The local Nepali name for Everest is Sagarmatha, which means 'forehead of the sky'. In Tibetan it is called Chomolungma - 'mother goddess of the world'. Both names tell you how tall and important it feels to the people who live near it.
Everest is part of a huge mountain range called the Himalayas. Nepal is home to 8 of the world's 14 tallest mountains - more than any other country. From the right hill on a clear morning, you can see a whole wall of snowy peaks stretched across the sky.
It is so tall that the air at the top has only a third as much oxygen as the air at sea level. People who climb high mountains have to go slowly so their bodies can get used to the thin air. This is called 'altitude'.
Everest is also still growing. The Indian and Asian land plates are pushing into each other, lifting the mountains a few millimetres taller each year. The whole range is the youngest big mountain range on Earth.