Kupwara district is an administrative district in the Kashmir division of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Located in the northern part of the Kashmir Valley, it shares a long stretch of the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan-administered Kashmir, giving it considerable strategic significance. The district headquarters is the town of Kupwara.
| Region | Kashmir Valley |
|---|---|
| Union territory | Jammu and Kashmir |
| Headquarters | Kupwara |
| Division | Kashmir division |
| Country | India |
| International boundary | Line of Control (with Pakistan-administered Kashmir) |
Kupwara lies in the north-western corner of the Kashmir Valley, bordered by Baramulla district to the south and Bandipora district to the east, with the Line of Control forming its northern and western limits. The terrain is largely mountainous, dominated by spurs of the Pir Panjal and the Shamsbari range, and includes high-altitude meadows, dense conifer forests, and river valleys. Important valleys within the district include Lolab, Bangus, Keran, Machil, and Karnah (Tangdhar). The district is drained by the Kishanganga (Neelum) river and several of its tributaries.
Kupwara was carved out of the larger Baramulla district and constituted as a separate district. It is divided into administrative tehsils and community development blocks, with sub-divisions at Handwara, Karnah and Kupwara among others. The district falls under the jurisdiction of the Kashmir divisional commissioner, and is administered by a Deputy Commissioner who also serves as District Magistrate.
The population of Kupwara is overwhelmingly Muslim, with Kashmiri as the principal language; Pahari, Gojri and Urdu are also spoken, particularly in border belts such as Karnah and Keran where Pahari-speaking and Gujjar-Bakerwal communities are present. Settlements are concentrated along valley floors, while transhumant pastoralism remains a feature of the upper reaches.
The economy is predominantly agrarian. Paddy, maize and pulses are the principal food crops, while horticulture—especially apple, walnut and almond cultivation—has expanded significantly. Forestry, sericulture, handicrafts and small-scale trade supplement household incomes. Tourism, focused on the Lolab and Bangus valleys and the Sadhna Pass route to Karnah, has developed gradually.
Owing to its long frontage along the Line of Control, Kupwara has been one of the most militarised districts in India and a frequent theatre of cross-border infiltration and counter-insurgency operations since the outbreak of armed militancy in Jammu and Kashmir in 1989–1990. The Indian Army's formations in the sector, along with the Border Security Force and Jammu and Kashmir Police, maintain a substantial presence. The 1999 Kargil-era period and subsequent infiltration attempts saw repeated engagements in the Keran, Machil and Tangdhar sectors.
Kupwara is connected to Srinagar by road via Baramulla and Handwara. The Sadhna Pass road links the main valley with the Karnah tehsil across the Shamsbari range and remains susceptible to winter closure due to snowfall. The nearest railhead is at Baramulla on the Banihal–Baramulla section, and the nearest airport is the Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport at Srinagar.