How tall is Everest? China and Nepal finally agree

(CNN) – After more than a decade of bickering and controversy, China and Nepal finally agreed on the height of Mount Everest.

The world’s highest peak, located on Nepal’s border with Tibet in the Himalayas, measures 8,848.86 meters (about 29,032 feet), officials from both countries announced Tuesday. This is just under a meter taller than the previously recognized height.

The agreement marked the end of a lengthy debate over the precise dimensions of Everest, known as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet. Over the years, the two countries, as well as other governments around the world, have offered different estimates of the mountain’s height.

“The project was a source of national pride for Nepal and a prestigious mission for the Nepalese government. I am very proud that we were able to complete it successfully, ”Susheel Dangol, deputy director general of the Nepal Department of Studies told CNN. “Nepal and China jointly processed the research data and got the result.”

The virtual press conference was attended by Nepalese Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.

Controversy over the height of Everest

In 2005, a Chinese study of Everest estimated its height to be around 8,844 meters (about 29,015 feet).

However, since the investigation was not authorized by Nepal, the country did not recognize it as the official height. At the time, they were using a figure of 8,848 meters (29,029 feet), in line with the findings of a 1955 Indian survey.

Then in 2015, multiple scientific studies suggested that the elevation of the mountain may have changed after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal. Two years later, the Nepalese government began its own arduous mission of re-measuring altitude for the first time.

During the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Nepal last year, both countries agreed to jointly announce the new height, calling the peak “an eternal symbol of friendship between Nepal and China.” China began measuring from the Tibetan side of the mountain after Xi’s visit.

China sent an eight-member team to conduct its own survey. Since then, the two sides have been discussing their findings.

The new height was calculated using a combination of geodetic data received from three mechanisms: leveling instrument, gravity gauge, and GPS. The team placed a signal receiver at each station and measured how long it took for signals to travel between the receiver and the satellites, then converted that measurement to height.