The (legal) difference between a hill and a mountain

There "is" a legal and definitive difference between a hill and a mountain. I made this video as it's a very common question asked by participants on my courses, to which I always give the same answer.

[@jeffatkins4368]

It’s the difference between “Falling down a hill” and “Falling off a mountain”.

[@alexchichigin]

In Russian a hill corresponds to the word «холм», and a mountain to the word «гора». But! In Siberia (at least the Eastern part) there's a word «сопка» (sopkha) which means something in between. A sort of a large hill covered in trees (we call the forest «Taiga» as everybody knows 😁). But not tall and pointy enough to be considered a mountain by local standards, I guess... 😏

[@atuhairwescovia7373]

Thank you so much

[@johnprice4893]

i never realised it was only 600m (I thought it was set @ 1km/1000m) thx

[@mihailvormittag6211]

👍

[@jordanreid5857]

Question, is a hill under 600 m above see level but over 450 m above see level?

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

I’m sorry, I don’t understand the question. Could you rephrase it.

[@jordanreid5857]

If a mountain is over 600m what is a hill? I want a number to work with

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

As far as I know there is no legal definition of a hill, sorry - so I’ll have to give you my own personal definition (which may be wrong).
I would say that: as a mountain (in the UK) is defined as any land being over 600m, a “hill” would be any land below 600m which raises above the area surrounding it.

[@ronaksingh5509]

Thanks 👍

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

You're welcome

[@inregionecaecorum]

A mountain is a big pointy hill, simples.

[@pavlekovacevic1676]

Not all mountains are pointy

[@andrewrush5125]

Mountain more than 1000ft above sea level.

[@jimbeam8042]

If you're in Scotland, then all the Scottish mountains are called hills.

[@TheMapReadingCompany]

Maybe we should just rename them as “lumps” 😊
Bens, Marilyns, Tumps, Dodds, Corbett, Grahams, Donalds, Furths, Hewitts, Nuttalls, Murdos, Deweys, Humps, Donald Deweys, Yeamans, Simms, Clems, Birketts, Synges, Fellrangers, Ethels, Hills, Tops, SIBs, Dillons, Arderins, Carns, Munros, Binnions, etc, etc, etc.
This isn't a full list !
I wonder what different names there are in other countries for these ?

[@jimbeam8042]

As a Scot, they're all just fancy names for hills 😀