Trans-Karakoram Tract facts for kids
The Trans-Karakoram Tract is a mountain area in the Karakoram mountains. It covers about 5,180 to 5,800 square kilometers. This land was given by Pakistan to China in 1963 through a special border agreement. Pakistan says this land was not clearly marked as anyone's territory before.
However, India also says this area belongs to them. They see it as part of their state of Jammu and Kashmir. This means the Trans-Karakoram Tract is a place with different claims from different countries.
What is the Trans-Karakoram Tract?
The Trans-Karakoram Tract is also known as Shaksgam. It is technically part of the Shigar valley. This valley is in the Baltistan region, which is part of Ladakh.
For a long time, the Raja (a type of ruler) of Shigar controlled this land. This was until 1971, when Pakistan ended the Raja government system. The Amacha Royal family of Shigar even built a polo ground in Shaksgam. The Rajas of Shigar used to invite the Amirs (rulers) of Yarkand to play polo there.
Many names of mountains, lakes, rivers, and passes in this area are in the Balti or Ladakhi languages. This suggests that the land has been part of Baltistan or Ladakh for a very long time.
A Challenging Landscape
The Trans-Karakoram Tract is one of the toughest places to live in the world. It has some of the highest mountains on Earth. These include famous peaks like Broad Peak, Gasherbrum, and Masherbrum.
This area is also very close to the Siachen Glacier. The Siachen Glacier is known as the highest battlefield in the world. This shows how extreme and difficult the environment is in this region.
Images for kids
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Shakshgam Valley
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Official alignment of the Government of Pakistan in 1962. The border is in the extreme north and is depicted as a dotted line with the caption Alignment Official Pakistan Map 1962
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Broad Peak lies on the border of the Tract
See also
In Spanish: Valle Shaksgam para niños
