• For full details of graphics available/in preparation, see Menu -> Planners
Graphic shows Mount Everest and explains why it has become taller.
GN40858EN

ENVIRONMENT

China and Nepal agree Everest is taller than previously thought

By Ninian Carter

December 9, 2020 - After years of debate the world’s highest mountain has been officially declared taller – adding 86cm to its previous height.

The highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest, is officially a little bit bigger, thanks to a joint agreement by Nepal and China – the national border of which runs over the summit.

After surveys carried out by each nation, Nepalese and Chinese authorities have finally come to an agreement that the mountain is 8,848.86 metres (29,031.69ft) tall.

The revised height makes Everest 86cm taller than Nepal's previously believed height, and more than four metres higher than China's.

A nearby catastrophic earthquake in 2015 led to a theory that moving tectonic plates, could have affected Everest's height, resulting in calls for it to be measured again.

Surveyors from both countries used the same methods to carry out their measurements, leading to an agreement on the revised figure.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 10/12/2020; STORY: Graphic News
Advertisement