In 1947 the British partitioned India to create Pakistan as a homeland for South Asian Muslims. Since then the two countries have fought over the land.

Perched in the Himalaya, Kashmir has long been known for its blue rivers and lakes, green mountains, fertile farmlands, and cool, dry climate. More than 500,000 tourists once visited the area every year, but civil unrest and violence have killed the tourism industry.

The conflict centers on tensions between Hindus and Muslims. Kashmiri Muslims have struggled violently against rule by India, which is predominantly Hindu. War has broken out three times since 1947, and the stakes are growing. Both India and Pakistan now have nuclear weapons.

In 1949 the United Nations established a cease-fire line in Kashmir. Crossing the line, which traverses 500 miles (800 kilometers) is illegal. Both countries have military posts along the line, and almost daily, gunfire can be heard. There are today about 400,000 Indian troops and 200,000 Pakistani soldiers in Kashmir.

A full-blown separatist movement erupted in 1989, when dissent over Indian elections spurred young Kashmiri Muslims to attack and kill Indian soldiers and Kashmiri Hindus. Estimates of the death toll in Muslim-Hindu clashes since then range from 24,000 to 80,000.

The separatist revolt lasted nearly a decade before Indian troops were able to limit it. In doing so, human rights groups say, the Indians robbed, raped, tortured, and detained thousands of Kashmiris.

Today the region remains in a state of unrest. All Kashmiris, Muslim and Hindu, face hardships. No one is free to come and go in the area, which remains an armed camp. Thousands have fled the area, many ending up in squalid refugee camps.

Officially, Kashmir's north and west are under Pakistan control and called Azad Kashmir, Gilgit, and Baltistan. India controls the south and southeastern areas, known as the state of Jammu and Kashmir. China administers the easternmost section, Ladakh.