Ladakh Geography for UPSC: Interactive Map, Rivers and Protected Areas
a high-altitude union territory of the trans-Himalayan cold desert
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Protected areas mapped
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Rivers mapped
At a glance
Capital
Leh
Language
Ladakhi, English
Dance
Jabro
Area
59,146 km²
Coastline
Landlocked
Highest peak
Saser Kangri · 7,672 m
Borders
Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, China (Aksai Chin, international), Pakistan (international)
Why UPSC asks about Ladakh
Ladakh is the trans-Himalayan cold desert: the Indus and its Zanskar and Shyok tributaries, the Karakoram and Ladakh ranges, and Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri. UPSC frames it through the UT reorganisation of 2019, Siachen and the strategic passes, and cold-desert ecology (the Changthang plateau).
Did you know
Ladakh has no biosphere reserve. India's 18 biosphere reserves are spread across only 16 states, and Ladakh is not among them. The nearest is Cold Desert (Himachal Pradesh).
Indus
Rises Senge Khabab spring near Mount Kailash, Tibet; flows to Enters Ladakh near Demchok and flows through Leh towards Pakistan · 748 km
The Indus rises near Mansarovar in Tibet and flows through Ladakh's deep gorge, the territory's main river.
Zanskar
Rises Zanskar Range glaciers; flows to Joins the Indus near Nimmu, Leh district · 133 km
The frozen Zanskar gorge forms the route for the Chadar Trek in winter.
Shyok
Rises Rimo glacier, Karakoram; flows to joins the Indus near Diskit (Nubra valley) · 454 km
The Shyok drains the Nubra valley; its valley holds the Siachen approaches.
Nubra
Rises Siachen glacier; flows to joins the Shyok in the Nubra valley · 96 km
The Nubra (Siachen) river drains the Nubra valley's dune-and-vineyard landscape.
Tso Moriri
A high-altitude brackish lake on the Changthang plateau (about 4,595 m), designated Ramsar in 2002, breeding ground of the black-necked crane and the bar-headed goose.
Ramsar (2002); Changthang lake of the black-necked crane.
Tso Kar Wetland Complex
A high-altitude wetland complex of the Tso Kar salt lake and Startsapuk Tso freshwater lake, designated Ramsar in 2020, a key breeding site for the black-necked crane.
Ramsar (2020); Tso Kar salt lake plus Startsapuk Tso.
Hemis NP
A high-altitude national park in Ladakh, among the largest in India, famed for snow leopards, with among the best sighting rates in the world. It also shelters the Tibetan wolf, blue sheep and Himalayan vulture.
Among the world's best places to see the snow leopard.
Karakoram WLS
A sanctuary in the Nubra-Shyok valley of the Karakoram range, protecting cold-desert fauna and the Bactrian camel's feral remnants.
Nubra valley cold desert; Karakoram wildlife.
Changthang WLS
A sanctuary on the Changthang plateau around Tso Moriri and Pangong Tso, home to the Tibetan wild ass (kiang), black-necked crane and the nomadic Changpa herders.
Changthang plateau; kiang and black-necked crane.
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