China and Nepal agree on height of Mt Everest

China and Nepal, whose border is traversed by Mount Everest, have settled a long-standing dispute over the height of the world's tallest mountain.

Traditionally, the Chinese always measured its height at 8,844m - the apex of its solid rock. The Nepalese, meanwhile, opted to measure it by its snow height, which made Everest 4m taller.

This week, Beijing accepted the higher measure.

New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay conquered Mt Everest in 1953.

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