There are 14 traditionally recognized mountains on Earth higher than 8,000 meters above sea level.
These peaks are known as the eight-thousanders, and every one lies in Asia’s Himalaya or Karakoram ranges. The list includes Mount Everest, K2, Kangchenjunga, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Dhaulagiri I, Manaslu, Nanga Parbat, Annapurna I, Gasherbrum I, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum II, and Shishapangma.
The count is not based solely on a summit’s elevation. The International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation recognizes peaks as separate mountains using criteria that include sufficient independence from neighboring summits, often measured through topographic prominence. This is why some subsidiary summits above 8,000 meters are not included in the standard total.
The first of the 14 to be climbed was Annapurna I in 1950; Shishapangma became the last when it was summited in 1964. Climbers call these mountains “eight-thousanders,” and their upper slopes are commonly associated with the death zone, where thin air makes prolonged survival extremely difficult.