Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir, union territory of India (until October 31, 2019, a state), located in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent centered on the plains around Jammu to the south and the Vale of Kashmir to the north. The union territory is part of the larger region of Kashmir, which has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since the partition of the subcontinent in 1947. Legislation passed in August 2019 set the stage for downgrading Jammu and Kashmir from statehood to union territory status and splitting off a part of it, known as the Ladakh region, into a separate union territory. The change went into effect on October 31 of that year, though several court cases affecting its status remained pending in the years that followed. Jammu and Kashmir, formerly one of the largest princely states of India, is bounded to the east by the Indian union territory of Ladakh, to the south by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, to the southwest by Pakistan, and to the northwest by the Pakistani-administered portion of Kashmir. The administrative capitals are Srinagar in summer and Jammu in winter. Area 16,309 square miles (101,387 square km). Pop. (2011) 12,367,013.

Jammu and Kashmir is named after the two regions it encompasses – the Jammu region and the Kashmir Valley. The Government of Pakistan and Pakistani sources refer to Jammu and Kashmir as a part of "Indian-occupied Kashmir" ("IOK") or "Indian-held Kashmir" (IHK). The Government of India and Indian sources in turn, call the territory under Pakistan control "Pakistan-occupied Kashmir" ("POK") or "Pakistan-held Kashmir" ("PHK"). "Indian-administered Kashmir" and "Indian-controlled Kashmir" are often used by neutral sources.

The state of Jammu and Kashmir was accorded special status by Article 370 of the Constitution of India. In contrast to other states of India, Jammu and Kashmir had its own constitution, flag and administrative autonomy. Indian citizens from other states were not allowed to purchase land or property in Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir had three distinct areas: Hindu-majority Jammu region, Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley and Buddhist-dominated Ladakh. Unrest and violence persisted in the Kashmiri Valley and, following a disputed state election in 1987, an insurgency persisted in protest over autonomy and rights. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in the 2014 Indian general election and five years later included in their 2019 election manifesto the revocation of Article 370 of the Constitution of India, in order to bring Jammu and Kashmir to equal status with other states. A resolution to repeal Article 370 was passed by both the houses of the Parliament of India in August 2019. At the same time, a reorganisation act was also passed, which would reconstitute the state into two union territories, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The reorganisation took effect from 31 October 2019.

The vast majority of the union territory is mountainous, and the physiography is divided into five zones that are closely associated with the structural components of the western Himalayas. From west to east those zones consist of the plains, the foothills, the Pir Panjal Range, the Vale of Kashmir, and the Great Himalayas zone. The climate varies from alpine on the eastern edge to subtropical in the southwest. In the alpine area average annual precipitation is about 3 inches (75 mm), but in the subtropical zone (around Jammu) rainfall amounts to about 45 inches (1,150 mm) per year. The entire region is prone to violent seismic activity, and light to moderate tremors are common. A strong earthquake centered in neighbouring Pakistani-administered Kashmir killed hundreds in Jammu And Kashmir State in 2005.

The union territory has limited mineral and fossil fuel resources, much of which are concentrated in the Jammu region. Small reserves of natural gas are found near the city of Jammu, and bauxite and gypsum deposits occur in the vicinity of Udhampur. Other minerals include limestone, coal, zinc, and copper. The pressure of population on land is apparent everywhere and all available resources are utilized. All the principal cities and towns and a majority of the villages are electrified, and hydroelectric and thermal generating plants have been constructed to provide power for industrial development based on local raw materials. Major power stations are located at Chineni and Salal and on the upper Sind and lower Jhelum rivers. Jammu and Kashmir has vast hydroelectric generating potential, principally along the Chenab River in the southwestern part of the union territory but also including the basins of the Indus, Jhelum, and Ravi rivers. Although by the early 21st century only a relatively small fraction of that potential was being exploited, a large number of projects were in various stages of planning or completion at the end of the 2010s that were intended to considerably boost the union territory’s generating capacity.

The cultural, ethnic, and linguistic composition of Jammu and Kashmir varies across the region. About two-thirds of the population adheres to Islam, a greater proportion than in any other Indian state or union territory apart from Lakshadweep; Hindus constitute most of the remaining third. There also are small minorities of Sikhs and Buddhists. The union territory’s official languages are Urdu, English, Kashmiri, Dogri, and Hindi.