The Himalayas are filled with diverse animals and plants, including medicinal resources, that local people depend upon for their survival.
The Himalayas are legendary for their frigid temperatures and great heights. The atmosphere is thinner at higher altitudes, so there is less oxygen in the air. The top of Mount Everest is known as the "death zone," because there is not enough oxygen for people to stay alive at that height for a long period of time. Often, people who climb Mount Everest take supplemental oxygen with them. Less vegetation also grows in these areas due to the cold.
Several people who live in these areas move to lower elevations during the winter since lower elevations are usually warmer. They move back up into the mountains at the start of spring. The locals sometimes eat large meals to give their bodies enough energy to sustain the physical exertion of climbing up slopes and to cope with the low oxygen levels. One common food is yak meat, since yak are abundant at higher altitudes, where cows are less likely to survive. The local people also build houses that are small, wooden and filled with plenty of thick blankets to keep themselves well-insulated and warm.
