Total Area : 96,701 Sq.Kms
Latitude: between 30 degrees to 36 degrees east latitude.
Longitude; 76 degrees to 79 degrees north east. Population: population of 2 Lakhs habitants two districts, Leh and Kargil.
Annual Rainfall: 529mm
Best Season: March to October
Ladakh is bound by the world's two mightiest mountain ranges, the great Himalayan and the Karakoram. It lies athwart two others, the Ladakh and the Zangskar range.
It lies at altitude ranging from about 2,750m to 7,673m. The temperature in summer goes up to 27C and in winter it drops down to minus 20C.
It leaves the first time traveler awestruck by its geographical and cultural difference as they land at Leh. The features of Ladakhi people, their clothes and dialects are similar to Tibetan and Mongoloid, then Indian. The Mons from Kullu and Tibet were the first population immigrants to Ladakh as shepherds, nomads and settled down near the Indus River. Later drads and others immigrated to Lower Ladakh. Due to cultural and geographical similarities Ladakh is popular among tourists as Little Tibet. Buddhism is the dominant religion in Ladakh while Kargil district is dominated by Muslims and Buddhists. The approach to Ladakh is invariably marked with many walls that are long, up to 2m to 3m, decorated with engraved stones bearing the mantra "Om Mani Padme Hum" and Chortens which symbolize Buddha's mind. The Villages and Mountains are ornamented with gonpa and monasteries where reside thousand of Buddhist monks, hermits and Nuns. Islam came to Ladakh from central Asia and Kashmir after 15th century AD. Now the Kargil, Drass and Suru valley is populated by Shia and Sunis which are in Leh and Kargil on a smaller scale.
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