Kashmir
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kashmir (Urdu: کشمیر, Kashmiri: کٔشِیر), also known as Cashmere, is a region in Central Asia. The term Kashmir historically was described as the valley just to the south of the western end of the Himalayan mountain range. Today, Kashmir refers to a much larger area that includes the regions of Kashmir Valley, Jammu region and Ladakh. The main "Valley of Kashmir" is a low fertile area surrounded by mountains and fed by many rivers. People like it for its natural beauty and simple lifestyle. Kashmir is also a Disputed Territory. Pakistan, India and China hold parts of this region. The whole area of the disputed territory of the Kashmir region excluding the Trans-Karakoram Tract and Aksai Chin is 187,705 km² (72,487 sq mi) in terms of land area it is bigger than Syria but, smaller than Senegal; in other words the regional state of Jammu and Kashmir is greater in area than Austria, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Albania & Luxembourg combined.
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[change] Economy
[change] Agriculture
The economy of the region is focused on agriculture. People grow rice there. In the Indian part they also grow corn, such as wheat and barley. Its climate is different from that of most of the Indian subcontinent: It is milder. Therefore, crops like artichoke, cauliflower, cabbage and certain kinds of beans are also grown.
Cashmere wool is well-known almost anywhere in the world. Cashmere wool is wool from Cashmere goats. Because of conflicts over the territory however, most Cashmere wool no longer comes from Kashmir.
Kashmir is home to the finest saffron in the world.[needs proving]
[change] Tourism
Tourism has been important in Kashmir for many years. Many people call the region Paradise on Earth. Tourists visit Kashmir from all over the world irrespective of nationality and religion. In spite of a drop in footfalls due to terrorism in the last decade, Kashmir still remains one of the most sought after tourist destinations.
| State animal | Kashmir Stag |  |
| State bird | Black-necked Crane |  |
| State tree | Chinar tree |  |
| State flower | Rhododendron |  |
| State sport | Polo |
[change] The Kashmir conflict
What is known as the Kashmir conflict has existed since India and Pakistan became independent states. The problem was that the ruler of the region at the time joined India, according to the government of India. The population in the region were mostly Muslim. They wanted to join Pakistan. India and Pakistan have fought three wars over the Kashmir question, in 1948, 1965 and 1971. At the moment there are UN troops in Kashmir. They guard the lines of control.
Today Kashmir is split, as follows:
- Republic of India controls the state as the Jammu and Kashmir. It is made of the Kashmir valley, Jammu and Ladakh. Pakistan refers to this as Indian-occupied Kashmir or Indian-controlled Kashmir.
- The territories known as Northern Areas and Azad Jammu and Kashmir are administered by Pakistan. Islamabad calls them Pakistan-administered Kashmir. India refers to this as Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
- The region called Aksai Chin is controlled by China. China also controls a territory it received from Pakistan, called Trans-Karakoram Tract. The legality of this swap is disputed by India.
- The Siachen Glacier is currently a disputed territory, India controls the glacier, Pakistan the valley below.
- The Trans-Karakoram Tract is an area Pakistan gave to China in 1963, March 3rd. Pakistan says the area was uninhabited, so there is no problem to this. India claims this area as part of its state Jammu and Kashmir.
[change] Lines of control
India and Pakistan have fought several wars over Kashmir. In 1949 and 1972 they agreed on a border for most of the Territories (except for the Siachen Glacier). This demarcation line which marks the border between India and Pakistan is known as Line of Control. It is guarded by Indian and Pakistani troops.
The border between Aksai Chin, held by China, and Jammu and Kashmir, held by India is known as Line of Actual Control.
[change] Water dispute
Another reason behind the dispute over Kashmir is water. Kashmir is the origin point for many rivers and tributaries of the Indus River basin. They include Jhelum and Chenab River which primarily flow into Pakistan while other branches - the Ravi, Beas River and the Sutlej irrigate northern India. Pakistan has been apprehensive that in a dire need India under whose portion of Kashmir lies the origins and passage of the said rivers, would use its strategic advantage and withhold the flow and thus choke the agrarian economy of Pakistan. The Boundary Award of 1947 meant that the headworks of the chief irrigation systems of Pakistan were left located in Indian Territory. The Indus Waters Treaty signed in 1960 resolved most of these disputes over the sharing of water, calling for mutual cooperation in this regard. This treaty faced issues raised by Pakistan over the illegal construction of dams on the Indian side which limit water to the Pakistani side.
[change] Map issues
 Map of UN's version of the South Asia region |
 Map of UN's version of the Kashmir region |
 Map of UN's version of the Republic of India and disputed areas |
As with other disputed territories, each government issues maps depicting their claims in Kashmir as part of their territory, regardless of actual control. It is illegal in India to exclude all or part of Kashmir in a map. It is also illegal in Pakistan not to include the state of Jammu and Kashmir as disputed territory, as permitted by the U.N. Non-participants often use the Line of Control and the Line of Actual Control as the depicted boundaries, as is done in the CIA World Factbook, and the region is often marked out in hashmarks, although the Indian government strictly opposes such practices. When Microsoft released a map in Windows 95 and MapPoint 2002, a controversy was raised because it did not show all of Kashmir as part of India as per Indian claim. However, all the neutral and Pakistani companies claim to follow UN's map and over 90% of all maps containing the territory of Kashmir show it as disputed territory.[1]
[change] International responses
UN: The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on the map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations. Dotted line represents approximately the Line of Control of Jammu and Kashmir agreed upon by the Republic of India and the Government of Pakistan since 1972. Both the parties have not yet agreed upon the final status of the region and nothing significant has been implemented since the peace process began in 2004. See UN map of Jammu and Kashmir, accepted by most countries of the world
Islamabad: The Government of Pakistan maintains un-provisionally and unconditionally stating that the informal "Accession of Jammu and Kashmir" to Pakistan or even to the Republic of India remains to be decided by UN plebiscite. It accepts UN's map of the territory.
London: Also the designations and the presentation of the Kashmir's regional map based on UNO practice, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Commonwealth Secretariat or the publishers concerning the legal status of any country, territory or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. There is no intention to define the status Jammu and/or Kashmir, which has not yet been agreed upon by the parties.
New Delhi: The Government of India states that "the external artificial boundaries of India, especially concerning the Kashmir region under its jurisdiction created by a foreign body are neither correct nor authenticated".
Beijing: The Communist government of the People's Republic Of China maintains it control over what is known as the Chinese Kashmir, claimed and disputed by India, it is however recognized by Pakistan as part of China as per their claim, stating that the Line of Actual Control is not demarcated or boundary undefined.
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