Russian Geographical Society
Russian Geographical Society
a mountain range in China, on the eastern edge of the Tibetan Highlands, between the upper reaches of the Yangtze and Mekong rivers. The length of the range is approximately 450 km; elevations reach 5,999 m. The range is composed primarily of limestones, schists, and sandstones and is deeply dissected. There are firn fields and small glaciers in the crest zone. Upland steppes predominate in the northwestern part of the range; in the southeastern part there are coniferous forests to an elevation of 4,000 m and, higher up, grassy meadows. The range was explored in 1900 by P. K. Kozlov, who named it in honor of the Russian Geographical Society.