Ladakh is a portion of the wider Kashmir region that is controlled by India as a union territory. It has been the source of conflict between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947. In addition to the Tibet Autonomous Region to the east, the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh to the south, the union territories of Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan and India-administered Jammu and Kashmir to the west, Ladakh also shares a border with Xinjiang to the southwest across the Karakoram Pass in the far north. It stretches from the main Great Himalayas to the Siachen Glacier in the northern Karakoram range in the south. The Chinese have controlled the eastern end, which is made up of the desolate Aksai Chin plains, since 1962. The Indian government claims that this area belongs to Ladakh. Prior to Chinese authorities closing the borders between Tibet Autonomous Region and Ladakh in the 1960s, international trade declined. Ladakh benefited from its strategic location at the intersection of significant commercial routes. The Indian government has effectively promoted tourism in Ladakh since 1974. Given the strategic significance of Ladakh, the Indian military keeps a sizable presence there. Leh is the largest town in Ladakh, followed by Kargil, both of which are the administrative centers for a district. The valleys of the Indus, Shyok, and Nubra rivers are located in the Leh district. The Suru, Dras, and Zanskar river valleys are located in the Kargil district. The river valleys are where most people live, but the pastoral Changpa nomads also live on the high slopes. Muslims (mostly Shia) account for 46% of the region's population, followed by Buddhists (primarily Tibetan Buddhists) at 40%, Hindus at 14%, and other religions at 2%. One of the least populous areas of India is Ladakh. Its history and culture are very similar to Tibet's. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act was passed on October 31, 2019, making Ladakh an official union territory of India. It had formerly been a part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The largest and second-least populated union territory in India is Ladakh.
