Country India District Ladakh ISO 3166 code IN-JK Elevation 4,450 m | State Jammu and Kashmir Time zone IST (UTC+5:30) Vehicle registration JK | |
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Murgo (literally means "the gateway of death" in Yarkandi Uyghur) is a small hilly village which lies on the border of Leh District, Ladakh Division, Jammu and Kashmir, India and Aksai Chin, Hotan County Hotan Prefecture Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region，China. It has a small population of Baltis who primarily depend on apricot farming and yak rearing.
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Map of Murgo 194401
The Indian government in 2001, first announced plans to construct a motorable road from Leh to its destination at Daulat Beg Oldi which passes through Murgo.
Temperature plummets as low as -50 C in the winters. The weather deteriorates frequently with strong icy winds lashing much of Murgo. Murgo has very little if any vegetation or wildlife. Telecommunication is only available through INMARSAT satellite phones.
Territory dispute
Aksai Chin is one of the two main disputed border areas between China and India, the other being Arunachal Pradesh). Aksai Chin is administered by China as part of Hotan County in the Hotan Prefecture of Xinjiang Autonomous Region, but is also claimed by India as a part of the Leh District, Ladakh Division of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. In 1962, China and India fought a brief war over Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh, but in 1993 and 1996, the two countries signed agreements to respect the Line of Actual Control.