LADAKH (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Geography)

Context: Union Home Minister said that five new districts — Zanskar, Drass, Sham, Nubra and Changthang — would be created in the union territory of Ladakh for “bolstering governance in every nook and cranny.” 

Ladakh

• About: Ladakh, also known as "the Land of Passes," is the largest among the regions of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh, 
• Coverage: Area of 95,876 km2. It is administered by India as a union territory.
• Bordering Territories: Shares borders with the Chinese Tibet Autonomous Region to the east, Himachal Pradesh to the south, Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Xinjiang across the Karakoram Pass to the west and far north, respectively.
• Ladakh presently has two districts: Leh and Kargil — with autonomous hill development councils.
• River System: The region is drained by the Indus River and its major tributaries, including Shyok-Nubra, Chang Chenmo, Hanle, Zanskar, and Suru-dras rivers. The high-altitude landscape is shaped by glacio-fluvial processes and freeze-thaw weathering.
• Population: 2.74 lakh according to 2011 Census.
• Harsh Climate: Ladakh experiences an extremely harsh environment, earning it the reputation of being one of the highest and driest inhabited places on earth. 

oIts climate is characterized as a "cold desert" due to a blend of arctic and desert features.