The
Karakoram is a mountain range spanning the borders between Pakistan,
China, and India, located in the regions of Gilgit, Ladakh, and
Baltistan. It is one of the Greater Ranges of Asia, often considered
together with the Himalaya, but not technically part of that range.
Karakoram means "black gravel" in Turkic, as many of its glaciers are
covered in rubble.
The
Karakoram is home to more than sixty peaks above 7,000m ( 22,960 ft ),
including K2, the second highest peak of the world ( 8,611m, 28,244 ft
). Most of these peaks are in the Hunza of Pakistan. The range is about
500 Km ( 300 miles ) in length, and is the most heavily glaciated part
of the world outside of the polar regions.
