Mount EverestMount Everest is the world's highest point. Known as Sagarmāthā in Nepal, and

Chomolungma in Tibet, Mount Everest is one of the most iconic natural features of the globe. At 29,029 feet tall, it's ranked first amongst mountains for both elevation and prominence. The five entries below it on the list of the world's highest peaks all name Everest as their parent mountain.The first recorded attempts to scale Everest were made in the 1920s by British mountaineers, but it would take more than three decades until Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and New Zealander Edmund Hilary managed to reach the summit in 1953.

Today, climbing Everest isn't quite the unassailable goal that it once was — but those looking to do so still have to be in peak physical condition, and take great risks in undergoing the venture. However, conquering the mountain remains one of the greatest feats of man, and is a hugely popular challenge for anyone really looking to test their mettle.

At 8848 m (29029 ft), Mt Everest is the highest mountain in the world. Mt Everest is located in the Himalayas mountain range on the border of Nepal and Tibet

(China). In 1865, The Royal Geographical Society gave Mt Everest its English name in honor of

George Everest, a Welsh surveyor who was the British Surveyor General of India from 1830 to 1843. The mountain has other names in languages such as Nepali and Tibetan.

The height of Mt Everest was first published in 1856, when it was known as Peak XV. There are two main climbing routes and many others that are less frequently used. Since

the first successful ascent in 1953, thousands have climbed to the summit of Mt Everest, hundreds have also died while attempting to do so.

Dangers that await climbers on Mt Everest include high winds, bad weather and altitude sickness.

In recent times the number of climbers attempting to reach the summit of Mt Everest has increased dramatically, causing concerns for both safety and the state of the mountain as climbers routinely leave litter, gear and other debris behind.

There is a South Base Camp located at 5364 m (17598 ft) and a North Base Camp located at 5150 m (16900 ft). Supplies are taken to these base camps and climbers will often stay there while acclimatizing to the high altitude and lower levels of oxygen.

Altitudes above 8000 m (26000 ft) are often referred to as the "Death Zone", a height that humans struggle to survive at for more than a few days.

Plants and animals struggle to survive under the extreme conditions of Mt Everest but birds have been seen at high altitudes and a type of moss grows at heights close to 6500 m (21325 ft).

Although Mt Everest is the highest mountain on Earth above sea level, its summit is only the 5th farthest from the Earth's centre. Because the Earth bulges at the equator, mountains such as Mt Chimborazo in Ecuador have summits that are farther away.