Location

Strategically located Jammu and Kashmir State constitutes the northern most extremity of India.

Situated between 32.17 degree and 36.58 degree north latitude and 37.26 degree and 80.30 degree east longitude, the total area of the State is 22,22,236 sq. kms including 78114 sq kms under the illegal occupation of Pakistan and 42,685 sq kms under that of China, of which Pakistan illegally handed over 5130 sq kms to China. The State is bounded by Pakistan, Afghanistan and China from the West to the East.

The State is well connected with rest of the country by air, rail and road . The Indian Airlines and private airlines operate regular flights to Srinagar, Jammu and Leh.

The National Highway 1-A connects the capital cities of Srinagar and Jammu with rest of the country. There are daily passenger trains connecting Jammu with most of the major cities of the country.

The State ranks 6^th in area and 17^th in population among the States and Union Territories of India. The State consists of 14 districts, 59 tehsils, 119 blocks, 3 municipalities, 54 towns and notified area committee, 6477 inhabited villages and 281 uninhabited villages.

It has four geographical zones of

1. Sub-mountain and semi-mountain plain known as kandi or dry belt,

2. The Shivalak ranges,

3. The high mountain zone constituting the Kashmir Valley, Pir Panchal range and its off-shoots including Doda, Poonch and Rajouri districts and part of Kathua and Udhampur districts

4. The middle run of the Indus river comprising Leh and Kargil.

The State of Jammu and Kashmir is the northern most state of India comprising three distinct Climatic regions viz. Arctic cold desert areas of Ladakh, temperate Kashmir valley and sub-tropical region of Jammu.

There is a sharp rise of altitude from 1000 feet to 28250 feet above the sea level within State’s four degree of latitude.

The climate varies from tropical in Jammu plains to semi-arctic cold in Ladakh with Kashmir and Jammu mountainous tracts having temperate climatic conditions. The annual rainfall also varies from region to region with 92.6 mm in Leh, 650.5 mm in Srinagar and 1115.9 mm in Jammu. A large part of the State forms part of the Himalayan mountains. The State is geologically constituted of rocks varying from the oldest period of the earth’s history to the youngest present day river and lake deposits.

Flora & Fauna

The State is rich in flora and fauna. In Jammu, the flora ranges from the thorn bush type of the arid plain to the temperate and alpine flora of the higher altitudes. Of the broad leaf trees there are maple, horse chest nuts, silver fir etc. At the higher altitudes there are birch, rhododendron, Berbers and a large number of herbal plants.

In the hilly regions of Doda, Udhampur, Poonch and Rajouri there is a large and varied fauna including leopard, cheetah and deer, wild sheep, bear, brown musk shrew, musk rat. Varieties of snakes, bats, lizards and frogs are also found in the region. The game birds in Jammu include chakor, snow partridge, pheasants, peacock.

Kashmir abounds in rich flora. The Valley which has been described as the ‘Paradise’ on Earth is full of many hues of wood and game. The most magnificent of the Kashmir trees is the Chinar found throughout the valley. It grows to giant size and girth. The trees presents itself in various enchanting colours through the cycle of the seasons among which its autumnal look is breath-taking. Mountain ranges in the Valley have dense deodar, pine and fir. Walnut, willow, almond and cider also add to the rich flora of Kashmir.

The dense forests of Kashmir are a delight to the sport-lovers and adventures for whom there are Ibex, Snow Leopard, Musk deer, wolf, Markhor, Red bear, Black bear and Leopard. The winged game include ducks, goose, partridge, chakor, pheasant, wagtails, herons, water pigeons, warblers, and doves.In otherwise arid desert of Ladakh some 240 species of local and migratory birds have been identified including black-necked crane.

The Ladakh fauna includes yak, Himalayan Ibex, Tibetan antelope, snow leopard, wild ass, red bear and gazelle

Important Facts : Jammu & Kashmir

• CAPITAL: Summer(May-October)- Srinagar Winters(Novemenber-April)- Jammu

• LANGUAGES : Urdu, Kashmiri, Hindi, Dogri, Pahari, Ladakhi,

• POPULATION: 77,18,700

• POPULATION GROWTH RATE 29%

• SEX RATIO :923 (Females per 1000 males)

• AREA : 2,22,236 Sq Kms.

• POPULATION DENSITY : 34 (persons per sq. km)

• POPULATION BELOW POVERTY LINE:(1987-88) 13.9%

• URBANISATION RATIO 23.83(All India average: 25.7)

• PERCENTAGE OF WORK FORCE IN POPULATION : 44.3 %

• MAIN WORKERS TO TOTAL POPULATION :30.37 %
  (All India Average 33.45 %)

• AGRICULTURE WORKERS/TOTAL POPULATION :49 %
  (All India Average 24.94 %)

• TOTAL REPORTED AREA 24.16 Lakh Hectares

• NET SOWN AREA 30%

• AVERAGE SIZE OF LAND HOLDING 0.83 Hectares

• NET IRRIGATED AREA/ NET SOWN AREA 42%

• IRRIGATION INTENSITY 144%

• GROSS CROPPED AREA 10.73 Lakh Hectares

• CROPPING INTENSITY 146%

• AREA UNDER HIGH YIELDING VARIETIES : 9.19 Lakh Hectares

• FOOD GRAIN PRODUCTION 14.55 lakh MTs

• LIVE STOCK POPULATION (1992)87.07 lakhs

• TOTAL NUMBER OF BANK BRANCHES(March,1997) : 950

• AVERAGE POPULATION PER BANK BRANCH: 8000 
  (National Average: 15000)

• TOTAL BANK DEPOSITS (March,1997) : Rs. 5326.85 Crores

• OUTSTANDING ADVANCES : Rs. 1540.12 Crores

• Post Offices (1993-94) 1,583

• Telegraph offices (1993-94) 424

A major portion of J&K State consists of the western Himalayas, which besides many lofty mountain ranges with varying heights of 3000 to 6000 metres and above, also abound in rivers, lakes, passes, glaciers, plateaus and plains. The number of streams, brooks, hill torrents and rivers is also fairly large. The most important rivers are the Indus, Chenab, Jehlum and Ravi.

POPULATION
The projected population (1995) of the State, excluding the illegally occupied areas by Pakistan and China, is 76.77 lakhs.The State with its summer and winter capitals at Srinagar and Jammu, respectively, is divided into 14 districts.

In population, the State is one of the smallest in the country and accounts for less than one percent of the people enumerated in 1981. Population showed sluggish growth in the first six decades of the present century and the decadal growth rate ranged from 5.75 to 10.42 during 1901 to 1961. The latest two decades have, however, shown growth of 29.65%and 29.69%, which reflects considerable fall in death rate without any substantial fall in birth rate in the post independence years.

• GROWTH OF POPULATION

  The State has registered a net addition of 13.71 lakh persons raising the population from 46.16 lakhs in 1971 to 59.87 lakhs in 1981. The state population contributes less than one percent of the country’s population. Nevertheless, the rate of growth observed during the last two decades at 29.65 % and 29.69% has been substantially higher than the national growth rates of 24.80 % and 25% respectively. Thus, the decadal growth rate of population in the state that was around 10% in the proceeding three decades has almost trebled in the last two decades. The annual growth rate of 2.97% during 1971 –81 is the highest the state has ever experienced.

• RURAL AND URBAN POPULATION

  As against one third in Maharashtra and West Bengal and one fourth in Karantaka, only one fifth of the population in J&K resides in urban areas. 23.83 % population has been recorded as urban in the state against the National Average of 25.72%. Jammu city has recorded very rapid growth and presently ranks as the 48th bigest city in the country. Besides the cities of Jammu and Srinagar, other important towns are the district headquarters of Anantnag, Pulwama,Budgam, Baramulla, Kupwara, Udhampur, Kathua,Rajouri ,Poonch ,Doda, Leh and Kargil.. The remaining towns continue to have many rural features and pursuits reflecting the state’s predominant Agro-pastoral economy.

• HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT

  Against the All India Level of 36.23 % as per 1981 census, the rate of literacy for the State is indicated as 26.67% with 45.56% for urban areas and 212.63% in the rural areas, 36.29% among males and 15.88% only among females. District Jammu with 42.86% tops the literacy level with male literacy at 52.60% and female literacy at 32.24%. A special emphasis is being laid on development of human resources in the State. There are more than 15000 schools with an enrolment of about 1.5 million. Similarly, there are 32 colleges with an enrolment of about 0.40 lakhs. For higher studies, there are now three universities one in Jammu and others in Kashmir. The total number of students in general education at the university stage is about 0.4 lakhs which includes 14083 females. The number has gone up six fold since 1950-51 when it was 2669 only. The professional Institutions include

  • two Engineering Colleges in Srinagar and Jammu,

  • four Polytechnics

  • 37 Industrial Training Institutes

  with an enrolment of about 4000. There is one Medical Institute, four Medical Colleges, 100 Hospitals, 343 Primary Health Centers and 3326 Medical Sub Centers with total bed strength of more than 10,000 in the State. The availability of human resources includes about

  • 23000 graduates and post graduates

  • 4500 Degree/Diploma Engineers

  • about 12000 ITI trained personnel, and other skilled personnel.