What makes a mountain a mountain?

A mountain is a large landform that stretches above the surrounding land in a limited area, usually in the form of a peak. A mountain is generally steeper than a hill. Mountains are formed through tectonic forces or volcanism. read more

Unlike with many other landforms, there is no universally accepted definition of a mountain. Many geographers state that a mountain is greater than 300 metres (1,000 feet) above sea level. Other definitions, such as the one in the Oxford English Dictionary, put the hill limit at twice that. read more

Though a mountain is much taller than a hill, there is no official height designation. An abrupt difference in local topography is typically used to define a mountain and they will often have 'mount' or 'mountain' in their name--the Rocky Mountains, Andes Mountains, for instance. read more