Chitral District ( ur, ) was the largest
district
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...
in the
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP or KPK, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the northwestern region of the country, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ...
province of Pakistan, covering an area of 14,850 km², before splitting into
Upper Chitral District
Upper Chitral District ( ps, چترال بالا ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district of the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa situated on the Chitral River. Upper Chitral District along with Chitral lower district were part of the erstwh ...
and
Lower Chitral District
Lower Chitral District ( ps, چترال لر / کوز ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district in Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan.
Demographics
At the time of the 2017 census the district had a population of 278,328, o ...
in 2018.
Part of the
Malakand Division
Malakand Division is an administrative division of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of Pakistan. It contains the following districts:
Districts
* Bajaur District
* Buner District
* Upper Chitral District
* Lower Chitral District
* Lower Dir Distric ...
, it is the northernmost district of
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
.
It shares a border with
Gilgit-Baltistan to the east, with
Kunar,
Badakshan
Badakhshan is a historical region comprising parts of modern-day north-eastern Afghanistan, eastern Tajikistan, and Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County in China. Badakhshan Province is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. Much of historic Ba ...
and
Nuristan
Nuristan, also spelled as Nurestan or Nooristan (Dari: ; Kamkata-vari: ), is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the eastern part of the country. It is divided into seven districts and is Afghanistan's least populous province, wi ...
provinces of
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
to the north and west, and with the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa districts of
Swat and
Dir to the south. A narrow strip of
Wakhan Corridor
The Wakhan Corridor ( ps, واخان دهلېز, translit=wāxān dahléz, fa, دالان واخان, translit=dâlân vâxân) is a narrow strip of territory in Badakhshan Province of Afghanistan, extending to Xinjiang in China and separatin ...
separates Chitral from Tajikistan in the north.
History
![Tirich Mir Hotel](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/Tirich_Mir_Hotel.jpg)
Chitral shares much of its history and culture with the neighboring
Hindu Kush
The Hindu Kush is an mountain range in Central and South Asia to the west of the Himalayas. It stretches from central and western Afghanistan, Quote: "The Hindu Kush mountains run along the Afghan border with the North-West Frontier Province ...
territories of Gilgit-Baltistan, a region sometimes called "Peristan" because of the common belief in fairies (''peri'') inhabiting the high mountains.
The entire region that now forms the Chitral District was an independent monarchical state until 1895, when the British negotiated a treaty with its hereditary ruler, the Mehtar, under which Chitral became a semi-autonomous
princely state within the Indian Empire. Chitral retained this status even after its accession to Pakistan in 1947, finally being made an administrative district of Pakistan in 1969, disestablishing the Princely state.
Topography and access
Chitral is counted amongst the highest regions of the world, sweeping from 1,094 meters at Arandu to 7,726 meters at Tirichmir, and packing over 40 peaks more than 6,100 meters in height. The terrain of Chitral is very mountainous and
Tirich Mir
Tirich Mir (also spelled Terich Mir, Terichmir and Turch Mir) is the highest mountain of the Hindu Kush range, and the highest mountain in the world outside of the Himalayas– Karakoram range, at above sea level. It is located in the Chitral ...
(25,289 feet) the highest peak of the
Hindu Kush
The Hindu Kush is an mountain range in Central and South Asia to the west of the Himalayas. It stretches from central and western Afghanistan, Quote: "The Hindu Kush mountains run along the Afghan border with the North-West Frontier Province ...
, rises in the north of the district. Around 4.8 per cent of the land is covered by forest and 76 per cent is mountains and glaciers.
![The green and the yellow](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/The_green_and_the_yellow.JPG)
Chitral is connected to the rest of Pakistan by two major road routes, the
Lowari Pass
Lowari Pass ( ur, درہ لواری), or Lowari Top, (el. 10,230 ft.) is a high mountain pass that connects Chitral with Dir in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Lowari Top is a relatively low pass, by far the lowest pass to enter Chitral, ...
(el. 10,230 ft.) from
Dir and
Shandur Top Shandur Pass( ur, ) is a pass located in Ghizer, District of Gilgit Baltistan . It is often called 'Roof of the World.
During the annual ' Shandur Polo Festival,' there are polo matches played in Shandur Polo Ground on Shandur Top, between the ...
(elevation 12,200 ft.) from Gilgit. Both routes used to be closed in winter, but circa 2017 the highway
Lowari Tunnel
Lowari Tunnel ( ur, , ''Lowari Sarang'') is a vehicular tunnel under the Lowari Pass of the Hindu Kush mountains, between Dir and Chitral in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is operated by the National Highway Authority and carr ...
under the Lowari Pass opened to vehicular traffic for at least ten hours per day.
A number of other high passes, including
Darkot Pass,
Thoi Pass and
Zagaran Pass, provide access on foot to Chitral from Gilgit-Baltistan.
* Arandu Pass, on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan
*
Broghol
Broghil, also spelled Broghol, elevation , is a high mountain pass along the Durand Line border that crosses the Hindu Kush mountain range and connects Wakhan District of Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan with Chitral District of Khyber Pakhtunkh ...
Pass, on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan
*
Dorah Pass
Dorah Pass, also called ''Durah Pass'', connects Badakshan Province of Afghanistan with Chitral District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The Dorah Pass is more than high. It is located along the Durand Line border and crosses the Hindu Kush moun ...
, on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan
* Darkot Pass, on the border between Chitral and
Gupis-Yasin District
The Gupis-Yasin District ( ur, ) is the westernmost district of the 14 districts of Pakistan-administered territory of Gilgit-Baltistan. The Gupis-Yasin District was created in 2019 from the Gupis Tehsil and the Yasin Tehsil, which were the two w ...
*
Shandur Pass Shandur Pass( ur, ) is a pass located in Ghizer, District of Gilgit Baltistan . It is often called 'Roof of the World.
During the annual ' Shandur Polo Festival,' there are polo matches played in Shandur Polo Ground on Shandur Top, between the ...
, on the border between Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan
*
Lowari Pass
Lowari Pass ( ur, درہ لواری), or Lowari Top, (el. 10,230 ft.) is a high mountain pass that connects Chitral with Dir in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Lowari Top is a relatively low pass, by far the lowest pass to enter Chitral, ...
, on the border between Chitral and
upper Dir
Upper Dir District ( ps, بر دير ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district in Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. The city of Dir is the district headquarters. Badogai Pass connects it to Utror.
At the time of indepen ...
*
Lowari Tunnel
Lowari Tunnel ( ur, , ''Lowari Sarang'') is a vehicular tunnel under the Lowari Pass of the Hindu Kush mountains, between Dir and Chitral in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is operated by the National Highway Authority and carr ...
, highway under Lowari Pass
[
* Thoi Pass, on the border between Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan
* Zagaran Pass, on the border between Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan
]
Demographics
The district has a population of about 414,000. The general population is mainly of the Kho people
The Kho (, khw, ) or Chitrali people, are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group native to the Chitral and Ghizer Districts of Gilgit-Baltistan. They speak an Indo-Aryan language called Khowar.
History
The Kho people are likely descendants ...
, who speak the Khowar
Khowar () or Chitrali, is an Indo-Aryan language primarily spoken in Chitral and surrounding areas in Pakistan.
Khowar is the lingua franca of Chitral, and it is also spoken in the Gupis-Yasin and Ghizer districts of Gilgit-Baltistan, as we ...
, which is also spoken in parts of Yasin, Gilgit, Dir and Swat. Chitral is also home to the Kalash tribe, who live in Bumburet
Bumburet (Kalasha: ', ur, وادی پمپوریت) is the largest valley of Kalasha Desh in Lower Chitral District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the province of Pakistan.
The Bumburet valley joins the Rumbur valley at , and then joins the Kunar Valle ...
and two other remote valleys southwest of Chitral town. A few thousand Nuristani people
The Nuristanis, formerly known as Kafiristanis, are an ethnic group native to the Nuristan Province of northeastern Afghanistan and Chitral District of northwestern Pakistan. Their languages comprise the Nuristani branch of Indo-Iranian langua ...
are also known to live in Chitral.
The main language of the region is Khowar
Khowar () or Chitrali, is an Indo-Aryan language primarily spoken in Chitral and surrounding areas in Pakistan.
Khowar is the lingua franca of Chitral, and it is also spoken in the Gupis-Yasin and Ghizer districts of Gilgit-Baltistan, as we ...
. There are also smaller communities of speakers of Dameli, Gawar-Bati, Gojri
Gojri (, ), also known as Gujari, Gujri, Gojari, or Gojri, is a variety of Rajasthani spoken by the Gurjars and other tribes of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
In India, the language is mainly spoken in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, ...
, Kalasha
A kalasha, also spelled kalash or kalasa, also called ghat or ghot ( sa, कलश , Telugu: కలశము Kannada: ಕಳಶ literally "pitcher, pot"), is a metal (brass, copper, silver or gold) pot with a large base and small mouth, large eno ...
, Kyrgyz, Kataviri/Kamviri
Kamviri () is a dialect of the Kamkata-vari language spoken by 5,000 to 10,000 of the Kom people of Afghanistan and Pakistan. There are slight dialectal differences of the Kamviri speakers of Pakistan. The most used alternative names are ''Kati' ...
, Mdaglashti Dari
Dari (, , ), also known as Dari Persian (, ), is the variety of the Persian language spoken in Afghanistan. Dari is the term officially recognised and promoted since 1964 by the Afghan government for the Persian language,Lazard, G.Darī ...
, Palula, Sariquli, Wakhi, and Yidgha. has official status.
Chitral Town
The town of Chitral is the main town in the district and serves as its capital. It is situated on the west bank of the Chitral River (also known as the Kunar River) at the foot of Tirich Mir
Tirich Mir (also spelled Terich Mir, Terichmir and Turch Mir) is the highest mountain of the Hindu Kush range, and the highest mountain in the world outside of the Himalayas– Karakoram range, at above sea level. It is located in the Chitral ...
which at 7,708 m (25,289 ft) is the highest peak of the Hindu Kush. Until 1969, it served as the capital of the princely state of Chitral.
Administration
The district of Chitral is divided into twenty-four union councils and two tehsil
A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administ ...
s:
* Chitral
* Mastuj
Mastuj (Urdu: مستوج) is a city located in Upper Chitral District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
History
Mastuj history dates back to the 1700s; later, the British founded this region and created Matsuj Fort to reside here.
Demographics
Kho ...
National Assembly
This district is represented by one elected MNA (Member of National Assembly) in Pakistan National Assembly
The National Assembly ( ur, , translit=Aiwān-e-Zairīñ, , or ur, قومی اسمبلی, romanized: ''Qaumi Assembly'') is the lower legislative house of the bicameral Parliament of Pakistan, which also comprises the Senate of Pakistan (upp ...
. Its constituency is NA-32.
Provincial Assembly
The district is represented by two elected MPAs in the provincial assembly
Provincial may refer to:
Government & Administration
* Provincial capitals, an administrative sub-national capital of a country
* Provincial city (disambiguation)
* Provincial minister (disambiguation)
* Provincial Secretary, a position in Can ...
who represent the following constituencies:
* PK-89 (Chitral-I)
* PK-90 (Chitral-II)
See also
* Chitral National Park
* Broghil Valley National Park
Broghil Valley National Park ( ur, بروغل) is located in the upper northern reaches of the Chitral District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, close to the Afghan-Pakistan border.
Geography
Broghil Valley is from the main town of Chitral a ...
* Upper Dir District
Upper Dir District ( ps, بر دير ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district in Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. The city of Dir is the district headquarters. Badogai Pass connects it to Utror.
At the time of indepen ...
* Lower Dir District
Lower Dir District ( ps, لر / کوز دير ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. Timergara city is the district headquarter and largest city. The district was formed in 1996, when Dir District was ...
* Swat District
Swat District (, ps, سوات ولسوالۍ, ) is a district in the Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. With a population of 2,309,570 per the 2017 national census, Swat is the 15th-largest district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa pro ...
* Kunar Province
Kunar (Pashto: ; Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northeastern part of the country. Its capital is Asadabad. Its population is estimated to be 508,224. Kunar's major political groups include Wahhabis or Ahl-e- Ha ...
* Nuristan Province
* Badakhshan
Badakhshan is a historical region comprising parts of modern-day north-eastern Afghanistan, eastern Tajikistan, and Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County in China. Badakhshan Province is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. Much of historic Ba ...
Province
References
External links
Municipal Website
{{Coord, 36, 15, N, 72, 15, E, region:PK_type:adm3rd_source:GNS-enwiki, display=title