Question

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Mention the summer and winter activities of the people of Ladakh desert.

Answer 1

Hint: On the eastern side of Jammu and Kashmir, lies Ladakh which is a cold desert lying in the Great Himalayas. The Zanskar Mountains in the south and the Karakoram Range in the north enclose it.

Complete step-by-step solution:
Many rivers flow through Ladakh, Indus is the most prominent among them, and they form gorges and deep valleys. Even many glaciers can be found in Ladakh like the Gangotri glacier. The altitude here varies from about 3000 m in Kargil to more than 8000 m in the Karakoram, due to this high altitude, the climate is extremely harsh, cold, and dry. The heat of the Sun is intensely felt here as the air at this range is so thin. The temperatures here remain low all the time, in summers, the day temperatures are just above 0 degrees Celsius and at night the temperatures are well below -30 degrees celsius. In the winters, for most of the time temperatures remain below -40 degrees celsius. There is little rainfall in Ladakh, as low as 10 cm every year since it lies in the rain shadow of the Himalayas. Freezing winds and burning hot sunlight is experienced in this area.
The people are busy cultivating potatoes, barley, beans, peas, and turnip in the summers. And because of the harsh climate in winters, people tend to engage themselves in ceremonies and festivities. The women here are very hard working, they work in the fields and the house and not only that but they also manage small businesses and shops.

Note: Since Ladakh is a high aridity region, the vegetation here is sparse. Scanty patches of grasses and shrubs can be seen here for animals to graze. Apricots, apples, and walnuts bloom here during summers. Wild sheep, wild goats, special kinds of dogs, and yak are the animals in Ladakh. Animals are reared to provide for meat, milk, and hides.