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Ladakh
Ladakh is a newly-made Union Territory that got separated from Jammu and Kashmir in 2019. It is around 1025 km. away from our capital, Delhi, and consists of 4.99% population of India. It is considered to be Little Tibet because of its unique culture.
| Topic | Data/Facts |
| 1 History | 1.1 Ladakh was established as a union territory of India on 31 October 2019, following the passage of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act. 1.2 Prior to that, it was part of the Jammu and Kashmir state. Ladakh is the largest and the second least populous union territory of India. |
| 2 Geography | 2.1 Climate: (i) Ladakh is a high altitude desert as the Himalayas create a rain shadow, generally denying entry to monsoon clouds. The main source of water is the winter snowfall on the mountains. (ii) The regions on the north flank of the Himalayas – Dras, the Suru valley and Zangskar – experience heavy snowfall and remain cut off from the rest of the region for several months in the year, as the whole region remains cut off by road from the rest of the country. (iii) Summers are short, though they are long enough to grow crops. The summer weather is dry and pleasant. Temperature ranges are from 3 to 35 °C (37 to 95 °F) in summer and minimums range from −20 to −35 °C (−4 to −31 °F) in winter. 2.2 Agriculture: (i) The land is irrigated by a system of channels which funnel water from the ice and snow of the mountains. The principal crops are barley and wheat. (ii) Rice was previously a luxury in the Ladakhi diet, but, subsidised by the government, has now become a cheap staple. (iii) Naked barley (Ladakhi: nas, Urdu: grim) was traditionally a staple crop all over Ladakh. 2.3 Natural Resources: (i) The Union Territory of Ladakh is bestowed with abundant reserve of mineral resource viz. Borax in Puga valley, marble of good quality in both Leh and Kargil, limestone of cement grade and good quality of granite in age from Archean to Post-Cretaceous are found in both Leh and Kargil which is yet to be explore. (ii) The minerals like Arsenic Ore, Borax, Gold, Granite, Limestone, Marble and Sulphur. These minerals are founding in Ladakh providing base for forming various minerals-based industries in union territory of Ladakh. 2.4 Major rivers: Zanskar is the main river of the region along with its tributaries. The Zanskar gets frozen during winter and the famous Chadar trek takes place on this magnificent frozen river. 2.5 Animals: (i) The bharal or blue sheep is the most abundant mountain ungulate in the Ladakh region, although it is not found in some parts of Zangskar and Sham areas. (ii) The Asiatic ibex is a very elegant mountain goat that is distributed in the western part of Ladakh. It is the second most abundant mountain ungulate in the region with a population of about 6000 individuals. (iii) The Ladakhi Urial is another unique mountain sheep that inhabits the mountains of Ladakh. (iv) The Tibetan argali or Nyan is the largest wild sheep in the world, standing 1.1 to 1.2 metres (3.5 to 4 ft) at the shoulder with the horn measuring 900–1,000 mm (35–39 in). (v) The endangered Tibetan antelope, known as chiru in Indian English, or Ladakhi tsos, has traditionally been hunted for its wool (shahtoosh) which is a natural fibre of the finest quality and thus valued for its light weight and warmth and as a status symbol. The wool of chiru must be pulled out by hand, a process done after the animal is killed. The fibre is smuggled into Kashmir and woven into exquisite shawls by Kashmiri workers. (vi) Ladakh is also home to the Tibetan gazelle, which inhabits the vast rangelands in eastern Ladakh bordering Tibet. (vii) The kiang, or Tibetan wild ass, is common in the grasslands of Changthang, numbering about 2,500 individuals. (viii) There are about 200 snow leopards in Ladakh of an estimated 7,000 worldwide. (ix) The Eurasian lynx, is another rare cat that preys on smaller herbivores in Ladakh. It is mostly found in Nubra, Changthang and Zangskar. (x) The Pallas’s cat, which looks somewhat like a house cat, is very rare in Ladakh and not much is known about the species. (xi) The Tibetan wolf, which sometimes preys on the livestock of the Ladakhis, is the most persecuted amongst the predators. (xii) There are also a few brown bears in the Suru Valley and the area around Dras. The Tibetan sand fox has been discovered in this region. (xiii) Among smaller animals, marmots, hares, and several types of pika and vole are common. 2.6 Neighbouring States: Tibet – East Himachal Pradesh – South Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan – West Karakoram Pass – North 2.7 Capital city: Leh and Kargil 2.8 Total Land Area: (i) Total area is 59,146 sq. km. (ii) 2nd least populous UT in India. |
| 3 Forestry | 3.1 Forest: Forest Cover: 36 sq. km. 3.2 National Parks: Hemis National Park (Largest National Park in India known for the Snow Leopards) 3.3 Wild Life Sanctuary: (i) Changtang Wildlife Sanctuary, Eastern Ladakh (ii) Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary, Leh |
| 4 Economy | 4.1 Industries: Major industries are as under: – (i) In Ladakh, tourism is one of the key areas that plays a vital role in generating revenue, jobs and overall growth of regions. (ii) In October 2020, National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and UT Administration of Ladakh signed an MoU to conduct a benchmark survey with a view to promote dairying and rural livelihoods in Ladakh. (iii) Ladakh produces ~50% surplus production of milk, which has a potential to process/export and generate revenue for the local producers. |
| 5 Transportation | 5.1 Air, Railway and Roads are the major transportation means of Ladakh. 5.2 Other Important facts: 5.2.1 There are about 1,800 km (1,100 mi) of roads in Ladakh of which 800 km (500 mi) are surfaced. 5.2.2 The majority of roads in Ladakh are looked after by the Border Roads Organisation. There are two main roads that connect Ladakh, NH1 connecting Srinagar to Kargil and Leh, and NH3 connecting Manali to Leh. A third road to Ladakh is the Nimmu–Padam–Darcha road, which is under construction. 5.3 Major Railway Stations Bilaspur–Leh line 5.4 Major Air Ports: Domestic Airports: Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport, Leh Indian Air Force Stations: Kargil Airport |
| 6 Infrastructures | 6.1 Power installed Capacity: (i) Total Power: 3443.07 MW (ii) Thermal: 846.50 MW (iii) Nuclear: 67.98 MW (iv) Hydro: 2321.88 MW (v) Renewable Energy Source: 206.71 MW |
| 7 Census and Demography | 7.1 Demographic Data: (i) Population: 60,439,692 (6.04 Crores) (ii) Male: 31,491,260 (iii) Female: 28,948,432 (iv) Gender Ratio: 919 females per 1000 males (v) Population Growth: 19.28% (vi) Percentage of total population of the country: 4.99% (vii) Density: 308/sq. km. (viii) Rural Population: 37,469,335 (61.33%) (ix) Urban Population: 23,625,962 (38.67%) (Based on 2011 census) 7.2 Major Religion followers: (i) Hinduism: 84.00% (ii) Christianity: 1.87% (iii) Islam: 12.92% (iv) Jainism: 0.72% (v) Buddhism: 0.16% (vi) Sikhism: 0.05% (Based on 2011 census) |
| 8 Culture | 8.1 Literature: Literary work is majorly found under categories: (i) Tibetan (ii) Ladakhi (iii) English 8.2 Major Poets & Authors: (i) Waqar Khan (ii) Tashi Rabgias (iii) Kacho Sikander Khan 8.3 Major Festivals: (i) Lamayuru (ii) Phyang (iii) Tak-Thok (iv) Karsha (v) Thiksay (vi) Deskit (vii) Likir (viii) Losar (ix) Ladakh Festival (x) Sindhu Darshan 8.4 Folk Dance: (i) Lharna (ii) Pu-tse-tses (Male Dance) (iii) Kompa gSumtsegs (3-Steps Dance) (iv) Khathok Chenmo (Dance of Nobility) (v) Lhashon (vi) Mentok Stanmo (Show of the Flowers) (vii) Koshen Tses (Dance of Brocade) (viii) Takshon (ix) Shondol (x) Char-tses (Bird Dance) (xi) Nyawopa (Marriage Dance) (xii) Spawo (Sword Dance) (xiii) Chapskyan Tses (xiv) Jabro Dance (xv) Aley Yatowa (xvi) Tashis pa 8.5 Major Religious Places: (i) Rizong Monastery (ii) Likir Monastery (iii) Lamayuru Monastery (iv) Shey Monastery (v) Stakana Monastery (vi) Cave Monastery (vii) Thiksey Monastery (viii) Spituk Monastery (ix) Stongdey Monastery |
| 9 Education | 9.1 State Literacy Data: (i) Total: 41,093,358 (78.03%) (ii) Male: 23,474,873 (85.75%) (iii) Female: 17,618,485 (69.68%) 9.2 Major Universities: University of Ladakh 9.3 Major Institutions: (i) Govt. Degree College, Nubra (ii) Govt. Degree College, Drass (iii) Govt. Degree College, Zanskar (iv) Govt. Degree College, Khaltsi (v) Govt. Degree College, Kargil (vi) Eliezer Joldan Memorial College (EJMC), Leh |
| 10 Tourism | 10.1 Overall tourist arrival in the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh in 2019 stood at 279,937. Until June 2020, total tourist arrivals in Ladakh were 6,079, of which 5,019 were domestic and 1,060 were foreign tourists. 10.2 Major Tourist Spots: (i) Leh Palace (ii) Saspol Caves (iii) Mulbekh Maitreya Buddha statue (iv) Bamiyan-like Maitreya Buddhas of Kargil district (v) Drass Valley (vi) Chadar Ice Trek |
| 11 Sports | 11.1 State Game: The most popular sport in Ladakh is ice hockey, which is played only on natural ice generally mid-December through mid-February. Cricket is also very popular. Archery is a traditional sport in Ladakh, and many villages hold archery festivals, which are as much about traditional dancing, drinking and gambling, as they are about the sport. The sport is conducted with strict etiquette, to the accompaniment of the music of surna and daman (shehnai and drum). Polo, the other traditional sport of Ladakh, is indigenous to Baltistan and Gilgit, and was probably introduced into Ladakh in the mid-17th century by King Singge Namgyal, whose mother was a Balti princess. The Ladakh Marathon is a high-altitude marathon held in Leh every year since 2012. Held at a height of 11,500 to 17,618 feet (3,505 to 5,370 m), it is one of the world’s highest marathons. 11.2 Major Stadium: Spituk Open Stadium (Stadium at 11,000 ft.) 11.3 International Players from the state: Skiing: (i) Tashi Lundup (ii) Jamyang Namgial |
| 12 Governance & Administrative Divisions | 12.1 Administrative divisions: (i) Number of Districts: 2 (ii) Number of Tehsils: 4 (iii) Number of Police Stations: 4 (iv) Number of Urban Towns: 3 (v) Number of Villages: 60 12.2 Official Languages: (i) Hindi (ii) English (Based on census-2011) 12.3 Constituent Facts: (i) Number of Assembly seats: 26 (ii) Number of Parliament seats: 4 (iii) Number of Gram Panchayats: 95 12.4 Member of Parliament: Jamyang Tsering Namgyal 12.5 Lieutenant Governor: Radha Krishna Mathur 12.6 Judiciary: 12.6.1 The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh is the common high court for union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. 12.6.2 It was established on 26th March, 1928. (i) Number of Judges: 17 (ii) (Permanent: 13 Addl: 4) (iii) Judge Retirement Age: 62 |
| 13 Other Important facts | 13.1 UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Cold Desert Cultural Landscape of India (Proposed) 13.2 Number of Archaeological Sites: (i) Sculpture at Drass, Drass (ii) Rock cut sculptures, Mulbag (iii) Buddhist Monastery, Lamayuru (iv) Buddhist Monastery, Lakir (v) Buddhist Monastery, Alchi (vi) Buddhist Gonpa, Phyang (vii) Ancient Palace, Leh (viii) Old Castle (Tsemo Hill), Leh (ix) Stupa Tisserru (x) Ancient Palace and Shrine, Shey (xi) Hamis Gonpa, Hamis (xii) Shrine of four Lords Gon-Khang (Tsemo Hill), Leh 13.3 UT Symbols: UT Animal: Snow Leopard UT Bird: Black-necked Crane |
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