Key Facts about Nathu La Pass

Table of Contents☰

About Nathu La Pass:

Location: It is a mountain pass in the Himalayas in the East Sikkim district.
Altitude: It is situated at an altitude of 4302 m and is one of the highest motorable roads in the world.
Nathu means “listening ears”, and La means “pass” in Tibetan. It forms a part of an offshoot of the ancient Silk Road.
Nathu La connects the Indian state of Sikkim with China’s Tibet Autonomous Region.
It is guarded on both sides by Chinese and Indian soldiers.
Nathu La is one of the three open trading border posts between India and China; the other two are in Himachal Pradesh (Shipkila ) and Uttarakhand (Lipulekh).
Sealed by India after the 1962 Sino-Indian War, Nathu La was re-opened in 2006 following numerous bilateral trade agreements.

Q1) What is an avalanche?

An avalanche is a mass of material moving rapidly down a slope. An avalanche is typically triggered when material on a slope breaks loose from its surroundings; this material then quickly collects and carries additional material down the slope. There are various kinds of avalanches, including rock avalanches, ice avalanches , and debris avalanches .

Source: Sikkim Avalanche Highlights: 7 dead, at least 150 trapped at Nathu La; no respite from snow soon: IMD