The Karakoram is a mountain range in
Kashmir region
Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...
spanning the borders of
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
, and
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
, with the northwest extremity of the range extending to
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is borde ...
and
Tajikistan
Tajikistan (, ; tg, Тоҷикистон, Tojikiston; russian: Таджикистан, Tadzhikistan), officially the Republic of Tajikistan ( tg, Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон, Jumhurii Tojikiston), is a landlocked country in Centr ...
. Most of the Karakoram mountain range falls under the jurisdiction of
Gilgit-Baltistan, which is controlled by Pakistan. Its highest peak (and
world's second-highest),
K2, is located in Gilgit-Baltistan. It begins in the
Wakhan Corridor (Afghanistan) in the west, encompasses the majority of
Gilgit-Baltistan, and extends into
Ladakh
Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory which constitutes a part of the larger Kashmir region and has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947. (subscription required) Quote: "Jammu a ...
(controlled by India) and
Aksai Chin (controlled by China). It is the
second-highest mountain range in the world and part of the complex of ranges including the
Pamir Mountains, the
Hindu Kush and the
Himalayan Mountains. The Karakoram has eighteen summits over in height, with four exceeding :
K2, the second-highest peak in the world at ,
Gasherbrum I
Gasherbrum I ( ur, ; ), surveyed as K5 and also known as Hidden Peak, is the 11th highest mountain in the world at above sea level. It is located in Shigar District in the Gilgit–Baltistan region of Pakistan. Gasherbrum I is part of the ...
,
Broad Peak and
Gasherbrum II
Gasherbrum II ( ur, ; ); surveyed as K4, is the 13th highest mountain in the world at above sea level. It is the third-highest peak of the Gasherbrum massif, and is located in the Karakoram, on the border between Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan ...
.
The range is about in length and is the most heavily
glaciated part of the world outside the polar regions. The
Siachen Glacier
The Siachen Glacier is a glacier located in the eastern Karakoram range in the Himalayas at about , just northeast of the point NJ9842 where the Line of Control between India and Pakistan ends. At long, it is the longest glacier in the Kara ...
at and the
Biafo Glacier
The Biafo Glacier ( ur, ) is a -long glacier situated in the Karakoram mountain range in Shigar district, Gilgit−Baltistan, Pakistan. Geography
Biafo Glacier meets the -long Hispar Glacier at an altitude of at Hispar La to create the wor ...
at rank as the world's second and third longest glaciers outside the polar regions.
[Tajikistan's Fedchenko Glacier is long. Baltoro and Batura Glaciers in the Karakoram are long, as is Bruggen or Pio XI Glacier in southern Chile. Measurements are from recent imagery, generally supplemented with Russian 1:200,000 scale topographic mapping as well as Jerzy Wala,''Orographical Sketch Map: Karakoram: Sheets 1 & 2'', Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research, Zurich, 1990.]
The Karakoram is bounded on the east by the
Aksai Chin plateau, on the northeast by the edge of the
Tibetan Plateau
The Tibetan Plateau (, also known as the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau or the Qing–Zang Plateau () or as the Himalayan Plateau in India, is a vast elevated plateau located at the intersection of Central, South and East Asia covering most of the Ti ...
and on the north by the river valleys of the
Yarkand
Yarkant County,, United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency also Shache County,, United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency also transliterated from Uyghur as Yakan County, is a county in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous ...
and
Karakash rivers beyond which lie the
Kunlun Mountains. At the northwest corner are the
Pamir Mountains. The southern boundary of the Karakoram is formed, west to east, by the
Gilgit
Gilgit (; Shina: ; ur, ) is the capital city of Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan. The city is located in a broad valley near the confluence of the Gilgit River and the Hunza River. It is a major tourist destination in Pakistan, serving as a ...
,
Indus and
Shyok rivers, which separate the range from the northwestern end of the
Himalaya
The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 10 ...
range proper. These rivers flow northwest before making an abrupt turn southwestward towards the plains of
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
. Roughly in the middle of the Karakoram range is the
Karakoram Pass
The Karakoram Pass () is a mountain pass between India and China in the Karakoram Range. It is the highest pass on the ancient caravan route between Leh in Ladakh and Yarkand in the Tarim Basin. 'Karakoram' literally means 'Black Gravel ...
, which was part of a historic trade route between
Ladakh
Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory which constitutes a part of the larger Kashmir region and has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947. (subscription required) Quote: "Jammu a ...
and
Yarkand
Yarkant County,, United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency also Shache County,, United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency also transliterated from Uyghur as Yakan County, is a county in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous ...
that is now inactive.
The
Tashkurghan National Nature Reserve and the
Pamir Wetlands National Nature Reserve in the Karalorun and Pamir mountains have been nominated for inclusion in
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...
in 2010 by the National Commission of the People's Republic of
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
for
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...
and has tentatively been added to the list.
Name
Karakoram is a
Turkic term meaning ''black gravel''. The Central Asian traders originally applied the name to the
Karakoram Pass
The Karakoram Pass () is a mountain pass between India and China in the Karakoram Range. It is the highest pass on the ancient caravan route between Leh in Ladakh and Yarkand in the Tarim Basin. 'Karakoram' literally means 'Black Gravel ...
.
Early European travellers, including
William Moorcroft and
George Hayward, started using the term for the range of mountains west of the pass, although they also used the term Muztagh (meaning, "Ice Mountain") for the range now known as Karakoram.
Later terminology was influenced by the
Survey of India, whose surveyor
Thomas Montgomerie
Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas George Montgomerie FRS (1830–1878) was a British surveyor who participated in the Great Trigonometric Survey of India as a lieutenant in the 1850s. He was the person to label K2, the second highest mountain in the wor ...
in the 1850s gave the labels K1 to K6 (K for Karakoram) to six high mountains visible from his station at
Mount Haramukh
Mt Harmukh (originally "Haramukuta") is a mountain with a peak elevation of , in Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir in India. Harmukh is part of the Himalaya Range and is located between Sind River in the south and Kishanganga River in ...
in
Kashmir Valley
The Kashmir Valley, also known as the ''Vale of Kashmir'', is an intermontane valley concentrated in the Kashmir Division of the Indian- union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The valley is bounded on the southwest by the Pir Panjal Range and ...
.
In traditional Indian geography the mountains were known as Krishnagiri (black mountains), ''Kanhagiri'' and ''Kanheri''.
Exploration
Due to its altitude and ruggedness, the Karakoram is much less inhabited than parts of the
Himalayas
The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 10 ...
further east. European explorers first visited early in the 19th century, followed by
British surveyors
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
starting in 1856.
The
Muztagh Pass
The Mustagh Pass or Muztagh Pass () is a mountain pass across the Baltoro Muztagh range in the Karakorams which includes K2, the world's second highest mountain. The crest of the Baltoro Muztagh marks the present border between Pakistani and Chin ...
was crossed in 1887 by the expedition of Colonel
Francis Younghusband and the valleys above the
Hunza River
Hunza River ( ur, ) is the principal river of Hunza in Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan It is formed by the confluence of the Chapursan and Khunjerab ''nalas'' (gorges) which are fed by glaciers. It is joined by the Gilgit River and the Nalta ...
were explored by General Sir
George K. Cockerill in 1892. Explorations in the 1910s and 1920s established most of the geography of the region.
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
The Shyok River is a tributary of the Indus River that flows through northern Ladakh and enters Gilgit–Baltistan, spanning some .
The Shyok River originates at the Rimo Glacier, one of the tongues of Siachen Glacier. Its alignment is ver ...
in the east.
Floral surveys were carried out in the Shyok River catchment and from Panamik to Turtuk village by
Chandra Prakash Kala
Chandra Prakash Kala is an Indian ecologist and professor. His research interests include alpine ecology, conservation biology, indigenous knowledge systems, ethnobotany and medicinal aromatic plants. He is an assistant professor in the facult ...
during 1999 and 2000.
Geology and glaciers
The Karakoram is in one of the world's most geologically active areas, at the
plate boundary between the Indo-Australian plate and the Eurasian plate.
A significant part, somewhere between 28 and 50 percent, of the Karakoram Range is glaciated covering an area of more than , compared to between 8 and 12 percent of the Himalaya and 2.2 percent of the
Alps
The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...
. Mountain
glacier
A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires distinguishing features, such a ...
s may serve as an indicator of climate change, advancing and receding with long-term changes in temperature and precipitation. The Karakoram glaciers are slightly retreating, unlike the Himalayas where glaciers are losing mass at significantly higher rate, many Karakoram glaciers are covered in a layer of rubble which insulates the ice from the warmth of the sun. Where there is no such insulation, the rate of retreat is high.
*
Siachen Glacier
The Siachen Glacier is a glacier located in the eastern Karakoram range in the Himalayas at about , just northeast of the point NJ9842 where the Line of Control between India and Pakistan ends. At long, it is the longest glacier in the Kara ...
*
Baltoro Glacier
*
Hispar Glacier
Hispar Glacier ( ur, ) is a long glacier in the Karakoram Mountains of Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan which meets the long Biafo Glacier at the Hispar La (Pass) at an altitude of to create the world's longest glacial system outside of the po ...
*
Batura Glacier
Batura Glacier (), long, is one of the largest and longest glaciers outside of the polar regions.Tajikistan's Fedchenko Glacier is long, Siachen Glacier is long, Biafo Glacier long, and Baltoro Glacier long. The Bruggen or Pio XI Glacier ...
*
Biafo Glacier
The Biafo Glacier ( ur, ) is a -long glacier situated in the Karakoram mountain range in Shigar district, Gilgit−Baltistan, Pakistan. Geography
Biafo Glacier meets the -long Hispar Glacier at an altitude of at Hispar La to create the wor ...
*
Chogo Lungma Glacier
Chogo Lungma Glacier is a glacier in the Karakorum mountain ranges in Shigar District of Gilgit-Baltistan. It was the first of all the big Karakorum glaciers to be discovered, in 1835.
See also
*Baltoro Glacier
*Biafo Glacier
*Godwin-Austen ...
*
Yinsugaiti Glacier
Ice Age
In the last
ice age
An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and gre ...
, a
connected series of glaciers stretched from western
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...
to
Nanga Parbat, and from the
Tarim basin to the
Gilgit District
The Gilgit District ( ur, ) is one of the 14 districts of Pakistan-administered territory of Gilgit-Baltistan. The headquarters of the district is the town of Gilgit. According to the 1998 census, the Gilgit District had a population of 243,324 ...
.
[ (glacier map]
downloadable
To the south, the
Indus glacier was the main valley glacier, which flowed down from
Nanga Parbat massif to elevation.
In the north, the Karakoram glaciers joined those from the
Kunlun Mountains and flowed down to in the Tarim basin.
While the current valley glaciers in the Karakoram reach a maximum length of , several of the ice-age valley glacier branches and main valley glaciers, had lengths up to . During the Ice Age, the glacier snowline was about lower than today.
Highest peaks
The highest peaks of the Karakoram are:
The majority of the highest peaks are in the Gilgit–Baltistan region administered by Pakistan. Baltistan has more than 100 mountain peaks exceeding height from sea level.
''K''-numbers
Subranges
The naming and division of the various subranges of the Karakoram is not universally agreed upon. However, the following is a list of the most important subranges, following Jerzy Wala. The ranges are listed roughly west to east.
*
Batura Muztagh
*
Rakaposhi-Haramosh Mountains
*
Spantik-Sosbun Mountains
The Spantik-Sosbun Mountains are a sub range of the Karakoram range in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. Geography
The highest peak is Spantik, .
The other namesake peak is Sosbun Brakk, .Jerzy Wala, ''Orographical Sketch Map of the Karakoram'', Swis ...
*
Hispar Muztagh
Hispar Muztagh is a sub-range of the Karakoram mountain range. It is located in the Nagar District of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, north of Hispar Glacier, south of Shimshal Valley, and east of the Hunza Valley. It is the second highest sub-ra ...
*
South Ghujerab Mountains
*
Panmah Muztagh
*
Wesm Mountains
*
Masherbrum Mountains
*
Baltoro Muztagh
*
Saltoro Mountains
*
Siachen Muztagh
__NOTOC__
The Siachen Muztagh is a remote subrange of the eastern Karakoram Range. Close to 60% is in area controlled by China, 40% in area controlled by India. Pakistan claims the Indian-controlled portion as part of the Siachen Conflict. ...
*
Rimo Muztagh
__NOTOC__
The Rimo Muztagh is one of the most remote subranges of the Karakoram range. The southern part of Rimo Muztagh is in the Ladakh portion of far northwestern India, also claimed by Pakistan. The northern half, including the Rimo massi ...
*
Saser Muztagh
Passes
Passes from west to east are:
*
Dandala Pass is the most important and earlier pass. It starts from Ghursay
saitang city to Yarqand in China. It is the main trade route between Khaplu, Ladakh, Kharmang to Yarqand, China.
*
Kilik Pass
The Kilik Pass (elevation ; ; ur, کلوک پاس) to the west of Mintaka Pass is a high mountain pass in the Karakorum Mountains between Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan and Xinjiang in China. The two passes were, in ancient times, the two main a ...
*
Mintaka Pass
The Mintaka Pass or Mingteke Pass or Mintika Pass() is a mountain pass in the Karakorum Mountains, between Pakistan and Xinjiang in China. In ancient times, the Mintaka Pass and the nearby Kilik Pass, to the west, were the two main access poi ...
*
Khunjerab Pass (the highest paved international border crossing at )
*
Shimshal Pass
*
Mustagh Pass
*
Karakoram Pass
The Karakoram Pass () is a mountain pass between India and China in the Karakoram Range. It is the highest pass on the ancient caravan route between Leh in Ladakh and Yarkand in the Tarim Basin. 'Karakoram' literally means 'Black Gravel ...
*
Sasser Pass
Saser Pass, Saser La, or Sasser Pass (el. ) is a high mountain pass in Ladakh and India on the ancient summer caravan route from Leh in Ladakh to Yarkand in the Tarim Basin. It leads from the head of the Nubra Valley into the upper Shyok vall ...
*
Naltar Pass or Pakora Pass
The Khunjerab Pass is the only motorable pass across the range. The Shimshal Pass (which does not cross an international border) is the only other pass still in regular use.
Cultural references
The Karakoram mountain range has been referred to in a number of
novels and movies.
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)'' The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in British India, which inspired much of his work.
...
refers to the Karakoram mountain range in his novel ''
Kim'', which was first published in 1900.
Marcel Ichac
Marcel Ichac (22 October 1906 - 9 April 1994) was a French alpinist, explorer, photographer and film director. Born in Rueil, France, Ichac was one of the first people to introduce electronic music in cinema with Ondes Martenot for ''Karakora ...
made a film titled ''Karakoram'', chronicling a French expedition to the range in 1936. The film won the Silver Lion at the
Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival h ...
of 1937.
Greg Mortenson
Greg Mortenson is an American professional speaker, writer, veteran, and former mountaineer. He is a co-founder and former executive director of the non-profit Central Asia Institute and the founder of the educational charity Pennies for Peace.
...
details the Karakoram, and specifically K2 and the
Balti, extensively in his book ''
Three Cups of Tea
''Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time'' (original hardcover title: ''Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Fight Terrorism and Build Nations ... One School at a Time'') is a memoir book by Greg Morten ...
'', about his quest to build schools for children in the region. ''K2 Kahani'' (The K2 Story) by
Mustansar Hussain Tarar
Mustansar Hussain Tarar ( ur, ; ) S.I. (born 1 March 1939) is a Pakistani author, travel enthusiast, mountaineer, writer, novelist, columnist, TV host and former actor.
Early life
Mustansar Hussain Tarar was born in Jokalian on 1 March 1939 ...
describes his experiences at K2 base camp.
See also
*
Karakoram Highway
The Karakoram Highway ( ur, , translit=śāhirāh qarāquram; known by its initials KKH, also known as N-35 or National Highway 35 ( ur, ) or the China-Pakistan Friendship Highway) is a national highway which extends from Hasan Abdal in ...
*
List of mountain ranges of the world
*
List of highest mountains (a list of mountains above )
*
Mount Imeon
*
Naltar Valley
*
Trans-Karakoram Tract
The Trans-Karakoram Tract (), also known as the Shaksgam Tract ( ur, , translit=Shaksgām), is an area of approximately north of the Karakoram watershed, including the Shaksgam valley. The tract is administered by China as part of its Taxkorga ...
References
Citations
Sources
*
Curzon, George Nathaniel. 1896. ''The Pamirs and the Source of the Oxus''. Royal Geographical Society, London. Reprint: Elibron Classics Series, Adamant Media Corporation. 2005. (pbk); (hbk).
*
Kipling, Rudyard 2002. ''
Kim (novel)''; ed. by Zohreh T. Sullivan. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. —This is the most extensive critical modern edition with footnotes, essays, maps, etc.
*
Mortenson, Greg and Relin, David Oliver. 2008. ''
Three Cups of Tea
''Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time'' (original hardcover title: ''Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Fight Terrorism and Build Nations ... One School at a Time'') is a memoir book by Greg Morten ...
''. Penguin Books Ltd. (pbk); Viking Books (hbk); Tantor Media (MP3 CD).
* Kreutzmann, Hermann, ''Karakoram in Transition: Culture, Development, and Ecology in the Hunza Valley'', Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2006. .
*
Further reading
* Dainelli, G. (1932)
A Journey to the Glaciers of the Eastern Karakoram ''The Geographical Journal'', 79(4), 257–268.
External links
The Northern Kashmir Website
Pakistan's Northern Areas dilemmaGreat Karakorams– images on
Flickr
{{Authority control
Mountain ranges of Afghanistan
Landforms of Badakhshan Province
Mountain ranges of Pakistan
Mountain ranges of Gilgit-Baltistan
Mountain ranges of India
Mountains of Ladakh
Mountain ranges of China
Mountain ranges of Xinjiang
Sites along the Silk Road
Turkic words and phrases