There are four main divisions of Himalayan Mountain Ranges which are separated from one another by the gorges of rivers which pass through them.
1. The Punjab Himalayas: The section between the Indus and the Satlej is known as the Punjab Himalayas. It is also called Jammu-Kashmir and Himachal Himalaya because most of this section is located in these two states. This section is 560 kilometers long. The important ranges of this section are the Ladakh, the Pir Panjal, the Dhauladhar and the Zaskar. The Zoji La pass is at an altitude of 3,444 meter above the sea-level.
2. The Kumaon Himalayas: This section runs for a distance of 320 kilometers between the Satlej and the Kali rivers. This is higher than the Punjab Himalayas. Great rivers like Ganga and Yamuna have sources in the Kumaon Himalayas.
3. The Nepal Himalayas: This is situated between the Kali and the Tista rivers and is 800 kilometers long. Most of it is located in Nepal and hence its name. This is the highest part of the Himalayas where lofty peaks like the Everest, the Kanchenjungha, the Dhaulagiri, the Annapurna, and the Makalu etc. are located. The flat Kathmandu valley is also situated in the Nepal Himalayas.
4. The Assam Himalaya: It extends for a distance of 720 kilometers between the river Tista and the Dihang (Tsangpo-Brahmaputra).
