What is the Karakoram range?

What is the Karakoram range?

Karakoram Range, Chinese (Pinyin) Karakorum Shan or (Wade-Giles romanization) K’a-la-k’un-lun Shan, great mountain system extending some 300 miles (500 km) from the easternmost extension of Afghanistan in a southeasterly direction along the watershed between Central and South Asia.

In which state Karakoram range is located?

The population of the Karakoram Range is concentrated in three towns in the disputed Kashmir region of the northern Indian subcontinent—Gilgit and Skardu in Gilgit-Baltistan (in the Pakistani-administered portion) and Leh in Ladakh union territory (in the Indian-administered portion)—and in small villages throughout …

Is Karakoram range part of Himalayas?

Spreading over Kashmir and northern Pakistan, the western Himalayan system splits into three distinct ranges, which are, from south to north, the Pir Panjal Range, the Zaskar Range, and the Ladakh Range. Farther north is the Karakoram Range, which is a separate system adjoining the Himalayas.

How was the Karakoram range formed?

Formation of this great mountain chain began when India drifted away from Gondwanaland (a land mass that consisted of all the southern continents of Pangea) and moved northwards colliding into Asia (as seen in The Break up of Pangea Diagram and Animation to the right), giving rise to the tallest mountains in the world …

Where is the Karakoram range in India?

Kashmir
The Karakoram is a mountain range in Kashmir spanning the borders of Pakistan, China, and India, with the northwest extremity of the range extending to Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Most of Karakorum mountain range falls under jurisdiction of Gilgit-Baltistan which is controlled by Pakistan.

Why Karakoram range is known as backbone of high Asia?

The Karakoram Range is known as the ‘backbone of high Asia’. It is also known as Krishnagiri which is situated in the northern most range of the Trans-Himalayan ranges. It forms India’s frontiers with Afghanistan and China and acts as watershed between India and Turkestan.

What is the other name of Karakoram range?

Baltoro Muztagh
The name Karakoram was used in the early 20th century, for example by Kenneth Mason, for the range now known as the Baltoro Muztagh. The term is now used to refer to the entire range from the Batura Muztagh above Hunza in the west to the Saser Muztagh in the bend of the Shyok River in the east.

What country is Karakoram in?

The Baltoro Glacier in northeast Pakistan runs through the center of the second tallest mountain range on Earth—the Karakoram. At 8,611 m (28,251 ft) K2 is the tallest mountain in the region, and three others within 20 km top 8,000 m.

Is Mount Everest in Karakoram range?

The Karakoram mountain range runs along the borders between Pakistan, India, and China. It is part of the longer Himalayan mountain range, which is home to the highest mountain on Earth, Mount Everest. The highest peak in the Karakoram range is K2.

Why is the Karakoram range important?

They are one of the world’s most geologically active areas, at the boundary between two colliding continents. Therefore, they are important in the study of plate tectonics. Mountain glaciers may serve as an indicator of climate change, advancing and receding with long-term changes in temperature and precipitation.

What is the history of Karakoram Highway?

The Karakoram Highway, also known as the Friendship Highway in China, was built by the governments of Pakistan and China. It was started in 1962 and was completed and opened to the public in 1978. Pakistan initially favored routing through Mintaka Pass.