Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 08:58, 23 March 2013

Gilgit-Baltistan گلگت بلتستان གིལྒིཏ་བལྟིསྟན
Counterclockwise from top: K2 - Astore Valley - Nanga Parbat - Shangrila Resort, Skardu - Deosai Plateau
Location of Gilgit-Baltistan (in red, minus the Siachen Glacier area) in Pakistan
Country	Pakistan
Established	July 1, 1970
Capital	Gilgit
Largest city	Gilgit
Government
• Type	Autonomous territory of Pakistan
• Body	Legislative assembly
• Governor	Pir Karam Ali Shah
• Chief Minister	Syed Mehdi Shah
Area
• Total	72,496 km (27,991 sq mi)
Population
• Total	1,800,000
• Density	25/km (64/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+5 (PKT)
ISO 3166 code	PK-NA
Main languages	Urdu (National & Official) Shina Burushaski Balti Tibetan Wakhi Khowar
Assembly seats	33
Districts	7
Towns	7
Website	gilgitbaltistan.gov.pk

Gilgit–Baltistan (Template:Lang-ur, Balti: གིལྒིཏ་བལྟིསྟན, formerly known as the Northern Areas is the northernmost administrative territory of Pakistan. It borders the administrative territory of Azad Kashmir to the south, the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the west, the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan to the north, the Xinjiang autonomous region of China to the east and northeast and the Indian-administered state of Jammu and Kashmir to the southeast.

Gilgit–Baltistan is an autonomous self-governing region that was established as a single administrative unit in 1970, formed by the amalgamation of the Gilgit Agency, the Baltistan region and the former princely states of Hunza and Nagar. It covers an area of 72,971 km² (28,174 mi²) and is highly mountainous. It has an estimated population approaching 1,000,000. Its capital city is Gilgit (population 216,760).

Together with Azad Kashmir, it forms part of the disputed Kashmir region, which has been the subject of conflict between India and Pakistan since the two countries' independence and partition in 1947.

History

The territory was part of the Delhi Sultanate until it fell to the Mughal Empire in the early half of the 16th century. By 1757, suzerainty of the region was obtained from the Mughals by Ahmad Shah Durrani under an agreement and became part of Afghanistan (also known as the Durrani Empire) until Ranjit Singh invaded and took control from the Afghans in 1819. It became a princely state with the name "Jammu and Kashmir" around 1847. After the partition of British India in 1947, Jammu and Kashmir initially remained an independent state. After the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, Pakistani control was established on territories captured by Pakistan to the north and west of the cease-fire line. In 1970, the name "Northern Areas" (today's Gilgit–Baltistan, 72,971 km²) was applied to the areas that had previously been known as the Gilgit Agency and Baltistan. The name "Northern Areas" was actually first used by the United Nations to refer to the northern areas of Kashmir. A small part of the Northern Areas, the Shaksgam tract, was provisionally ceded by Pakistan to China in 1963.

Autonomous status and present-day Gilgit-Baltistan

The territory of present-day Gilgit–Baltistan became a separate administrative unit in 1970 under the name Northern Areas, formed by the amalgamation of the Gilgit Agency, the Baltistan District of the Ladakh Wazarat, and the states of Hunza and Nagar. It presently consists of seven districts, has a population approaching one million, and an area of approximately 28,000 square miles (73,000 km), and shares borders with Pakistan, China, Afghanistan, and India.

While ruled by Pakistan since 1947, it had never been formally integrated into the Pakistani state and does not participate in Pakistan's constitutional political affairs until 2009. On 29 August 2009, the Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order, 2009, was passed by the Pakistani cabinet and later signed by the President of Pakistan. The order granted self-rule to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan, by creating, among other things, an elected Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly. Gilgit–Baltistan thus gained de facto province-like status without constitutionally being a province. Officially, Pakistan has rejected Gilgit–Baltistani calls for further integration on the grounds that it would prejudice its international obligations over the Kashmir dispute. Some militant Kashmiri nationalist groups, such as the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, claim Gilgit–Baltistan as a part of a future independent Kashmir rather than as a future integral part of Pakistan.

On September 29, 2009, the Pakistani prime minister, while addressing a huge gathering in Gilgit–Baltistan, announced a multi-billion-rupee development package aimed at the socio-economic uplifting of the people of the area. Development projects are slated to include the areas of education, health, agriculture, tourism, and the basic needs of life.

An attempt in 1993 by the High Court of Azad Jammu and Kashmir to annex Gilgit–Baltistan was quashed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, after protests by the predominantly Shia population of Gilgit–Baltistan, who feared domination by the Sunni Kashmiris.

Administrative divisions

Gilgit–Baltistan is administratively divided into two divisions which, in turn, are divided into seven districts, including the two Baltistan districts of Skardu and Ghanche, and the five Gilgit districts of Gilgit, Ghizer, Diamer, Astore, and Hunza-Nagar. The main political centres are the towns of Gilgit and Skardu.

Geography and climate

Gilgit–Baltistan borders the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan to the northwest, China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to the northeast, the Indian-administered state of Jammu and Kashmir to the south and southeast, the Pakistan-administered Azad Jammu and Kashmir to the south, and Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to the west.

Gilgit–Baltistan is home to five of the "eight-thousanders" and to more than fifty peaks above 7000 meters. Gilgit and Skardu are the two main hubs for expeditions to those mountains. The region is home to some of the world's highest mountain ranges. The main ranges are the Karakoram and the western Himalayas. The Pamir mountains are to the north, and the Hindu Kush lies to the west. Amongst the highest mountains are K2 (Mount Godwin-Austen) and Nanga Parbat, the latter being one of the most feared mountains in the world.

Three of the world's longest glaciers outside the polar regions are found in Gilgit–Baltistan: the Biafo Glacier, the Baltoro Glacier, and the Batura Glacier. There are, in addition, several high-altitude lakes in Gilgit–Baltistan:

• Sheosar Lake in the Deosai Plains, Astore
• Satpara Tso Lake in Skardu, Baltistan
• Katzura Tso Lake in Skardu, Baltistan
• Zharba Tso Lake in Shigar, Baltistan
• Phoroq Tso Lake in Skardu, Baltistan
• Bara Tso Lake in Gangche, Baltistan
• Byarsa Tso Lake in Gultari, Baltistan
• Borith Lake in Gojal, upper Hunza, Gilgit
• Rama Lake near Astore
• Rush Lake near Nagar, Gilgit
• Kromber Lake at Kromber Pass, Ishkoman Valley, Ghizer District
• Barodaroksh lake in Bar Valley, Nagar

The Deosai Plains, are located above the tree line and constitute the second-highest plateau in the world at 4,115 meters (14,500 feet)after Tibet. The plateau lies east of Astore, south of Skardu and west of Ladakh. The area was declared as a national park in 1993. The Deosai Plains cover an area of almost 5,000 square kilometres. For over half the year (between September and May), Deosai is snow-bound and cut off from rest of Astore and Baltistan in winters. The village of Deosai lies close to Chilum chokki and is connected with the Kargil district of Ladakh through an all-weather road.

Rock art and petroglyphs

There are more than 50,000 pieces of rock art (petroglyphs) and inscriptions all along the Karakoram Highway in Gilgit–Baltistan, concentrated at ten major sites between Hunza and Shatial. The carvings were left by various invaders, traders, and pilgrims who passed along the trade route, as well as by locals. The earliest date back to between 5000 and 1000 BCE, showing single animals, triangular men and hunting scenes in which the animals are larger than the hunters. These carvings were pecked into the rock with stone tools and are covered with a thick patina that proves their age. The ethnologist Karl Jettmar has pieced together the history of the area from various inscriptions and recorded his findings in Rock Carvings and Inscriptions in the Northern Areas of Pakistan and the later released Between Gandhara and the Silk Roads - Rock Carvings Along the Karakoram Highway. Many of these carvings and inscriptions will be inundated and/or destroyed when the planned Basha-Diamir dam is built and the Karakoram Highway is widened.

Climate

The climate of Gilgit–Baltistan varies from region to region, surrounding mountain ranges creates sharp variations in weather. The eastern part has the moist zone of the western Himalayas, but going toward Karakoram and Hindu Kush, the climate dries considerably.

There are towns like Gilgit and Chilas that are very hot during the day in summer, yet cold at night, and valleys like Astore, Khaplu, Yasin, Hunza, and Nagar where the temperatures are cold even in summer.

Economy and resources

The economy of the region is primarily based on a traditional route of trade through the historic "Silk Road." The China Trade Organization was the leading economic forum through which most of barter trade activity made a phenomenal change in the general economic outlook of the area, which, being the remotest region under Pakistani control, was neglected for over a quarter of a century. That forum led the people of the area to actively invest and learn modern trade know-how from its Chinese neighbor Xinjiang. The participation of all ethnic groups and the active force behind this activity, the legendary economist of the area Ashraf Khan, brought a great change in the region. Later, the establishment of a chamber of commerce and the Sost dry port(in Gojal Hunza) are milestones. The rest of the economy is shouldered by mainly agriculture and tourism. Agricultural products are wheat, corn (maize), barley, and fruits. Tourism is mostly in trekking and mountaineering, and this industry is growing in importance.

In early September 2009, Pakistan signed an agreement with the People's Republic of China for a major energy project in Gilgit–Baltistan which includes the construction of a 7,000-megawatt dam at Bunji in the Astore District.

Sports

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to itadding to it or making an edit request. (January 2010)

Polo is the favourite game of the people of Gilgit, Chilas, Astore, Hunza, Nagar and the surrounding areas. Every year, many tourists visit to enjoy polo in Gilgit–Baltistan. Other games such as cricket, tuksori of Nagar, gulli danda, kabbadi, and volleyball are also played.

Transport

Prior to 1978, Gilgit–Baltistan was cut off from Pakistan and the rest of the world due to the harsh terrain and the lack of accessible roads. All of the roads to the south opened toward the Pakistani-controlled state of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and to the southeast towards the present-day Indian-controlled state of Jammu and Kashmir. During the summer, people could walk across the mountain passes to travel to Rawalpindi. The fastest way to travel, however, was by air, but air travel was accessible only to a few privileged local people and to Pakistani military and civilian officials. Then, with the assistance of the Chinese government, Pakistan began construction of the Karakoram Highway (KKH), which was completed in 1978. The Karakoram Highway (KKH) connects Islamabad to Gilgit and Skardu, which are the two major hubs for mountaineering expeditions in Gilgit–Baltistan. The journey from Rawalpindi/Islamabad to Gilgit takes approximately 20 to 24 hours. Landslides on the Karakoram Highway are very common. The KKH connects Gilgit to Taxkorgan and Kaxgar in China via Sost (the customs and health-inspection post on the Gilgit–Baltistan side) and the Khunjerab Pass, the highest paved international border crossing in the world at 4,693 metres (15,397 feet).

Northern Areas Transport Corporation (NATCO) offers bus and jeep transport service to the two hubs and several other popular destinations, lakes, and glaciers in the area.

In March 2006, the respective governments announced that, commencing on June 1, 2006, a thrice-weekly bus service would begin across the boundary from Gilgit to Kaxgar, China, and road-widening work would begin on 600 kilometres of the Karakoram Highway. There would also be one daily bus in each direction between the Sost and Taxkorgan border areas of the two political entities.

Pakistan International Airlines used to fly a Fokker F27 aircraft daily between Gilgit Airport and Islamabad International Airport. The flying time was approximately 50 minutes, and the flight was one of the most scenic in the world, as its route passed over Nanga Parbat, the mountain whose peak is higher than the aircraft's cruising altitude. However, the Fokker F27 aircraft was retired after a crash at Multan in 2006. Currently, flights are being operated by PIA to Gilgit on the brand-new ATR42-500 aircraft, which was purchased in 2006. With the new plane, the cancellation of flights is much less frequent. PIA also offers regular flights of a Boeing 737 between Skardu and Islamabad. All flights, however, are subject to weather clearance, and, in winter, flights are often delayed by several days.

A railway through the region has been proposed, see Khunjerab Railway for details.

Demographics

The estimated population Gilgit–Baltistan in 2013 is over 2 million. The population of Gilgit–Baltistan consists of many diverse linguistic, ethnic, and religious groups, due in part to the many isolated valleys separated by some of the world's highest mountains. The ethnic groups include Shins, Yashkuns, Kashmiris, Kashgaris, Pathans, and Kohistanis. Ismailism is present here, unlike in Pakistan, itself.

Languages

Urdu is the lingua franca of the region, understood by most inhabitants. The Shina language (with several dialects like Asturjaa, Kharuchaa, chilasi) is the language of 60% of the population, spoken mainly in Gilgit, Astore, throughout Diamer, and in some parts of Ghizer. The Balti dialect, a sub-dialect of Ladakhi and part of the Tibetan language group, is spoken by the entire population of Baltistan. Minor languages spoken in the region include Wakhi, spoken in upper Hunza, and in some villages in Ghizer, while Khowar is the language of Ghizer. Burushaski is an isolated language spoken in the Hunza, Nagar, Yasin (where Khowar is also spoken), in some parts of Gilgit, and in some villages of Punial. Another interesting language is Domaaki, spoken by musician clans in the region. A small minority of people also speak Pashto.

Gilgit–Baltistan has very few speakers of Kashmiri. However, speakers of other Dardic languages such as Shina and Khowar are present in the region. At the last census (1998), the population of Gilgit–Baltistan was 870,347. Approximately 14% of the population was urban.

Religion

The population of Gilgit–Baltistan are Muslims. The majority of the people are Shia with a significant Sunni minority. The Ismailis and Sufia Nurbakhshia are also present in Gilgit–Baltistan

See also

• List of mountains in Pakistan

References

1. "Pir Karam Ali Shah appointed GB Governor". The News. 2011-01-26. Retrieved 2011-01-28.
2. "Associated Press Of Pakistan ( Pakistan's Premier NEWS Agency ) - Public service policy to be pursued in Gilgit–Baltistan: PM". Ftp.app.com.pk. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
3. Legislative Assembly will have directly elected 24 members, besides six women and three technocrats. "Gilgit Baltistan: New Pakistani Package or Governor Rule" 3 September 2009, The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO)
4. "Cabinet approves ‘Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order 2009’" 29 August 2009 Associated Press of Pakistan
5. "Violence rocks Gilgit Baltistan again: 5 killed, 50 injured". daily.bhaskar.com. 2012-04-04. Retrieved 2013-02-23.
6. "Ahmad Shah and the Durrani Empire". Library of Congress Country Studies on Afghanistan. 1997. Retrieved 2010-09-23.
7. Friedrich Engels (1857). "Afghanistan". Andy Blunden. The New American Cyclopaedia, Vol. I. Archived from the original on 18 October 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-23. Afghanistan ... an extensive country of Asia...between Persia and the Indies, and in the other direction between the Hindu Kush and the Indian Ocean. It formerly included the Persian provinces of Khorassan and Kohistan, together with Herat, Beluchistan, Cashmere, and Sinde, and a considerable part of the Punjab... Its principal cities are Kabul, the capital, Ghuznee, Peshawer, and Kandahar {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
8. "Aḥmad Shah Durrānī". Encyclopædia Britannica Online Version. 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-25.
9. Clements, Frank (2003). Conflict in Afghanistan: a historical encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. p. 377. ISBN 978-1-85109-402-8. Retrieved 2010-09-23. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
10. "The Durrani dynasty". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 2010-09-23.
11. "Afghanistan 1809-1838: Sources in the India Office Records". Bl.uk. 2003-11-30. Retrieved 2013-02-23.
12. ^ Nadeem (2009-09-21). "Gilgit-Baltistan: A question of autonomy". Indian Express. Retrieved 2013-02-23. {{cite web}}: Text "21-Sep-2009" ignored (help)
13. Shigri, Manzar. "Pakistan's disputed Northern Areas go to polls". Reuters.com. Retrieved 2013-02-23.
14. "DAWN: Gilgit-Baltistan autonomy". Archives.dawn.com. 2009-09-09. Retrieved 2013-02-23.
15. ^ Schofield, Victoria (2000). Kashmir in Conflict: India, Pakistan, and the Unending War. I.B. Tauris. pp. 180–181.
16. Manzar Shigri (2009-11-12). "Pakistan's disputed Northern Areas go to polls". Reuters. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
17. "Pakistani president signs Gilgit-Baltistan autonomy order _English_Xinhua". News.xinhuanet.com. 2009-09-07. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
18. "Wrangling over new Astore district headquarters". Dawn Newspaper Internet Edition. Retrieved 2006-11-17.
19. "Rock Carvings and Inscriptions along the Karakorum Highway (Pakistan) - - a brief introduction".
20. "Between gandhara and the silk roads".
21. WWF Pakistan. "Climate of Gilgit-Baltistan (formerly Northern Areas)". WWF Pakistan. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
22. Encyclopædia Britannica. "Baltistan (region, Northern Areas, Kashmir, Pakistan) - Britannica Online Encyclopedia". Britannica.com. Retrieved 2010-06-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
23. Encyclopædia Britannica. "Gilgit (Kashmir region, Indian subcontinent) - Britannica Online Encyclopedia". Britannica.com. Retrieved 2010-06-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
24. "Pakistan | Gilgit-Baltistan autonomy". Dawn.Com. 2009-09-09. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
25. Sports and games of the 18th and ... - Google Books. Books.google.co.nz. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
26. "Kashgar-Gilgit bus service planned". Dawn Newspaper Internet Edition. Retrieved 2006-11-17.
27. "Pakistan's Fragile Foundations". Council on Foreign Relations. 2009-03-12.
28. "Administrative Divisions and Population of the Northern Areas (1998)". Northern Areas Management Information System. Retrieved 2006-11-17.
29. "Population, poverty and environment" (PDF). Northern Areas Strategy for Sustainable Development. Retrieved 2006-11-17.
30. "Pakistan Shias killed in Gilgit sectarian attack". BBC. 16 August 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2012.

Further reading

• Pakistan Trekking Guide, by Isobel and Ben Shaw, 1993.
• Attention: This template ({{cite doi}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by doi:10.1163/1571811041631272, please use {{cite journal}} (if it was published in a bona fide academic journal, otherwise {{cite report}} with |doi=10.1163/1571811041631272 instead.

External links

• Official Website of the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan
• Template:Dmoz
• Northern Areas (Pakistan) travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Pakistan, an external wiki

v t e Places adjacent to Gilgit-Baltistan
Badakhshan Province Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Gilgit–Baltistan Xinjiang Azad Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir

v t e Provinces and administrative units of Pakistan
Provinces	Balochistan Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Punjab Sindh
Territories	Islamabad Capital Territory
Administrative regions	Azad Kashmir Gilgit-Baltistan
See also: Former administrative units of Pakistan

• Subdivisions of Pakistan
• Gilgit-Baltistan
• Disputed territories in Asia
• Divided regions
• Foreign relations of Pakistan
• States and territories established in 1970