evidence: Ladakh, union territory of India, located in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent in the vicinity of the Karakoram and westernmost Himalayan mountain ranges. It is bounded by Jammu and Kashmir union territory to the west and by Himachal Pradesh to the south; its northern and eastern borders are disputed with Pakistan and China, respectively. Ladakh was administered as part of Jammu and Kashmir state from 1947 until 2019, when it became a separate administrative unit. Area 22,836 square miles (59,146 square km). Pop. (2011) 274,289; (est. 2023) 300,000.