Population Change in the Upper Braldu Valley, Baltistan, 1900-1990: All Is Not as It Seems

"This paper examines population change in the upper Braldu Valley of the Karakoram range in northern Pakistan between 1900 and 1990. Population has declined over the 90-year period of observation and the majority of that decline is accounted for by females.... The paper discusses apparent demographic trends in a contemporary and historical context and questions the extension of vague, unqualified, context-independent population statistics to an area where apparently they do not apply. It argues that only by interpreting demographic change from within such a local context can the relevance of population control policies be scrutinized. This paper is not an exhaustive demographic analysis but presents data from a little-studied region of the Himalayan area and is meant to open avenues for future research there." (EXCERPT)