* No official standard: There's no global authority that dictates what qualifies as a mountain.
* Varying definitions: Some people might consider a hill that's just a few hundred feet tall a mountain, while others might only recognize something thousands of feet high.
* Geographical context: What's considered a mountain in one place might not be in another. A "mountain" in the Appalachian Mountains might be dwarfed by a "hill" in the Himalayas.
However, here's a common guideline:
* Elevation: Most people would agree that a mountain needs to be significantly higher than the surrounding terrain. A general rule of thumb is that it should be at least 1,000 feet (305 meters) above its base.
So, while there's no hard and fast rule, a mountain is generally recognized as a landform that rises significantly above its surroundings and has a distinct peak.
