From the
mighty stretches of the Karakorams in the North to the vast
alluvial delta of the Indus River in the South, Pakistan
remains a land of high adventure and nature. Trekking,
mountaineering, white water rafting, wild boar hunting,
mountain and desert jeep safaris, camel and yak safaris,
trout fishing and bird watching, are a few activities, which
entice the adventure and nature lovers to Pakistan.
Pakistan is
endowed with a rich and varied flora and fauna. High
Himalayas, Karakoram and the Hindukush ranges with their
alpine meadows and permanent snow line, coniferous forests
down the sub-mountain scrub, the vast Indus plain merging
into the great desert, the coast line and wetlands, all
offer a remarkably rich variety of vegetation and associated
wildlife including avifauna, both endemic and migratory. Ten
of 18 mammalian orders are represented in Pakistan with
species ranging from the world's smallest surviving mammals,
the Mediterranean Pigmy Shrew, to the largest mammal ever
known; the blue whale.
Diverse culture
and ancient civilizations
Situated
in the heart of the South Asian sub-continent, it is a
country with its own fascinating history and cultural
heritage. Pakistan was the site for one of the world's
earliest human settlements, the great prehistoric Indus
Valley Civilization, the crucible of ancient empires,
religions and cultures. Pakistan traces its history back to
2,500 years B.C. when a highly developed civilization
flourished in the Indus Valley. Excavations at Harappa,
Moenjodaro, Kot Diji and Mehr Garh have brought to light,
the evidence of an advanced civilization existing even in
more ancient times.
Landscape,
location and geography
The
landscape of Pakistan ranges from lofty mountains in the
north, the Karakoram and the Himalayas, through
dissected plateaus to the rich alluvial plains of the
Punjab. Then follows desolate barrenness of Balochistan
and the hot dry deserts of Sindh blending into miles and
miles of golden beaches of Mekran coast.
Pakistan is
situated between latitude 24 and 37 degrees North and
longitude 62 and 75 degrees East. The country borders
Iran on the West, India on the East, Afghanistan in the
North-West, China in the North and the Arabian Sea in
the South. The great mountain ranges of the Himalayas,
the Karakoram and the Hindukush form Pakistan's northern
highlands of North West Frontier Province and the
Northern Area; Punjab province is a flat, alluvial plain
with five major rivers dominating the upper region
eventually joining the Indus River flowing south to the
Arabian Sea; Sindh is bounded on the east by the Thar
Desert and the Rann of Kutch and on the west by the
Kirthar range; the Balochistan Plateau is an arid
tableland, encircled by dry mountains. Its total area is
803,940 Sq.Km and total land area is 778,720 Sq.Km.
(including FATA and FANA).
Unique
mountains, valleys and glaciers
Northern
areas of Pakistan, spread over 72,496 sq.Km. are fascinating
as its southern region. Amidst towering snow-clad peaks with
heights varying from 1000 m to over 8000 meter, the valleys
of Gilgit, Hunza and Skardu recall Shangri-La. The cultural
patterns in this region are as interesting as its
topography. The people with typical costumes, folk dances,
music and sports like polo and buzkashi provide the traveler
an unforgettable experience. Nowhere in the world there is
such a great concentration of high mountains, peaks,
glaciers and passes except Pakistan. Of the 14 over 8000
peaks on earth, 4 occupy an amphitheater at the head of
Baltoro glacier in the Karakoram range. These are: K-2 (8611
m, world second highest), Broad Peak (8047m), Gasherbrum I
(8068m) and Gasherbrum II (8035m). There is yet another
which is equally great, that is, Nanga Parbat (8126m) at the
western most end of the Himalayas. In addition to that,
there are 68 peaks over 7000 m and hundreds which are over
6000 m. The Northern Pakistan has some of the longest
glaciers outside Polar region; Siachen (72 km), Hispar (61
km.), Biafo (60 km.), Baltoro (60 km.), Batura (64 km.),
Yenguta (35 km.), Chiantar (34 km.), Trich (29 km.) and
Atrak (28 km.). The lower Himalayan valleys of Swat, Kaghan
and Chitral in the Hindukush range equally share the beauty
and diverse culture of the Northern Pakistan.
Indus valley
civilization
The
Indus Valley Civilization was at its peak from the 3rd till
the middle of the 2nd millennium BC Discovered in 1922,
Moenjodaro was once a metropolis of great importance,
forming part of the Indus Valley Civilization together with
Harrappa (discovered in 1923), Kot Diji and recently
discovered in Mehr Garh (Balochistan). Moenjodaro is
considered as one of the most spectacular ancient cities of
the world. It had mud and baked bricks' buildings, an
elaborate covered drainage system, a large state granary, a
spacious pillared hall, a College of Priests, a palace and a
citadel. Harrappa, another major city of the Indus Valley
Civilization, was surrounded by a massive brick wall
fortification. Other features and plan of the city were
similar to that of Moenjodaro. The Kot Diji culture is
marked by well-made pottery and houses built of mud-bricks
on stone foundations.
Gandhara
heritage
Gandhara
remains had once been the hallowed center of Buddhism, the
cradle of the world famous Gandhara sculpture, culture and
learning. The archaeological remains found in Taxila,
Peshawar, Charsadda, Takht Bhai, Swat Valley, and rock
carving &* inscriptions along the ancient Silk Route
(Karakoram Highway) has well recorded the history of
Gandhara. Lying in Haro River valley,. Taxila, the main
center of Gandhara, is over 3,000 years old as it had
attracted the attention of the great conqueror, Alexander in
327 BC, when it was a province of the powerful Achaemenian
Empire. It later came under the Maurian dynasty and reached
a remarkable matured level of development under the great
Ashoka. Then appeared the Indo-Greek descendants of
Alexander's warriors and finally came the most creative
period of Gandhara. The Kushan dynasty was established in
about 50 A.D. during the next 20 years, Taxila, Peshawar and
Swat became a renowned center of learning, philosophy, art
and trade. Pilgrims and travelers were attracted to Gandhara
from as far as China and Greece. In 5th century AD, the
White Huns snuffed out the last of the successive
civilizations that held unbroken sway in this region for
several centuries.
Mughal and
early Muslim heritage
Pakistan
is a treasure-house of Muslim architecture. Lahore, the
cultural heart of Pakistan is situated along the bank of
Ravi River. The city has witnessed rise and fall of many
dynasties like Gaznavis (1021-1186), Ghoris (1186-1202) and
Slaves (1206-1524) before arrival of the Mughals. The city
was conquered by Babur of Ferghana (now in Uzbekistan), the
founder of the Mughal dynasty (1524-1764). All the important
monuments like the Royal Fort, Badshahi Mosque. Wazir Khan's
Mosque, Tombs of Jehangir, Asaf Khan, Noor Jehan, Anarkali,
the Shalimar Gardens and Hiran Minar etc., were constructed
during this period. On the other hand, the shrines, mosques
and forts located in and around Multan and Bahawalpur are
master pieces of Muslim architecture. Some important
buildings are; Forts at Multan and Derawar (Bahawalpur),
shrines of Shaikh Bahauddin Zakaria, Shah Rukan-e-Alam,
Hazrat Shams Tabrezi at Multan and Tomb of Bib Jiwandi at
Uchh Sharif near Bahawalpur.
The Silk Route
For
centuries, it remained the main trading route between the
South Asia and the Central Asia. After the completion of the
Karakoram Highway (KKH) in 1978 along the same route,
joining Pakistan with Chinese Muslim autonomous region of
Xinjiang, the ancient trade link has been revived. The KKH
has provided a great opportunity for international
travellers to explore the un-spoilt natural beauty, unique
culture and ancient traditions of Northern Pakistan together
with other Silk Road countries like China, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
Valleys of the
Himalayas and the Hindukush
The
Murree Hills and the Gallies, 55 km from Islamabad, at
an altitude of 2,286 m are the most popular summer
resorts in Pakistan. With a perfect Himalayan atmosphere
and equipped with all modern facilities like good
communication network, resort hotels, golf course and
chair-lift/cable cars, Murree and Gallies are a
wonderful retreat from the hot weather of the plains in
summer. A holiday in Kaghan Valley, the Himalayan
hide-away in the North West Frontier Province,(NWFP) is
an un-forgettable experience. Its peaks, dales, lakes,
water-falls, streams and glaciers are still in an
unbelievable pristine state. The valley extends for 155
km rising from an elevation of 2,134 m to its highest
point, the Babusar Pass, at 4,173 m.
The lush green valley of Swat, has a rich historical
past. This is “Udyana” (the garden) of ancient Hindu
epics; the land of enthralling beauty, where Alexander
of Mecedonia fought and won some of his major battles.
This is the “valley of the hanging chairs” as described
by famous Chinese pilgrims, Fa-Hien and Hsuan Tsang in
the 5th and 7th centuries.
Azad Kashmir
rivals the Kaghan and Swat valleys in natural beauty. It
extends from the plains of Mirpur at the northern edges of
the Punjab through the outlyng foothills of the Haimalayas,
to the mountains in the north at 6,000 meters above sea
level. It is blessed with three major rivers, the Jehlum,
the Neelum and the Poonch. Chitral valley is like a crown on
the Hindukush mountains with its high peaks, green pastures
and unique culture, Chitral has attracted mountaineers,
trekkers, naturalists and anthropologists alike. One of the
major attractions of Chitral are the Kalash valleys - the
home of the Kalash “wearers of the black robes”, a primitive
pagan tribe.
Festivals and
Holidays
Pakistan’s
calendar features a great many Muslim religious festivals.
Others are in memory of National Heroes or to commemorate
political events in the nation’s recent history. Muslim
festivals are celebrated according to Muslim (Lunar)
Calendar and may occur some 10 days earlier each successive
Christian Year. There are several folk festivals held
regularly in every part of the country.
Source: Ministry of Tourism,
Pakistan. For more information click
here
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