Azad Jammu and Kashmir, 1947
The 1947–1948 Indo-Pakistani War about the status of Kashmir ended in a ceasefire, and India gained control of about two-thirds of the region. The “Line of Control” has divided the former state ever since. Pakistan-administered Azad Jammu and Kashmir, usually referred to as “Azad Kashmir” (Free Kashmir), is a narrow stroke of land in the western Kashmir region centred on its capital Muzaffarabad. Its flag features a green field with a white crescent and star, symbolising Islam, while the orange field represents the Hindu minority. The five green stripes stand for the Valley of Jammu and Kashmir, and the four white stripes represent its snow-covered mountains.