05/11/2013
The following is a list of ten geographic facts to know
about Kashmir. 1) Historical documents state that the region of present-
day Kashmir was formerly a lake, thus its name is
derived from several translations that deal with water.
Kaashmir, a term used in the religious text Nilamata Purana, means for example "a land desiccated from water." 2) Kashmir's old capital, Shrinagari, was first founded by
the Buddhist emperor Ashoka and the region served as a center of Buddhism. In the 9th century, Hinduism was introduced to the area and both religions thrived. 3) In the 14th century, the Mongol ruler, Dulucha invaded
the Kashmir region. This ended the Hindu and Buddhist
rule of the area and in 1339, Shah Mir Swati became the
first Muslim ruler of Kashmir. Throughout the rest of the
14th century and into subsequent times, Muslim
dynasties and empires successfully controlled the Kashmir region. By the 19th century though, Kashmir
was passed to the Sikh armies that were conquering the
area. 4) Beginning in 1947 at the end of England's rule of India,
the Kashmir region was given the choice to become a
part of the new Union of India, the Dominion of Pakistan
or to remain independent. Around this same time
however, both Pakistan and India attempted to gain
control of the area and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 began which lasted until 1948 when the region was
partitioned. Two more wars over Kashmir took place in
1965 and 1999. 5) Today Kashmir is divided among Pakistan, India and
China. Pakistan controls the northwestern part, while
India controls the central and southern portions and
China controls its northeastern areas. India controls the
largest portion of land at 39,127 square miles (101,338
sq km) while Pakistan controls an area of 33,145 square miles (85,846 sq km) and China 14,500 square miles
(37,555 sq km). 6) The Kashmir region has a total area of about 86,772
square miles (224,739 sq km) and much of it is
undeveloped and dominated by large mountain ranges
such as the Himalayan and Karakoram ranges. The Vale
of Kashmir is located between mountain ranges and
there are also several large rivers in the region. The most populated areas are Jammu and Azad Kashmir. The main
cities in Kashmir are Mirpur, Dadayal, Kotli, Bhimber
Jammu, Muzaffrarabad and Rawalakot. 7) Kashmir has a varied climate but in its lower
elevations, summers are hot, humid and dominated
monsoonal weather patterns, while winters are cold and
often wet. In the higher elevations, summers are cool
and short, and winters are very long and very cold. 8) Kashmir's economy is mostly made up of agriculture
that takes place in its fertile valley areas. Rice, corn,
wheat, barley, fruits and vegetables are the main crops
grown in Kashmir while lumber, and the raising of
livestock also play a role in its economy. In addition,
small-scale handicrafts and tourism are important to the area. 9) Most of Kashmir's population is Muslim. Hindus also
live in the region and the main language of Kashmir is
Kashmiri. 10) In the 19th century, Kashmir was a popular tourist
destination because of its topography and climate. Many
of Kashmir's tourists came from Europe and were
interested in hunting and mountain climbing. References How Stuff Works. (n.d.). How Stuff Works "Geography of
Kashmir." Retrieved from: http:// geography.howstuffworks.com/middle-east/geography-
of-kashmir.htm
