Ladakh

Ladakh is a region administered as a union territory of India since 2019, comprising two districts, Leh and Kargil, with Leh serving as the capital. Located in the northernmost part of the country, Ladakh lies in the western Himalayas and the trans-Himalayan region, bordered by the Chinese-ruled Tibet to the east and Pakistan-administered territories to the west. It was part of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir before the reorganization.

Geographically, Ladakh features high-altitude terrain and a cold desert climate, with elevations ranging roughly from 3,000 to over 7,000 meters. The landscape includes parts of the Karakoram and Himalayan ranges, stark valleys, and high-altitude lakes such as Pangong and Tso Moriri. Precipitation is low, summers are brief, and winters are long and harsh, leading to seasonal road closures.

Administratively, Ladakh is a union territory governed by a lieutenant governor and has two districts, Leh and Kargil. The region is home to Buddhist communities in Leh and a significant Shia Muslim population in Kargil. Local languages include Ladakhi, Balti, and Shina, with Urdu and English used in administration and education. The population is relatively small, numbering in the low hundreds of thousands.

Economically, the region relies largely on tourism, along with agriculture in the valleys and limited local crafts. Major destinations include Leh and Kargil towns, Pangong Lake, Nubra Valley, and historic monasteries such as Hemis. Transport is via air to Leh’s Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport and overland routes like the Srinagar-Leh and Manali-Leh highways, which are affected by weather and security considerations.

Culturally, Ladakh has a rich heritage influenced by Tibetan Buddhism, with notable monasteries and festivals. Since 2019, it has functioned as a union territory without a full state legislature, with governance centralized at the national level and ongoing discussions about elected representation.