Everest is 8,848 meters (29,029 feet) tall. It is the tallest mountain above sea level in the world. Everest grows 6.4 millimeters (about 0.25 inches) taller every year due to geologic uplift.
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In Nepal, the mountain is called Sagarmatha, meaning “holy mother.” In Tibet, the mountain is known as Chomolangma for “mother of the universe.”
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Everest is widely mispronounced. The mountain was named after British surveyor and geographer George Everest. His name is pronounced
EVE‑wrist with the emphasis on “Eve.” Yet, the mountain has long been called
EV‑er-rest, as in everlasting.
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There is 66 percent less oxygen on the summit of Everest than at sea level.
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More than 4,800 individuals have summited Everest—some more than once. Almost 300 people have died attempting to summit Everest.
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