five soldiers sitting by large boulder with mountains on background.

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How a tiny line on a map led to conflict in the Himalaya

The untold story of a U.S. geographer’s error that pushed India and Pakistan to fight on the world's highest battlefield

Soldiers assigned to the 62 Brigade of the Pakistan Army pause beneath the Trango Towers at the terminus of the Baltoro Glacier. “It’s difficult terrain,” one says. “But we must defend every inch of our motherland.”

Published February 18, 2021

35 min read

A version of this story appears in the March 2021 issue of National Geographic magazine. Hear more in season five, episode four of our podcast, Overheard at National Geographic.)

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