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Northern
Pakistan:
Northern Areas of Pakistan, spread over 72,496 sq. km are
as fascinating as its southern region. Amidst towering snow-clad peaks
with heights varying from 1,000 m to 8, 000 meters, the regions of
Gilgit, Hunza and Baltistan recall Shangri-La. The cultural patterns of
these regions are as interesting as its geography. The people with
typical costumes, folk dances, music and sports like polo, provide the
traveller an unforgettable experience. Nowhere is the world is such a
great concentration of high mountains, peaks, glaciers and passes except
Pakistan. Of the 14 over 8,000 meters high peaks on earth, 04 occupy an
amphitheater at the head of Baltoro glacier in the Karakoram range.
These are; K-2 (8,611 m, world’s second highest), Gasherbrum-I (8,068
m), Broad Peak (8,047 m) and Gasherbrum-II (8,035 m). There is yet
another which is equally great, Nanga Parbat (8,126 m), located at the
western most end of the Himalayas. In addition to that, there are 68
peaks over 7,000 m and hundreds others over 6,000 meters. The Northern
Pakistan has some of the longest glaciers outside Polar region; Siachen
(72 km), Hispar (61 km), Biafo (60 km), Baltoro (60 km) and Batura (64
km).
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