Pangong Tso or Pangong Lake (Tibetan: སྤང་གོང་མཚོ;[3] Chinese: 班公错; pinyin: Bān gōng cuò; Hindi: पैंगोंग झील, romanized: Paiṅgoṅg jhīl) is an endorheic lake spanning eastern Ladakh and West Tibet situated at an elevation of 4,225 m (13,862 ft). It is 134 km (83 mi) long and divided into five sublakes, called Pangong Tso, Tso Nyak, Rum Tso (twin lakes) and Nyak Tso. Approximately 50% of the length of the overall lake lies within Tibet administered by China, 40% in Indian-administered Ladakh, and the remaining 10% is disputed and is a de facto buffer zone between India and China. The lake is 5 km (3.1 mi) wide at its broadest point. All together it covers almost 700 km2. During winter the lake freezes completely, despite being saline water. It has a land-locked basin separated from the Indus River basin by a small elevated ridge, but is believed to have been part of the latter in prehistoric times.[4]
Historically, the lake is viewed as being made up five sublakes, which are connected through narrow water channels. The name Pangong Tso only applied to the westernmost lake that is mostly in Ladakh. The main lake on the Tibetan side is called Tso Nyak (the "middle lake"). It is followed by two small lakes called Rum Tso. The last lake near Rutog is called Nyak Tso again.[5][6] The whole lake group was and is still often referred to as Tsomo Nganglha Ringpo (Tibetan: མཚོ་མོ་ངང་ལྷ་རིང་པོ[3]) in Tibetan.
There are different interpretations of the meanings of both Pangong Tso and Tsomo Nganglha Ringpo. The Ladakh government website says "Pangong Tso" is Tibetan, meaning "high grassland lake",[7] however travel books say Pangong means "hollow".[8][9] Tsomo Nganglha Ringpo is Tibetan that is interpreted to mean various different but similar meanings -- "long, narrow, enchanted lake" by Chinese media sources,[10] "female narrow very long lake" by early European explorers,[11] and "long-necked swan lake" by other modern sources.[12]
Pangong Tso is surrounded by three mountain ranges: Changchenmo Range and Pangong Range sub-ranges of Karakoram Range, and Kailash Range (Gangdise Shan range).[13][14][15] Changchenmo Range runs along the eastern and northern bank of the Pangong Tso, and contains spurs Finger-1 to Finger-8. Pangong Range, along the southern bank of the Pangong Tso, runs from Tangtse in west to Chushul near the centre of southern bank of the Pangong Tso. According to the Britannica, the Changchenmo Range and Pangong Range are sometimes considered easternmost part of the Karakoram Range.[13] Kailash Range, runs along southern bank of the Pangong Tso, from centre of Pangong Tso at Lukung to the west to Phursook Bay and Mount Kailash.[14]
Changchenmo Range has several glaciated spurs which slope down and jut into the northern bank of Pangong Tso, and these spurs are called as the fingers. From west to east, these are named as the Finger-1 to Finger-8. The Indian claim of LAC runs east till the Finger-8, and the Chinese claim of the LAC runs west till the Finger-4. The overlapping LAC claim area between Finger-4 and Finger-8 is considered a buffer zone by India and China.[15] Indian Military has a permanent base near the Finger-3, named as the Dhan Singh Thapa Post,[16] and the Chinese Military has a permanent base to the east of Finger-8.[15]
Pangong Range has several important features, from northwest to southeast: Harong peak, Merag peak, Kangju Kangri peak, and Kongta La pass.
Kailash Range on the southern bank of Pangong begins from Lukung, runs eastward via Thakung Heights, Helmet Top, Phursook Bay, till India-claimed-LAC at Bangong Co.[14] Other important features in this range are Helmet Top, Black Top, Gurung Hill, Spanggur Gap, Spanggur Tso, Rezang La, Rechin La, Rezang La II, etc.
China-Claimed-LAC runs via Finger-4 in Changchenmo Range on north bank of Pangong Tso to Phursook Bay on south bank, then via Helmet Top, Gurung Hill, Spanggur Gap, Magar Hill, Mukhpari, Rezang La (1962 battle), Rezang Top, Rechin La, Rezang La II, Mount Sajum.[14][17]
India-Claimed-LAC runs further northeast of China-Claimed-LAC via Finger-8 in Changchenmo Range on north bank of Pangong Tso to Bangong Co on south bank, then via Black Top and Gurung Hill, and then along same the alignment as the China-Claimed-LAC via Spanggur Gap, Rezang La, etc.[14]
India-Claimed-border runs further northeast of India-Claimed-LAC via Khurnak Fort on north bank of Pangong Tso to Mumkun peak on south bank, to Laban peak, Matung Nyungtsa, Spanggur Tso, Dage peak, Rechihlong and Bapi peak.
