Cashmere is actually a type of wool – except, unlike the traditional wool, cashmere is the fine, soft fiber combed from the undercoats of a certain kind of goats, Kashmir goats.
Cashmere gets its name from an old spelling of Kashmir, the region where its production and trade originated. These goats are found across the Himalayas where temperatures can drop to -30°C and their freezing cold habitat means that they grow an incredibly thick, warm coat.
Cashmere goats have two layers of hair – a super-soft cashmere undercoat, and it’s protected by the goat’s outer layer, AKA the wool, as the topcoat.
Cashmere goats are originally found across the Himalayas where temperatures can drop to -30°C and these harsh climates have allowed the goats to grow the longest and finest fibers that shepherds then collect every spring when these warmer coats begin to shed.
Therefore, the best cashmere goats typically live in places like Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, Nepal, Ladakh, Baltistan, etc, places that are known for their cold and harsh climates.