Jammu and Kashmir is a state in the far north of the Republic of India. The state is made up of three territories-Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh. The state is a mountainous area in the northwest Himalaya.
Both India and Pakistan claim ownership over parts of the state and, in 1965, the dispute led to war between the two countries. Jammu and Kashmir's boundaries remain in dispute. The winter capital is Jammu, and the summer capital is Srinagar.

Location and description. A 30-kilometre-long boundary with Punjab and a 300-kilometre boundary with Himachal Pradesh join the state of Jammu and Kashmir to the rest of India. The state has international boundaries with Pakistan to the west, and with Tibet and China to the north and northeast.

Climate. The monsoon system affects Kashmir, but not where the Himalaya blocks out the rain-bearing clouds from the Arabian Sea. Even in the Vale of Kashmir, the rainfall is lower because of the influence of the Pir Panjal. Srinagar receives nearly 70 centimetres of rain a year, but Leh has less than 10 centimetres. In Srinagar, 30 per cent of the annual rainfall comes during the monsoon (June to September) and 50 per cent comes between January and April.
In Srinagar, the average maximum temperature is 31 °C in July and 4 °C in January. The minimum is 18 °C in July and 2 °C in January. Temperatures can reach as high as 37 °C in summer and as low as -11 °C in winter.
In Ladakh, daily and seasonal temperature variations are even wider. In the thin atmosphere, the air heats and cools rapidly. In summer, many streams only flow for a few hours each day when the ice in their beds melts.

Transportation. Kashmir and Ladakh have air connections with other cities in India. There are airports at Jammu, Srinagar, and Leh. Bad winter weather often closes Srinagar and Leh. The railhead for Kashmir is Jammu which connects with other north Indian cities. The Indian government has invested heavily in communications in the state.
The Jawahar Tunnel, which links Jammu with the Vale of Kashmir, is one of the longest in Asia. Kashmir has over 11,000 kilometres of road. The journey from Srinagar to Leh takes two days and includes an overnight halt at Kargil.

Tourism. The Valley of Kashmir has been popular with travellers since Mughal times. Gulmarg and Pahalgam attract large numbers of visitors. Skiing is popular in Kashmir, and trekking is an important source of income in both Kashmir and Ladakh.

Tourist Centres: Kashmir is the paradise for tourist, both international and domestic. Main centres of attraction are Srinagar, Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Sonamarg etc. Among places of pilgrim interest are Amarnath and Vaisno Devi.
The tourist industry in the state has registered phenomenal growth during the past decades. Tourists arrivals rose to the record million of 1 million by the end of the 1980's. Because of the disturbed conditions, tourism is in disarray since 1990. The Jammu and Kashmir government has declared tourism as an industry.

Ladakh, the meeting point of Indo-Tibetan and Central Asian cultures has the potential to be developed as a tourist destination. Leh has an airport but there are no facilities in the 348 stretch between Keylong in Himachal Pradesh and Karu in Leh district. However, Manali in Himachal is linked to Leh by road.

Tourism has largely suffered in the recent years due to Pakistan sponsored terrorism. The terrorist movement thus launched has affected the lives of millions of Kashmiris.