Plateaus, Deserts and Plains

Changthang plateau

• A high plateau in eastern Ladakh, at 4,000 to 5,500 m. The name means "northern plains".
• Contains Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri, Tso Kar, Hanle and the Chushul plain.
• Home of the Changpa nomads who herd pashmina goats.
• Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary protects the Kiang (Tibetan wild ass), the black-necked crane and the Tibetan antelope.

Aksai Chin

• A high cold desert plateau at about 5,000 m, northeast of Ladakh. Under Chinese control since the 1950s, and claimed by India.

Nubra Valley

• A cold desert valley, with sand dunes near Hunder and Diskit, where double-humped Bactrian camels live.
• Formed by the Nubra and Shyok rivers.
• Famous for the Siachen Glacier, the source of the Nubra River.

Deosai Plains

• A high plateau (about 4,114 m) in Gilgit-Baltistan, near Skardu: the "Land of Giants".
• Home of the Himalayan brown bear. Administered by Pakistan.

The Jammu plains: Kandi and Sirowal

• The Kandi belt is dry, gravelly and difficult to farm. Sirowal below it is fertile.
• Kathua, Samba and Jammu have these plains. The Chenab, Tawi and Ravi water them.
• Known for basmati rice (R.S. Pura) and wheat.

Duns and valleys

• Udhampur, Reasi and Ramban have narrow river valleys.
• Bhaderwah is a plateau-valley in Doda, known as "Chota Kashmir".
• Gurez, Lolab, Bangus and Warwan are high valleys.