# Leh

> city, one of the capitals of Ladakh, India

**Wikidata**: [Q230818](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q230818)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leh)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/leh

## Summary
Leh is a city in India and one of the capitals of the Union Territory of Ladakh. It is a large human settlement situated at a high elevation in the Leh district. Founded in the 8th century, Leh serves as a provincial capital and is the largest city in Ladakh.

## Key Facts
- **Instance of:** City, largest city (in Ladakh), provincial capital.
- **Location:** Located in Leh district, Ladakh, India.
- **Geographic Coordinates:** Latitude 34.16416666666667, Longitude 77.58472222222223.
- **Elevation:** 3,500 metres above sea level.
- **Area:** 45,110 square kilometres.
- **Population:** 30,870 (as of 2011).
- **Inception:** 0800 (8th century).
- **Country:** India.
- **Capital of:** Ladakh and Leh district.
- **Time Zone:** UTC+05:30.
- **Official Language:** English.
- **Postal Code:** 194101.
- **Local Dialing Code:** 1982.
- **Official Names:** Leh (English), लेह (Hindi), لہہ.
- **Aliases:** Tal von Leh.
- **Different From:** Léh.
- **Website:** http://www.leh.nic.in
- **UN/LOCODE:** INIXL.

## FAQs
**What is Leh and where is it located?**
Leh is a city in northern India and one of the capital cities of the Union Territory of Ladakh. It is situated within the Leh district at coordinates 34.16416666666667, 77.58472222222223.

**When was Leh founded and what is its population?**
Leh was founded in the 8th century (800 AD). According to the 2011 census, it had a population of 30,870 people.

**What is the climate and geography of Leh like?**
Leh is a high-altitude city located 3,500 metres above sea level. It encompasses a vast area of 45,110 square kilometres within the mountainous region of Ladakh.

## Why It Matters
Leh matters as the primary administrative, cultural, and economic hub for the strategically significant Ladakh region. Its long history, dating back to the 8th century, establishes it as a historically important settlement on trans-Himalayan trade routes. As the largest city and a capital of Ladakh, it plays a central role in the governance and development of the region.

## Notable For
- Being one of the two capitals of the Union Territory of Ladakh.
- Its high elevation of 3,500 metres above sea level.
- Its extensive area of 45,110 square kilometres.
- Its status as the largest city in Ladakh.

## Body
### Identity and Classification
Leh is classified as a city, which is defined as a large human settlement. It holds the specific status of being the largest city in Ladakh and functions as a provincial capital. The entity "Léh" is explicitly noted as being different from Leh.

### Geography and Location
Leh is situated in the Leh district within the Union Territory of Ladakh, India. Its precise geographic coordinates are 34.16416666666667 latitude and 77.58472222222223 longitude. The city is notable for its high altitude, sitting 3,500 metres above sea level, and covers a vast area of 45,110 square kilometres.

### History and Inception
The city's inception date is recorded as the year 0800, indicating an 8th-century foundation. It is described in the Encyclopædia Britannica 11th edition.

### Demographics and Administration
As of the 2011 census, Leh had a population of 30,870 residents. It serves as the administrative capital for both the wider Ladakh region and the Leh district itself. The official languages used include English.

### Infrastructure and Communication
Leh's official website is leh.nic.in. Its postal code is 194101 and the local telephone dialing code is 1982. The city is identified by the United Nations UN/LOCODE as INIXL.

### Official Names and Identifiers
The city has multiple official names across languages: "Leh" in English, "लेह" in Hindi, and "لہہ". An alias for the city is "Tal von Leh". Leh is associated with numerous unique identifiers across different knowledge systems, including:
- **Wikidata ID:** The primary entity for this knowledge.
- **GeoNames ID:** 1264976.
- **GND ID:** 4421566-6.
- **VIAF ID:** 133754479.
- **Freebase ID:** /m/02bnpk.
- **Library of Congress Authority ID:** n85107777.
- **WHO's on First ID:** 102029575.
- **OpenStreetMap Node ID:** 245774579.
- **GNS Unique Feature ID:** -2102590.
- **SNARC ID:** gluon.
- **Yale LUX ID:** place/591852b4-0b11-40cf-9e0b-bb93185d86e7.
- **BD Resource ID:** G1085.
- **Curlie ID:** Regional/Asia/India/Jammu_and_Kashmir/Localities/Leh/.
- **Online PWN Encyclopedia ID:** 3931349.
- **National Library of Israel J9U ID:** 987007560073305171.
- **Encyclopædia Britannica Online ID:** place/Leh.

### Cultural Presence
Leh has a significant presence across Wikimedia projects, with a sitelink count of 73 Wikipedia pages in languages such as Afrikaans, Arabic, Bengali, English, Hindi, and many more. Its main category on Commons is `Category:Leh`, with specific categories for `Category:Views of Leh` and `Category:Views from Leh`. A representative image is `Leh,_Ladakh,_India.jpg` and a page banner is `Leh_banner.jpg`.

## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
2. GeoNames
3. [Source](https://service.unece.org/trade/locode/in.htm)