Azad Jammu and Kashmir, officially the State of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and colloquially referred to as simply Azad Kashmir, is a region administered by Pakistan as a nominally self-governing entity and constituting the western portion of the larger Kashmir region, which has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947. Azad Kashmir also shares borders with the Pakistani provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the south and west, respectively. On its eastern side, Azad Kashmir is separated from the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir by the Line of Control (LoC), which serves as the de facto border between the Indian- and Pakistani-controlled parts of Kashmir. Geographically, it covers a total area of 13,297 km2 (5,134 sq mi) and has a total population of 4,045,366 as per the 2017 national census.
Jammu and Kashmir was a region formerly administered by India as a state from 1952 to 2019, constituting the southern and southeastern portion of the larger Kashmir region, which has been the subject of a dispute between India, Pakistan and China since the mid-20th century. The underlying region of this state were parts of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, whose western districts, now known as Azad Kashmir, and northern territories, now known as Gilgit-Baltistan, are administered by Pakistan. The Aksai Chin region in the east, bordering Tibet, has been under Chinese control since 1962.
Anantnag district is an administrative district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. It is one of ten districts which make up the Kashmir Valley. The district headquarters is Anantnag city. As of 2011, it was the third most populous district of Jammu and Kashmir, after Jammu and Srinagar.
Gulmarg, known as Gulmarag in Kashmiri, is a town, hill station, tourist destination, skiing destination, and a notified area committee in the Baramulla district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is located at a distance of 31 km (19 mi) from Baramulla and 49 km (30 mi) from Srinagar. The town is situated in the Pir Panjal Range in the Western Himalayas and lies within the boundaries of Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary.
Doda district is an administrative district of the Jammu division of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.
Banihal is a town and a notified area committee, near Ramban town in Ramban district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is a rural and hilly area with Kamirwah being one of the most prominent hills. It is located about 35 km (22 mi) away from Qazigund of Anantnag district on NH 44. However, the distance between Banihal and Qazigund is only 18 km by train on the new railway line which is much shorter than the road. The most common language spoken in the region is Kashmiri; Urdu, Hindi, Gujjari, Pahari and English are other familiar languages.
Kulgam, known as Kolgom in Kashmiri, is a town, an administrative division and capital of the Kulgam district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is located at a distance of 67 km (42 mi) from the summer state capital of Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar. The city is divided into 16 electoral wards that has a population of 23,584, of which 12,605 are males while 10,979 are females.
Pahalgam, known as Pahalgom is a town and a notified area committee, near Anantnag city in the Anantnag district of the Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is a popular tourist destination and hill station. Its lush green meadows and pristine waters attract thousands of tourists from all over the world each year. It is located 45 kilometres (28 mi) from Anantnag on the banks of Lidder River at an altitude of 7,200 feet (2,200 m). Pahalgam is the headquarters of one of the eleven tehsils of Anantnag district.
Beerwah also pronounced as Beeru is a subdistrict, tourist destination and one of the oldest towns of Jammu and Kashmir and a municipal committee in Budgam district in the Indian administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is also one of the oldest tehsils of Jammu and Kashmir with one of the largest towns in Budgam district. Beerwah is 27 km (17 mi) away from the summer capital Srinagar via Bemina, 31 km (19 mi) via Magam, 33 km (21 mi) via Soibugh and 35 km (22 mi) via Budgam. Beerwah subdistrict has 4 tehsils namely Beerwah, Magam, Narbal and Khag. Beerwah is located along the banks of River Sukhnaag.
Ramban is a town in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir, India, which is the district headquarters of Ramban district. It lies on the banks of the Chenab river in Chenab Valley on the National Highway-1A at about 120 km from Jammu and about 130 km from Srinagar, making it almost the central point on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
Sonamarg or Sonmarg, known as Sonamarag in Kashmiri, is a hill station located in the Ganderbal District of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is located about 62 kilometers from Ganderbal Town and 80 kilometres (50 mi) northeast of the capital city, Srinagar.
Jammu and Kashmir is home to several valleys such as the Kashmir Valley, Chenab Valley, Sindh Valley and Lidder Valley. Some major tourist attractions in Jammu and Kashmir are Srinagar, with its renowned Dal Lake and Mughal Gardens, Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Bhaderwah, Patnitop and Jammu. Every year, thousands of Hindu pilgrims visit holy shrines of Vaishno Devi and Amarnath which has had a significant impact on the state's economy.
Ramban district is an administrative district in the Jammu division of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. It is located in a valley surrounded the Pir Panjal range. It was carved out as a separate district from erstwhile Doda district in 2007. It is located in the Jammu division. The district headquarters are at Ramban town, which is located midway between Jammu and Srinagar along the Chenab river in the Chenab valley on National Highway-44, approximately 151 km from Jammu and Srinagar.
The Kashmiri diaspora refers to Kashmiris who have migrated out of the Kashmir into other areas and countries, and their descendants.
Yusmarg or Yousmarg is a hill station in the western part of the Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is situated 53 km (33 mi) south of Srinagar, the summer capital of the state. Yousmarg provides space for beautiful landscapes, young pine nurseries, green pastures and heart touching lotic and lentic water bodies. Nilnag, Doodhganga and a nascently created artificial dam adds more to the beauty of the meadows. Nature has bestowed Yusmarg with pleasant flora and fauna. Yusmarg is often referred to as a trekkers paradise.Yusmarg has some modest stay options but some new homestays have come up around the area.Tribe homestay and cafè located at the nearest village Nagbal is gaining popularity especially among the youth. The place is rustic, wooden and reflects the Kashmiri architectural heritage. Among fauna, locals claim that they often sight wolves, bears, apes, cats, aves of various types. Among aquatic fauna, schizothoraxic is abundant one in catch.
Chenab Valley is a loosely-defined controversial term sometimes used to refer to parts of the Jammu Division in Jammu and Kashmir, India. The term is used to refer to the present-day districts of Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, and, at times, Reasi and parts of Udhampur and Kathua. The first three districts used to be part of a single former district called Doda, which was created in 1948 out of the eastern parts of Udhampur district of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, and are sometimes collectively referred to as the Doda belt. The term is seen to be aimed at a communal break-up of the Jammu Division and iteration of Kashmiri Muslim irredentism.
Sangaldan is a town near Ramban town in the Ramban district of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It falls in the Gool-Gulabgarh area of the Chenab valley.
Banihal railway station, a part of Jammu–Baramulla line, is situated in notified area of Banihal in Ramban district, Jammu and Kashmir. It was commissioned on 26 June 2013 and passenger trains run from Banihal to Qazigund. The station was inaugurated by former prime minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on the same day at 2.22 pm. They enjoyed the 12-minute ride in train through Pir Panjal tunnel up to Qazigund with 100 students, mostly girls, of the Banihal Higher Secondary School, and made the 17.8-km ride back to Banihal, passing through the tunnel again, the second longest in Asia.
Jammu and Kashmir is a region administered by India as a union territory and consists of the southern portion of the larger Kashmir region, which has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 and between India and China since 1959. The Line of Control separates Jammu and Kashmir from the Pakistani-administered territories of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan in the west and north. It lies to the north of the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab and to the west of Ladakh which is administered by India as a union territory.
Khāṣi (खाषी) is an Indo-Aryan dialect of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It belongs to the Western Pahari group and is spoken in some of the mountainous areas north of Jammu. It is different from the north-eastern Himalayan dialects of Assam and Meghalya, belonging to the Mon-Khmer Family.
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