1880 and 1990 Gilgit Baltistan - Old and Rare Photos

Gilgit, town in Gilgit-Baltistan, part of the Pakistani-occupied sector of the Indian Kashmir region, in the northern Indian subcontinent. It is situated in the Karakoram Range in a narrow valley on the Gilgit River at its confluence with the Hunza River and about 20 miles (32 km) upstream from its confluence with the Indus River. The town was once a Buddhist centre; now, as in earlier days, it serves as a frontier station for local tribal areas. Its economy is mainly agricultural, with wheat, corn (maize), and barley as the main crops. Tourism, notably trekking and mountaineering in the Karakorams, is growing in importance. The main route from Gilgit through the mountains to Mansehra in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province is the Karakoram Highway (completed in 1978); the town has a small airport. Gilgit is the only town of any size in the region.

Baltistan, geographic region of Gilgit-Baltistan, in the Pakistani-occupied sector of the Indian Kashmir region, in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent. Drained by the Indus River and tributaries such as the Shyok River, Baltistan is situated on the high Ladakh Plateau and contains the loftiest peaks of the Karakoram Range—K2 (Mount Godwin Austen; at 28,251 feet [8,611 metres] the second highest mountain in the world), Gasherbrum I (26,470 feet [8,068 metres]), and Broad Peak I (26,401 feet [8,047 metres]). Baltistan has a harsh climate, with an average annual precipitation of only 6 inches (150 mm). It contains several glaciers, including Siachen Glacier, the site of occasional skirmishes between Indian and Pakistani troops over the status of Kashmir. The valleys lie at elevations of 8,000 to 10,000 feet (2,500 to 3,000 metres). Baltistan is chiefly inhabited by Baltis, Muslim tribes of Tibetan origin who eke out a meagre living growing crops (mainly barley and fruits).

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