire, U.S.
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See also
In Spanish: Paso de montaña para niños
