Baltistan

Baltistan, also known as Little Tibet, is a region in the Karakoram range of the Himalayas. It lies to the south of K2 peak which is the highest in the Karakoram range, and the second-highest mountain in the world. The region is inhabited primarily by Balti people of Tibetan descent, and hence its name. It is bordered by Gilgit to the west, Xinjiang (China) to the north, Ladakh to the southeast, and the Kashmir Valley to the southwest. Its average altitude is over 3,350 metres (10,990 ft).

Prior to 1947, Baltistan was part of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, and therefore after accession of this princely state to India, it became part of India. However, soon after the region was captured by Pakistan and have been governed by Pakistan ever since. A small portion of Baltistan, including the village of Turtuk in the Nubra Valley, was incorporated into Ladakh in India after the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.