Kashmir, located in the Himalaya Mountains, is famous for its natural beauty, sparkling lakes, lush forests and spectacular mountains. This region is located at the extreme north of the Indian subcontinent. The disputed territory, an area of approximately 223,000 square kilometers, is currently administered by three countries: India, Pakistan and China.
Historically, Kashmir was part of India. In 1846 it became the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, which belonged to British India. Since 1947 Kashmir has been the subject of several armed conflicts between India and Pakistan. The Indian section has capitals Srinagar in summer, and Jammu in winter. The capital of the Pakistani territory is Muzaffarabad. The Chinese took control of an uninhabited section of Ladakh, known as Aksai Chin.
The economy of Kashmir is primarily agricultural. The traditional crop of the fertile Kashmir valley is rice, which is the chief food of the people. The Kashmir valley has a temperate climate unlike the subcontinent. The economy was badly damaged by an earthquake on October 17, 2005. Over 70,000 people died in the Pakistan controlled part of Kashmir and 1,500 more in the Indian region.
Kashmir has been an important center historically of both Hinduism and Buddhism. Today more than 70 percent of inhabitants are Muslim. Hindus reside mostly in the South of Kashmir. These peace loving people have long reflected great religious diversity.
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