Kargil was a part of Gilgit-Baltistan before 1947, but now is a town in the Indian-controlled Kashmir. Kargil lies on the line of control facing Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.
Geography
Kargil is nestled in the Himalaya, giving it a cool, temperate climate. Summers are cool with frigid nights, while winters are long and cold with temperatures, often dropping to -40°C. The Zanskar plateau is even colder, thus making it an near-uninhabitable place for humans to stay, except for the hardy Khampas .
A national highway connecting Srinagar to Leh, cuts through Kargil. There is an unpaved road leading from Kargil south to Zanskar, which is only open from June to September each year.
Demographics
Much of Kargil population is inhabited by the Burig and Balti people of Tibetan origin, although the majorty have intermingled with the Dard and other Aryan people. The Dards inhabit in the town of Drass, although a small number of Buddhist Dard, known as Brokpa , inhabit the Dah-Hanu region near the Lamayuru monastery. Of late, immigrants from Kashmir and Hindu Jammu have came to settle in Kargil.
Kargil is the only Muslim majority district in the Ladakh subdivision, consisting about 78% of the district population. The remainder 19% are followers of Tibetan Buddhism and Bön, much of them found in Zanskar. Another 3% of the population following Hinduism.
History
In late May 1999, foreign terrorists gathered at vantage heights in the Indian controlled region. This led Indian troops to attack and try to recapture lost territory. The Pakistani government was supporting the terrorists and mercenaries both militarily and logistically. The conflict was ultimately resolved as the Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif agreed to a deal with US president Bill Clinton and ordered a retreat of all Pakistani forces from Kargil whom the Indians saw as a threat.
http://edition.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/south/07/04/kashmir.timeline/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/387702.stm
Visit: http://kargil.nic.in/ for more information on Kargil District, Kashmir, INDIA
See also
External links
