Nyenchen Tanglha

a mountain range in China, in the eastern part of the Trans-Himalayas. Bounded by the Tibetan Highlands on the south, the Nyenchen Tanglha separates the basin of the Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) River in the south from the basins of the Nag Chu (Salween) River and Lake Nam Tso in the north. It is about 600 km long and is composed of Paleozoic and Mesozoic sandstones, shales, and limestones; Cretaceous volcanic rocks; and young granites. The range forms an almost uninterrupted chain of snow-covered mountains with a relatively even crest. The maximum elevation is 7,088 m, and passes lie above 5,000 m. The slopes are rocky and covered with talus. High-mountain steppes and semideserts are well developed on the lower southern slopes, and cold-desert landscapes prevail on the northern slopes.