Ladakh has about 140000 inhabitants, which is a very low average population density. However, the population is  increasing. Ninety-nine percentage of the area is uninhabitable. Even if the population has doubled in the last century the agricultural production has remained the same.

The Ladakhis are a mixture of two people; the Dards from Gilgit (today’s Pakistan) and the Tibetans. Over 90% of the people are Buddhists. The Ladakhis have a very close connection to nature, they consider themselves part of it. Religion is essential to them and it influences their social life, culture, politics, as well as their art.

The Ladakhis live the virtues of patience, tolerance and hospitality. They are an open-minded, humorous and cheerful people. The well-being of the family stands above everything. In a natural environment as inhospitable as the one in Ladakh, everyday-life can only be mastered due to the virtues of Buddhism.