Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain, officially just got a little bit higher
Beijing — China and Nepal have jointly announced a new height for Mount Everest, ending a discrepancy between the two nations. The new official height is 29,032 feet, China's official Xinhua News Agency said Tuesday, slightly more than Nepal's previous measurement and about 13 feet higher than China's.
The new height was agreed on after the two counties sent surveyors from their respective sides of the mountain in 2019 and 2020.
Nepal previously measured Everest's height as 29,029, while China put it at 29,017 because it did not include the snow cap.
There had been debate over the actual height of the peak and concern that it might have shrunk after a major earthquake in 2015.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping said the two sides were committed to jointly protecting the environment around Everest and cooperating in scientific research, Xinhua said.