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Ladakh
Ladakh, region in the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmīr, currently under the control of India. It is 480 km (300 mi) long from northwest to southeast and is about 240 km (150 mi) wide. The eastern boundary is poorly defined.
Ladakh is extremely mountainous, rugged, and little known, except for the central valley formed by the upper Indus River. The Karakoram Range in the north averages 6,100 to 7,200 m (20,000 to 23,000 ft) in height and includes the second highest peak in the world, K2, also known as Mount Godwin Austen (8,611 m/28,251 ft). This northern region is virtually uninhabited. The ZÄskÄr Mountains form the western part of Ladakh, and the Ladakh Range forms the eastern part. The valley of the Indus River lies between these two major ranges.
The Indus River Valley lies from 2,100 to 3,700 m (7,000 to 12,000 ft) above sea level. Despite the valley, there is little level or arable land in Ladakh. The climate is cold and dry. The average annual temperature in the valley is about 4° C (40° F) and the winters have temperatures as low as -29° C (-20° F). In summer, daytime temperatures may reach 32° C (90° F), but at night they drop to the freezing point. Grass is the dominant vegetation, and a local variety of wheat called grim is raised.
Most of the people in Ladakh live in towns along the Indus River. The largest towns are Leh (the capital), Khalatse, Tolti, and SkÄrdu. Ladakh was known to the Chinese as early as ad 400. Later, it became part of Tibet and was frequently invaded by Muslim tribes from the northwest. During the period of British rule in India, Ladakh became closely associated with the North-West Frontier tribal states. After the British withdrawal, Pakistan occupied northern Ladakh, and India gained control of the rest. The Chinese seized Tibet in 1950, and friction arose between China and India because of Chinese encroachments in eastern Ladakh.