LADAKH

Union Territory

Ladakh became a Union Territory on 31st of October 2019.

Administrative Division

Leh, the capital of Ladakh.

Originally had two districts: Leh and Kargil. New districts include Zanskar, Drass, Sham, Nubra, and Changthang

Connectivity

National Highway 1A connects Leh to Kashmir Valley via Zoji la Pass.

Manali-Leh Highway crosses four passes: Rohtang la, Baralacha la, Lungalacha la, and Tanglang la.

Know as Land of Passes.

Bordering Regions

Bordered by Chinese Tibet Autonomous Region (east), Himachal Pradesh (south), Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan (west), and Xinjiang (north).

Geographical Region

Ladakh is a cold desert on the eastern side of Jammu and Kashmir.

Ranges from about 3,000m in Kargil to over 8,000m in the Karakoram.

Enclosed by the Karakoram Range (north) and Zanskar mountains (south).

Climate

Low rainfall (10 cm/year) due to rain shadow of the Himalayas.

Summer day temperatures: Just above 0°C, Night temperatures: Well below –30°C.

Winter temperatures: May remain below –40°C.

Drass, one of the coldest inhabited places on earth, is located in Ladakh.

Also know as Khapa-chan, meaning "snow land."

Receives winter snowfall due to western disturbances.

Rivers

Indus is the most important river; others include Shyok-Nubra, Chang Chenmo, Hanle, Zanskar, and Suru-dras.

Doda river and the Lungnak River:  entirely flows with Ladakh.

Glaciers

Gangri Glacier, Siachen Glacier (second largest outside polar regions, largest in the Himalayas).

Lakes

Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri, Tso Kar located in the Changthang Plateau; some of the highest saltwater lakes in the world.

Flora and Fauna

Sparse vegetation due to high aridity; groves of willows and poplars in valleys; fruit trees (apples, apricots, walnuts) bloom in summer.

Birds: Robins, redstarts, Tibetan snowcock, raven, hoopoe (some migratory).

Animals: Wild goats, wild sheep, yak, special kinds of dogs; Yak’s milk used for cheese and butter; sheep and goat hair used for woolens

Ethnicity

Predominantly Muslims and Buddhists; several Buddhist monasteries (gompas) like Hemis, Thiksey, Shey, Lamayuru.

Agriculture

Summer crops: Barley, potatoes, peas, beans, turnip.

Tourism

Major activity with visitors from India and abroad; popular for visiting gompas, trekking, and witnessing ceremonies and festivities.

PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Q. Consider the following statements.

1. It is enclosed by the Karakoram range in the south and the Zanskar mountains in the north.
2. The Gangri glacier is found here.
3. As it lies in rain shadow of the Himalayas, there is little rainfall here.
4. Leh, the capital of Ladakh, is connected to the Kashmir valley through Zoji la pass.

How many  of the following statements about Ladakh is/are  incorrect?

A. Only one

B. Only two

C. Only three

D. All four

Answer A

Statement 1 is incorrect: Ladakh is enclosed by the Karakoram range in the north, not in the South and the Zaskar mountains in the South and not in the