Facts about Ladakh Indian state

Ladakh is a region administered by India as a union territory, and constituting a part of the larger region of Kashmir, which has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947. It is bordered by Tibet to the east, the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh to the south, Jammu and Kashmir and Baltistan to the west, and the southwest corner of Xinjiang across the Karakoram Pass in the far north. It extends from the Siachen Glacier in the Karakoram range to the north to the main Great Himalayas to the south. The eastern end of Ladakh, consisting of the uninhabited Aksai Chin plains, has been under Chinese control since 1962. Until 2019, Ladakh was a region of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. In August 2019, the Parliament of India passed an act by which Ladakh became a union territory on 31 October 2019.

Chief Minister: NA
Governor: Shri Radha Krishna Mathur
Area: 2,22,236 sq. km
Capital: Srinagar (Summer) & Jammu (Winter) 
Population: 12548926 
Male Population: 6665561 
Female Population: 5883365 
Total Literacy(%): 68.74 
Male Literacy(%): 78.26 
Female Literacy(%): 58.01 
Sex Ratio: 883 
No of District: 21 
Principal Languages: Urdu, Kashmiri, Dogri 

largest towns: Leh and Kargil (Both are district)
Other Languages: Urdu, Dogri, Kashmiri, Pahari, Punjabi, Ladakhi, Balti, Gojri and Dadri

AIRPORTS :  Leh Airport

Other Information:

Extreme Altitude Research Centre-Chang La, Ladakh (17600 metre above sea level world’s highest research centre)

• Ladakh is a cold desert in India lying in Great Himalaya on the east side of Jammu and Kashmir.
• In north Karakoram range.
• In south enclose it with Zaskar range
• Leh, the capital of Ladakh well connected by road and air
• Drass, one of the coldest inhabited place on earth located in Ladakh
• Ladakh is made up of two words – La means mountain pass and Dak means country
• Rivers flowing through it – Indus river, Shyok river, Zaskar river
• River forms deep valleys and George
• Several glacier – Gangri Glacier
• Altitude in Ladakh varies from 3000 metres in Kargil to more than 8000 metres in Karakoram
• Due to high altitude Climate is cold, during day time in summer temperature are just above zero degree C and at night temperature well below -30 degree C.
• In winter temperature freezing cold it remains -40 degree C for most of time
• Ladakh lies in rain shadow of Himalaya – little rainfall with 10 cm every year and experience freezing winds and burning hot sunlight.
• Vegetation – found sparse scanty patches of grass and shrubs.
• Groves of willows and poplars are found in valleys.
• Finest cricket bat are made from the wood of willow trees.
• Ladakh is also known as Khapa – Chan which means snow land
• The Chiru and the Tibetan antelope are endangered species and hunted for wool known as Shahtoosh, which is light in weight and extremely warm.
• Several Buddhist monasteries dot the Ladakhi landscape with their traditional Gompas.
• Famous monasteries are Hemis, Thiksey, Shey and Lamayuru
• In summer season people cultivate Barely, potatoes, peas, beans and turnip.
• National highway 1A connects Leh and Kashmir valley through Zozila pass
• Manali and Leh highway cross 4 passes – Rohtang pass, Baralacha la, Lungalacha la and Tanglang la. This highway only opens between July to September.
• Tourism is the major activity.