Ladakh

Ladakh (English: /ləˈdɑːk/, Hindustani [ləd̪ːaːx]) is a region administered by India as a union territory and constitutes an eastern portion of the larger Kashmir region that has been the subject of a border dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947, and India and China since 1959. Ladakh is bordered by the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the east, the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh to the south, both the Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan to the west, and the southwest corner of Xinjiang across the Karakoram Pass in the far north. It extends from the Siachen Glacier in the Karakoram range to the north to the main Great Himalayas to the south. The eastern end, consists of the uninhabited Aksai Chin plains, is claimed by the Indian Government as part of Ladakh, but has been under the control of China since 1962. In the past, Ladakh gained importance from its strategic location at the crossroads of important trade routes, but as Chinese authorities closed the borders between Tibet Autonomous Region and Ladakh in the 1960s, international trade dwindled. Since 1974, the Government of India has encouraged tourism in Ladakh. Ladakh was established as a union territory of India on 31 October 2019, following the passage of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act. Prior to that, it was part of the Jammu and Kashmir state. The largest city in Ladakh is Leh, followed by Kargil, each of which headquarters a district. The Leh district contains the Indus, Shyok and Nubra river valleys. The Kargil district contains the Suru, Dras and Zanskar river valleys. The main populated regions are these river valleys, but the mountain slopes also support pastoral Changpa nomads. The main religious groups in the region are Muslims (46%, mainly Shia), Buddhists (40%, mainly Tibetan Buddhists), and Hindus (12%) with the remaining 2% made of other religions. Ladakh is both the largest and the second least populous union territory of India. Its culture and history are closely related to those of Tibet. As Ladakh is strategically important, the Indian military maintains a strong presence in the region.