Which of the following is a cold desert region lying in the Great Himalayas, known for its high altitude and sparse vegetation?

Introduction / Context:
Cold deserts are unique regions where the climate is very dry, like a typical desert, but temperatures are low for most of the year due to high altitude or high latitude. In the context of India, geography questions often test whether learners can identify Ladakh as a high altitude cold desert in the Great Himalayas, in contrast to hot deserts such as the Thar Desert. This question checks your understanding of India's diverse climatic and physiographic regions, especially within the Himalayan system.

Given Data / Assumptions:

The question refers to a cold desert located in the Great Himalayas.
Options include Ladakh, Satpura, Aravalli, and Vindhya, which are all known physiographic units in India.
Only one of these regions fits the description of a cold desert with high altitude and harsh climate.
We assume standard Indian school level geography classification of mountains and deserts.

Concept / Approach:
To answer this question, we need to recall what makes a region a cold desert. Such regions have low precipitation, sparse vegetation, and significant temperature variations, but the overall environment is cold due to high altitude and snow covered peaks nearby. In India, Ladakh in the northernmost part of the country, lying in the rain shadow of the Great Himalayas and the Karakoram range, is the classical example of a cold desert. The other options listed are mountain ranges or uplands in central and western India that do not have cold desert characteristics.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify that the question is about a region in the Great Himalayas, which are the highest ranges in the Himalayan system. Step 2: Recall that Ladakh lies in the northern part of India, between the Greater Himalayas and the Karakoram range, at very high altitude. Step 3: Note that Ladakh receives very low rainfall because it lies in the rain shadow zone, leading to desert like conditions despite cold temperatures. Step 4: Recognise that Satpura, Aravalli, and Vindhya are not part of the Great Himalayas; they are older hill ranges or highlands in central and western India. Step 5: Conclude that Ladakh is the only option that matches the description of a cold desert in the Great Himalayas.

Verification / Alternative check:
A quick way to verify is to remember how school atlases label Ladakh as a cold desert region with towns such as Leh. Photographs of Ladakh show barren, rocky landscapes with snow covered peaks and very little vegetation, which are typical cold desert features. In contrast, Satpura and Vindhya ranges are associated with plateaus and forests in central India, while the Aravalli range is a broken, ancient mountain chain in western India. None of these are described as cold deserts, confirming that Ladakh is the correct answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Satpura is wrong because it is a hill range in central India, forming part of the Deccan plateau region and not a high altitude cold desert. Aravalli is wrong since it is a very old fold mountain range in western India, running through Rajasthan and nearby areas, and it does not have cold desert climatic conditions. Vindhya is wrong because it is a range of hills in central India that forms a boundary between the northern plains and the Deccan plateau and is not part of the Great Himalayas, nor is it a cold desert.

Common Pitfalls:
Learners sometimes confuse different types of deserts and mountain ranges. A frequent mistake is to associate any dry region with the term desert without considering temperature. Another error is mixing up Himalayan ranges with older peninsular ranges such as Aravalli or Vindhya. To avoid these issues, it is helpful to memorise that Ladakh is a cold desert in the high Himalayas, while the Thar is the hot desert in the northwest plains, and that Satpura, Vindhya, and Aravalli are not Himalayan ranges at all.

Final Answer:
The cold desert region lying in the Great Himalayas is Ladakh.