For over 150 years scientists have tried to establish the exact height of Mount Everest. To settle the matter once and for all, Nepal has ordered a new survey of the world's highest mountain.

The peak was named after British surveyor George Everest in 1856. The story goes that in 1852 Radhanath Sikhdar, a mathematician working for the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India, discovered what he thought was the highest summit in the world. Several years later this was confirmed and, despite the mountain already being called Chomolungma by the Tibetans and Sagarmatha by the Nepalese, the British decided to name it after Colonel George Everest, head of the survey (although he was always rather embarrassed by the honour).

In 1865 the mountain - previously known as Peak XV by the British - was offically renamed Everest.