Kaszmir

Kaszmir, frequently called Kashmir in English, is a region in the northern Indian subcontinent that has been the center of a long-running dispute among India, Pakistan, and China since 1947. The de facto boundary between Indian- and Pakistani-administered areas is the Line of Control; China controls parts of the western sector, including Aksai Chin.

Geographically, Kaszmir is predominantly mountainous, part of the Himalayas and Karakoram ranges, with the Kashmir Valley around the Jhelum River. Administratively, it comprises Indian union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh (since 2019), Pakistani-administered Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, and the Chinese-administered Aksai Chin.

The name Kashmir is derived from the Kashmir Valley; kaszmir is a regional spelling used in some languages.

Historically, the region was ruled by Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms, later by Muslim sultanates, the Mughal Empire, the Sikh Empire, and the Dogra state under British suzerainty. After the 1947 partition, Jammu and Kashmir acceded to India, leading to wars and United Nations mediation. An insurgency began in the late 1980s and has affected the security situation for decades. In 2019, India reorganized the state into two union territories, revoking special status for Jammu and Kashmir and altering local governance.

Demographically, the Kashmir Valley is predominantly Muslim, while Jammu has Hindu and Sikh communities; Gilgit-Baltistan is diverse. Languages include Kashmiri, Urdu, Dogri, and English. The economy centers on agriculture and horticulture (notably saffron and apples), crafts, and tourism, though security and political tensions influence development.