Karakoram Range

The Karakoram stretches roughly 500 kilometres southeast from Afghanistan's easternmost extension, along the watershed between Central and South Asia. The mountain system spans parts of Afghanistan, Tajikistan, China, Pakistan and India, and connects with the Pamirs and Himalayas. K2, the world's second-highest mountain, lies within it. The region's high, steep terrain is geologically active and shaped by tectonic uplift, erosion, rivers and mass movements.

The range is among the most glacier-rich areas outside the polar regions. The National Snow and Ice Data Center reports more than 13,000 glaciers covering over 20,000 square kilometres. The Central Karakoram National Park, in Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan region, contains major glacier systems including the Hispar, Biafo, Baltoro and Chogo Lungma. Snow and glacier melt feed rivers and tributaries in the Indus and Tarim basins, making seasonal changes in ice important to water resources downstream.

For parts of the Karakoram, observations in recent decades have shown glacier mass budgets that were near balance or slightly positive, unlike widespread glacier losses in many other mountain regions. This pattern is often called the Karakoram Anomaly. Its extent and causes remain subjects of scientific study: research discusses regional precipitation and temperature patterns, glacier characteristics and other possible influences, and emphasizes uncertainties in observations. It should not be taken to mean that every glacier in the range is stable, or that the glaciers are immune to continued warming.

The Central Karakoram National Park's UNESCO World Heritage tentative-list description notes a range of environments, from rocky slopes and juniper scrub to forests and alpine pastures, and describes habitat for mountain wildlife. Communities live in settlements adjacent to the park and have traditional seasonal uses of pasture and other resources. UNESCO's page is a tentative-list record submitted by Pakistan, not evidence that the park has been inscribed on the World Heritage List.