The Line of Control (LOC) is the line that marks where the region of Kashmir is divided. The land on one side of the line is controlled by India, and the land on the other side is controlled by Pakistan. It is not a legal international border, but is the effective boundary between the two countries. India and Pakistan fought over Kashmir between 1947 and 1948. The line originally marked the military front when the two countries declared a ceasefire on 1/2 January 1949. The fronts gradually became a solid boundary. It was formally named the Line of Control after the , which was signed on 3 July 1972.