Ladakh is an administrative territory of India that has been under its control since 1947. The geographical region of Ladakh union territory is the highest altitude plateau region in India (much of it being over 3,000 m), incorporating parts of the Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges and the upper Indus River and valley.
Political geography
Historic Ladakh consists of a number of distinct areas (mainly under Indian rule), including the fairly populous main Indus valley, the more remote Zanskar (in the south) and Nubra valleys (to the north over Khardung La in the Ladakh mountain range, a high motorable pass at ), the almost deserted Aksai Chin (under Chinese rule) and the predominantly Shi'ite Muslim Kargil and Suru valley areas in the west (Kargil being the second most important town in Ladakh). Historically populated by the Ladakhi people, continued immigration and preferential treatment to Kashmiris by the J&K government have led to demographic changes in the Ladakh region.
The Baltistan and Skardu area, under Pakistani rule and entirely Muslim, used to be included in what is geographically referred to as Ladakh. Before partition, Baltistan was one of the districts of Ladakh. Skardo was the winter capital of Ladakh while Leh was the summer capital. People of Baltistan and Ladakh speak very similar languages closely related to Tibetan.
Naked barley, normal barley and wheat are the staple crops all over Ladakh, along with mustard (for oil), lentils and other pulses, and vegetables. The extreme limit of cultivation is at Korzok near the Tso Moriri lake, at 4560 m, said to be among the highest fields in the world.
Mountain ranges & plateau
The mountain ranges in this region were formed over a period of 45 million years by the folding of the Indian Plate into the stationary landmass of Asia. Himalayas were formed from the base material of the Indian plate.
Mountain ranges are (from north to south, then east to west): Karakoram range Passes Karakoram Pass Marsimik La Hotsprings Hot Springs, Chang Chenmo Valley on LAC Gogra Hot Springs, Changlung Valley also in Chang Chenmo Valley on LAC. Jianan Pass – a border pass in the Kugrang Valley tributary of Changchenmo is sometimes called "Hot Springs" . Pangong Range, runs from Chushul along southern shore of Panggong Lake on India-China LAC. Passes Rezang La Lakes Pangong Tso Spanggur Tso Ladakh range Panamik hot springs, near Sasoma enroute Siachen. Passes Yarab Tso lake in Nubra Valley. Yaya Tso on "Chumathang-Chushul Road". Mirpal Tso on "Chumathang-Chushul Road". Koyul Ridge, from Dungti-Fukche-Koyul Ridge to Demchok on right bank of Indus along Chushul-Dungti-Fukche-Demchok highway (CDFD road).
Zanskar range
List of mountain peaks of Ladakh
Plateaus are (north to south): Aksai Chin Depsang plains (Karakoram Plains), north of Karakoram range. Daulat Beg Oldie Depsang Bulge Lingzi Thang Plains, southeast of Depsang plains & north of Kongka La. Tso Tang Soda Plains, east of Depsang plains & north of Lingzi Thang Plains. Changthang plateau Chumathang hot springs on "Upshi-Nyoma Road". Puga hot springs east of Tso Kar lake on ""Meroo-Tso Kar-Mahe road"". Lakes Tso Kar
Startsapuk Tso,
Kyagar Tso, Ryul lake.
Ladakh range
The Ladakh Range has no major peaks; its average height is a little less than 6000 metres, and few of its passes are less than 5000 m. Within Ladakh it forms the northern boundary wall of the Indus valley, though when the river enters present-day Indian-controlled Ladakh at Demchok, some 250 km south-east of Leh, it is actually flowing along the foot of the northern flank of these granite mountains, which it crosses by a great gorge close to its confluence with the Hanle River.
The Pangong Range runs parallel to the Ladakh range for some 100 km northwest from Chushul, and extends to the south along the southern shore of the Panggong Lake. It is divided from the main Ladakh range by the Tangtse River. Its highest range is 6700 m, and the northern slopes are heavily glaciated.
A third branch called the Kailash Range issues south from the Pangong Range and continues till Mount Kailas in Ngari (in Tibet). It forms the eastern watershed of the Indus River south of Mount Sajum.