Part of the country series of articles.
TRAVEL ADVISORY: EXERCISE HEIGHTENED CAUTIONPARSTATE advises travellers to exercise caution in Kashmir, particularly near the Pakistani and Indian border regions where military activity and occasional skirmishing remains a feature of local conditions.
| Republic of Kashmir | |
|---|---|
| Republic | |
 |
|
| Capital | Srinagar |
| Languages | Kashmiri, Urdu, Hindi, Dogri, and many regional languages |
| Population | 10,400,000 |
The Republic of Kashmir is a mountain republic in the western Himalayas, and emerged from the dissolution of British India. When the Raj effectively collapsed, its successor states Pakistan and India retained claims over the Dogra-ruled princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. The collapse of India-Pakistan relations shortly after effectively secured the future of Kashmir as an independent state, though it has been economically parasitised and heavily militarised for much of its history.
Kashmir retains delicate relations with both India and Pakistan, and participates in the Non-Aligned Movement. It is subject to strict terms dictated by its larger neighbours and relentless interference in its domestic affairs. Its principal exports reflect its limited industrialisation – namely saffron, handicrafts and some textiles. Tourism to the Kashmir Valley sees millions of Indians and Pakistanis visit each year, which itself serves as a form of cultural domination. The Dogra monarchy is long gone, and the country has been a republic since the 1970s. The Kashmir National Party has dominated politics since, but is seen by Pakistan as sympathetic to India.