Mountain Ranges Puzzle: Geography Learning Game
The Mountain Ranges Puzzle is an interactive educational map game designed to help you memorise the locations of the 25 longest mountain belts in the world. Free to play online, this drag-and-drop Earth science exercise is an excellent "Minute to win it" tool for geography classes, remote learning, and testing your general topographical knowledge.
What is a Mountain Range?
A mountain range is a geographic area containing numerous geologically related mountains. A "mountain system" or "mountain belt" is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arisen from the same cause—usually an orogeny (mountain-building event).
Mountain ranges are formed by a variety of geological processes, but most of the significant ones on Earth are the direct result of plate tectonics—where massive pieces of the Earth's crust collide, fold, or push upwards. Individual mountains within the same range do not necessarily have the same petrology; they may be a mix of thrust sheets, uplifted blocks, fold mountains, and volcanic landforms.
How to play Mountain Ranges Puzzle
At the top of the screen, you will find 25 puzzle pieces, each representing one of the largest mountain ranges in the world (sorted by length). Your task is to drag and drop these mountains onto their approximate locations on the blank world map at the bottom of the screen. Look closely at the numbers—a smaller number indicates a longer mountain range! If a mountain is placed incorrectly, it will snap back to the starting tray.
Knowledge Achievements:
Successfully place at least 10 mountain ranges to earn +1 Knowledge Level on Planeta 42.
Difficulty Level: Easy.
Did you know?
• Length vs. Height: While the Himalayas boast the tallest peaks in the world (including Mount Everest), they are only the 8th longest mountain range on Earth!
• The Longest on Land: Stretching a massive 7,000 kilometres down the western coast of South America, the Andes form the longest continuous continental mountain range in the world.
• The Hidden Giant: If we include underwater topography, the Mid-Ocean Ridge is actually the longest mountain range, spanning over 65,000 km across the global seafloor!
Top 10 Longest Mountain Ranges
These massive geological formations span entire continents. Master these top 10 giants before conquering the full puzzle:
1. Andes
South America
7,000 km
2. Rocky Mountains
North America
4,830 km
3. Transantarctic Mountains
Antarctica
3,500 km
4. Great Dividing Range
Australia
3,500 km
5. Kunlun Mountains
Asia
3,000 km
6. Ural Mountains
Asia/Europe
2,500 km
7. Atlas Mountains
Africa
2,500 km
9. Appalachian Mountains
North America
2,414 km
10. Altai Mountains
Asia
2,000 km
Class Subject: 25 Mountain Ranges by Length
This fun geography class game answers questions such as: Which is the longest mountain range in the world? What are the 10 biggest mountains by length? Where are the Alps located?
Additional Mountain Ranges in the Game:
11. Barisan Mountains
Indonesia (Asia)
1,700 km
12. Carpathian Mountains
Europe
1,700 km
13. Scandinavian Mountains
Europe
1,700 km
14. Serra do Mar
South America
1,500 km
15. Taurus Mountains
Asia
1,500 km
16. Tian Shan
Asia
1,500 km
17. Sierra Madre Occidental
North America
1,500 km
19. Apennines
Europe
1,200 km
20. Caucasus Mountains
Asia/Europe
1,200 km
21. Drakensberg
Africa
1,000 km
22. Maoke Mountains
Indonesia (Asia)
692 km
23. Alaska Range
North America
650 km
24. Balkan Mountains
Europe
557 km
