Figure 11 – Himalayan – Longitudinal Divisions

3.1.1. Kashmir or Northwestern Himalayas

Sprawling over an area of about 350,000 sq km, the range stretches about 700km in length and 500 km in width. This division is lying between Indus and Ravi rivers. With an average height of 3000m, it has the largest number of glaciers in India such as Baltoro, Siachen glaciers. Kashmir Himalayas comprise a series of ranges such as the Karakoram, Ladakh, Zaskar and Pir Panjal. The northeastern part of the Kashmir Himalayas, Ladakh, is a cold desert, which lies between the Greater Himalayas and the Karakoram ranges. It is one of the loftiest inhabited regions of the world. Between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal range, lies the world famous valley of Kashmir and the famous Dal Lake.

A special feature of Kashmir valley is Karewas formation which is thick deposits of glacial clay and other materials embedded with moraines and useful for saffron cultivation. The southernmost part of this region consists of longitudinal valleys known as ‘duns’ such as Jammu duns and Pathankot duns etc. Some of the important passes of the region are Zoji La on the Great Himalayas, Banihal on the Pir Panjal, Photu La on the Zaskar and Khardung La on the Ladakh range. Important fresh lakes such as Dal and Wular and salt water lakes such as Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri are also in this region. Some famous places of pilgrimage such as Vaishno Devi, Amarnath Cave, Charar -e-Sharif, etc. are also located here. Srinagar, capital city of the state of Jammu and Kashmir is located on the banks of Jhelum river.