Nepal and China have finally agreed upon the official height of the Mount Everest, the world’s tallest peak, at 8,848.86 metres (or 29,031.69 feet), which is more than previously recorded.
Nepal had never previously measured the height of Mount Everest on its own but had used the 8,848 metres (29,028 feet) estimate made by the Survey of India in 1954 that includes snow.
A Chinese measurement in 2005 determined that the rock height of the summit was 8,844.43 metres (29,017 feet), about 3.7 metres (11 feet) less than the 1954 estimate.
The new height would be based on trigonometric and GPS measurements carried out by Nepal and China. Nepal had sent a team of surveyors to the top of the peak in May 2019, while China sent a team earlier this year.
It was the first time Nepal had independently carried out such measurements amid speculation of a possible change in height due to global warming and a 2015 earthquake.