Gilgit–Baltistan گلگت - بلتستان གིལྒིཏ་བལྟིསྟན
—  Administrative Unit  —
Gilgit–Baltistān
Anti clock-wise from top K2 - Astore Valley - Nanga Parbat - Shangrila resort, Skardu - Deosai Plateau
Location of Gilgit–Baltistan (red), without Siachen Glacier
Coordinates: 35°21′N 75°54′E / 35.35°N 75.9°E / 35.35; 75.9Coordinates: 35°21′N 75°54′E / 35.35°N 75.9°E / 35.35; 75.9
Country	Pakistan
Established	1 July 1970
Capital	Gilgit
Largest city	Gilgit
Government
• Type	Autonomous territory of Pakistan
• Body	Legislative Assembly
• Governor	Pir Karam Ali Shah[1]
• Chief Minister	Syed Mehdi Shah[2]
Area
• Total	72,496 km2 (27,991 sq mi)
Population (2008; est.)
• Total	1,800,000
• Density	25/km2 (64/sq mi)
Time zone	PKT (UTC+5)
ISO 3166 code	PK-NA
Main languages	Urdu (National & Official) Shina Burushaski Balti Tibetan Wakhi Khowar
Assembly seats	33[3]
Districts	7
Towns	7
Union Councils
Website	gilgitbaltistan.gov.pk

Gilgit–Baltistan (Urdu: گلگت - بلتستان, Balti: གིལྒིཏ་བལྟིསྟན, formerly known as the Northern Areas (Urdu: شمالی علاقہ جات, Shumālī Ilāqe Jāt)),^[4] is the northernmost political entity within Pakistan. It borders Pakistan's Khyber Pukhtunkhwa province to the west, Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor to the north, China to the east and northeast, Azad Kashmir to the southwest, and Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir to the southeast. Gilgit–Baltistan covers an area of 72,971 km² (28,174 mi²) and is highly mountainous. It has an estimated population approaching 1,000,000. Its administrative center is the city of Gilgit (population 216,760).

Formerly a part of the erstwhile Princely State of Kashmir and Jammu, which governed the larger historic region of Kashmir and subsequently Azad Kashmir, the territory became a separate administrative unit in 1970 under the name Northern Areas and was formed by the amalgamation of the Gilgit Agency, the Baltistan District of the Ladakh Wazarat, and the states of Hunza and Nagar.

India claims the area, along with Azad Kashmir, as part of its Jammu and Kashmir state, which are collectively referred to as "Pakistan-occupied Kashmir" or PoK within the Indian media.^[5] The Jammu and Kashmir state, under the control of India, is referred to as Indian-occupied Kashmir (IOK) within Pakistan.

History[link]

Rock art and petroglyphs[link]

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^[6] and the later released Between Gandhara and the Silk Roads - Rock Carvings Along the Karakoram Highway.^[7] Many of these carvings and inscriptions will be inundated and/or destroyed when the planned Basha-Diamir dam is built and the Karakoram Highway widened.

Before the independence of Pakistan and the partition of India in 1947, Maharaja Hari Singh extended his rule to Gilgit and Baltistan. After the partition, Jammu and Kashmir, in its entirety, remained an independent state. The Pakistani parts of Kashmir to the north and west of the cease-fire line established at the end of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, or the Line of Control as it later came to be called, were divided into the Northern Areas (72,971 km²) in the north and the Pakistani state of Azad Kashmir (13,297 km²) in the south. The name "Northern Areas" was 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 the People's Republic of China in 1963.

Gilgit–Baltistan, which was most recently known as the Northern Areas, presently consists of seven districts, has a population approaching one million, has an area of approximately 28,000 square miles (73,000 km²), and shares borders with Pakistan, China, Afghanistan, and India. According to the Pakistani newspaper Daily Times, the people of Gilgit–Baltistan were liberated from the Dogra regime with the aid of the Pakistani army on 1 November 1947. The newspaper further states that while the area was independent for less than a month, they specifically requested the aid of the Pakistani government due to a lack of administrative infrastructure, and were thus incorporated into Pakistan upon the request of local residents.^[8]

The local Northern Light Infantry is the army unit that was believed to have assisted and possibly participated in the 1999 Kargil conflict. More than 500 soldiers were believed to have been killed and buried in the Northern Areas in that action.^[9] Lalak Jan, an Shia Imami Ismaili Muslim(Nizari) soldier from Yasin Valley, was awarded Pakistan's most prestigious medal, the Nishan-e-Haider, for his courageous actions during the Kargil conflict.

Autonomous status and present-day Gilgit–Baltistan[link]

The main demand of the Gilgit–Baltistani people is to integrate their area into Pakistan and make it constitutionally a Pakistani province.^[10][11] 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 having so constitutionally.^[10][12] 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 Kashmir Liberation Front, claim Gilgit–Baltistan as a part of independent Kashmir rather than a part of Pakistan.^[13]

On 29 September 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 people in the area. Development projects will include the areas of education, health, agriculture, tourism and the basic needs of life.^[14][15] The Prime Minister further went on to say:

"You are getting your identity today. It is your right and has been your demand, and today we are fulfilling it."^[16]

An attempt in 1993 by the High Court of Azad 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.^[13]

Subdivisions[link]

Map of Gilgit–Baltistan, showing the boundaries of the six previous districts and their tehsils. The boundary between the recently created Hunza–Nagar District and the now smaller Gilgit District is the same line as the northern boundary of the former Gilgit Tehsil, which is the southernmost division of the area shown above in light blue. Sikanderabad, the administrative center of the new Hunza–Nagar District, is not yet shown on this map.

Gilgit–Baltistan is administratively divided into two divisions which, in turn, are divided into seven districts,^[17] 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[link]

K2 as seen from Concordia

Satpara Lake, Skardu, in 2002

Gilgit–Baltistan borders the Wakhan corridor of Afghanistan to the northwest, China's Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang to the northeast, the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir to the south and southeast, the Pakistani-controlled state of Azad Jammu and Kashmir to the south, and Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province to the west.

Gilgi-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 Deosai Plains, Astore region
• 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 & 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.

Climate[link]

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.^[18]

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[link]

This section requires expansion.

The economy of region is basically based on traditional route of trade through Silk Road. China Trade organization was the leading economic forum through which most of barter trade activity made a phenomenal change in the general economical outlook of the area which being the remotest region of Pakistan was neglected for over quarter of century. This forum led the people of the area to actively invest and learn the modern trade know how from its neighbor Xingkiang. The participation of the all ethnic groups and active force behind this activity, legendary economist of the area Ashraf Khan brought a great change in the region. Later the establishment of Chamber of commerce and SOst dry port(in Gojal Hunza) are milestones. Rest of the economy is shouldered by mainly agriculture and tourism. Agriculture such as: wheat, corn (maize), barley, fruits; Tourism is mostly in trekking and mountaineering and this industry is 'growing in importance'^[19][20]

In early September 2009, Pakistan signed an agreement with the People's Republic of China for a mega energy project in Gilgit–Baltistan which includes the construction of a 7,000-megawatt dam at Bunji in the Astore District.^[21] This also resulted in protest from India, although Indian concerns were immediately rejected by Pakistan, which claimed that the Government of India has no locus standi in the matter.

Sports[link]

This section requires expansion.

Polo is the favourite game of the people of Gilgit, Chilas, Astore, Hunza, Nagar and the surrounding areas.^{[citation needed]} Every year, many tourists visit to enjoy polo in Gilgit–Baltistan.^{[citation needed]} Other games such as cricket, Tuksori of Nagar, gulli danda, kabbadi, and volleyball are also played.^[22]

Transport[link]

Prior to 1978, Gilgit–Baltistan was cut off from Pakistan and rest of the world due to the harsh terrain and the lack of accessible roads. All of the roads to the south opened towards the Pakistani-controlled state of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AKJ) 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 Tashkurgan and Kashgar in China via Sust (the customs and health inspection post on the Northern Areas 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.

The Karakoram Highway

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 Kashgar, 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 Sust and Tashkurgan border areas of the two political entities.^[23]

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 peak of which mountain was 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, 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[link]

The population 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 population of this area is a mixture of many ethnic groups such as Shins, Yashkuns, Kashmiris, Kashgaris, Pathans,and Kohistanis. Ismailism is present here, unlike in the rest of Pakistan.^[24] Urdu is the lingua franca of the region, understood by most of the 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 languages 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 Hunza, Nagar, Yasin (where Khowar is also spoken), in some parts of Gilgit and in some villages of Punyal. Another interesting language is Domaaki, spoken by the 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 and Baltistan was 870,347.^[25] Approximately 14% of the population was urban.^[26]

See also[link]

	Geography portal
	Asia portal
	South Asia portal
	Pakistan portal

• List of mountains in Pakistan

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Pakistan Trekking Guide, by Isobel and Ben Shaw, 1993.
• Raman, A. D. (2004). "Of Rivers and Human Rights: the Northern Areas, Pakistan's Forgotten Colony in Jammu and Kashmir". International Journal on Minority and Group Rights 11: 187. DOI:10.1163/1571811041631272.  edit

External links[link]

Find more about Gilgit–Baltistan on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Definitions and translations from Wiktionary
	Images and media from Commons
	Learning resources from Wikiversity
	News stories from Wikinews
	Quotations from Wikiquote
	Source texts from Wikisource
	Textbooks from Wikibooks

• Official Website of the Government of Gilgit Baltistan
• Gilgit–Baltistan at the Open Directory Project
• Northern Areas (Pakistan) travel guide from Wikitravel
• Pakistan, an external wiki

		Badakhshan Province,  Afghanistan
	Khyber Pakhtunkhwa		Xinjiang, China
		Gilgit–Baltistan    East
		Azad Kashmir	Jammu and Kashmir

v t e Provinces and administrative units of Pakistan Provinces Balochistan Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Punjab Sindh Territories Islamabad Capital Territory Federally Administered Tribal Areas Kashmir Azad Kashmir Gilgit–Baltistan See also: Former administrative units of Pakistan

Gilgit
—  City  —
Gilgit
Coordinates: 35°55′18.71″N 74°17′21.15″E / 35.9218639°N 74.2892083°E / 35.9218639; 74.2892083
Country	Pakistan
Region	Gilgit–Baltistan
Division	Gilgit Division
District	Gilgit District
Established
Government
• Mayor	Faqeer Muhammad
Elevation	1,500 m (4,900 ft)
Population (1998)	216,760[citation needed]
Time zone	PST (UTC+5)
Postal code	15100
Area code(s)	+92 5811
%257Cblank_info =

Buddha's Picture at Kargah

Gilgit (Urdu, Shina: گلگت) is the capital city of Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan. Gilgit City forms a tehsil of Gilgit, within Gilgit District. Its ancient name was Sargin, later to be known as Gilit, and it is still called Gilit or Sargin-Gilit by local people. In the Burushaski language, it is named Geelt and in Wakhi and Khowar it is called Gilt. Ghallata is considered its name in ancient Sanskrit literature. Gilgit City is one of the two major hubs in Gilgit Baltistan for mountaineering expeditions to the Karakoram and other the peaks in the Himalayas, the other hub being Skardu.^{[citation needed]}

History[link]

Gilgit was an important city on the Silk Road, along which Buddhism was spread from South Asia to the rest of Asia.^{[citation needed]}

The Dards and Chinas appear in many of the old Pauranic lists of peoples who lived in the region, with the former also mentioned in Ptolemy's accounts of the region. Two famous travellers, Faxian and Xuanzang, traversed Gilgit according to their accounts.^{[citation needed]}

Early history[link]

^{[unreliable source?]}

Trakhàn Dynasty[link]

Gilgit was ruled for centuries by the local Trakhàn Dynasty, which ended about 1810 with the death of Raja Abas, the last Trakhàn Raja.^[2]

The rulers of Hunza and Nager also claim origin with the Trakhàn dynasty. They claim descent from a heroic Kayani Prince of Persia, Azur Jamshid (also known as Shamsher), who secretly married the daughter of the king Shri Badat. She conspired with him to overthrow her cannibal father.^[3] Sri Badat's faith is theorised as Hindu by some^[3][4] and Buddhist by others.^[5][6] However, considering the region's Buddhist heritage, with the most recent influence being Islam, the most likely preceding influence of the region is Buddhism. Though the titular Sri and the name Badat denotes a Hindu origin of this ruler.

Prince Azur Jamshid succeeded in overthrowing King Badat who was known as Adam Khor (literally man-eater),^[7][8] often demanding a child a day from his subjects, his demise is still celebrated to this very day by locals in traditional annual celebrations.^[9] In the beginning of the new year, where a Juniper procession walks along the river, in memory of chasing the cannibal king Sri Badat away.^[10]

Azur Jamshid abdicated after 16 years of rule in favour of his wife Nur Bakht Khatùn until their son and heir Garg, grew of age and assumed the title of Raja and ruled, for 55 years. The dynasty flourished under the name of the Kayani dynasty until 1421 when Raja Torra Khan assumed rulership. He ruled as a memorable king until 1475. He distinguished his family line from his step brother Shah Rais Khan (who fled to the king of Badakshan and with who's help he gained Chitral from Raja Torra Khan), as the now-known dynastic name of Trakhàn. The descendants of Shah Rais Khan were known as the Ra'issiya Dynasty.^[11]

1800s[link]

The area had been a flourishing tract but prosperity was destroyed by warfare over the next fifty years, and by the great flood of 1841 in which the river Indus was blocked by a landslip below the Hatu Pir and the valley was turned into a lake.^[13] After the death of Abas, Sulaiman Shah, raja of Yasin, conquered Gilgit. Then, Azad Khan, raja of Punial, killed Sulaiman Shah, taking Gilgit; then Tair Shah, raja of Buroshall (Nagar), took Gilgit and killed Azad Khan. Tair Shah's son Shah Sakandar inherited, only to be killed by Gaur Rahman, raja of Yasin of the Khushwakhte Dynasty, when he took Gilgit. Then in 1842, Shah Sakandar's brother, Karim Khan, expelled Gaur Rahman with the support of a Sikh army from Kashmir. The Sikh general, Nathu Shah, left garrison troops and Karim Khan ruled until Gilgit was ceded to Gulab Singh of Jammu and Kashmir in 1846 by the Treaty of Amritsar,^[2] and Dogra troops replaced the Sikh in Gilgit.

Nathu Shah and Karim Khan both transferred their allegiance to Gulab Singh, continuing local administration. When Hunza attacked in 1848, both of them were killed. Gilgit fell to the Hunza and their Yasin and Punial allies, but was soon reconquered by Gulab Singh's Dogra troops. With the support of Gaur Rahman, Gilgit's inhabitants drove their new rulers out in an uprising in 1852. Gaur Rahman then ruled Gilgit until his death in 1860, just before new Dogra forces from Ranbir Singh, son of Gulab Singh, captured the fort and town.^[2] In 1870s Chitral was threatened by Afghans Maharaja Ranbir Singh was firm in protecting Chitral from Afghans the Mehtar of Chitral ask for help, In 1876 Chitral accepted the authority of Jammu Clan and in reverse get the protection from the Dogras who have in the past took part in many victories over Afghans during the time of Gulab Singh Dogra.^[14]

British era[link]

In 1877, in order to guard against the advance of Russia, the British Government, acting as the suzerain power of Kashmir, established the Gilgit Agency. The Agency was re-established under control of the British Resident in Jammu and Kashmir. It comprised the Gilgit Wazarat; the State of Hunza and Nagar; the Punial Jagir; the Governorships of Yasin, Kuh-Ghizr and Ishkoman, and Chilas.

The Tajiks of Xinjiang sometimes enslaved the Gilgiti and Kunjuti Hunza.^[15]

In 1935, the British demanded Jammu and Kashmir to lease them Gilgit town plus most of the Gilgit Agency and the hill-states Hunza, Nagar, Yasin and Ishkoman for 60 years. Maharaja Hari Singh had no choice but to acquiesce. The leased region was then treated as part of British India, administered by a Political Agent at Gilgit responsible to Delhi, first through the Resident in Jammu and Kashmir and later a British Agent in Peshawar.^{[citation needed]}

Jammu and Kashmir State no longer kept troops in Gilgit and a mercenary force, the Gilgit Scouts, was recruited with British officers and paid for by Delhi. In April 1947, Delhi decided to formally retrocede the leased areas to Hari Singh’s Jammu and Kashmir State as of August 15, 1947. The transfer was to formally take place on August 1.^{[citation needed]}

1900s[link]

Gilgit Scouts progressed with Pakistani troops from north through High Himalayas and contributed in attacking of Skardu in summer 1948, pushing further towards Ladakh area.^{[citation needed]}

After Pakistani advances of early 1948, Indian troops gathered momentum in late 1948. Finally, India asked for UN intervention, and a ceasefire was agreed on December 31, 1948. This conflict left Pakistan with roughly two-fifths of Kashmir along with Gilgit and Baltistan, leaving three-fifths of Kashmir along with Jammu and Leh to India.^{[citation needed]}

Climate[link]

Gilgit experiences a cold desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWk). Weather conditions for Gilgit are dominated by its geographical location, a valley in a mountainous area, southwest of Karakoram range. The prevalent season of Gilgit is winter, occupying the valley eight to nine months a year.

Gilgit lacks significant rainfall, averaging in 120 to 240 millimetres (4.7 to 9.4 in) annually, as monsoon breaks against the southern range of Himalayas. Irrigation for land cultivation is obtained from the rivers, abundant with melting snow water from higher altitudes.

The summer season is brief and hot. The piercing sunrays may raise the temperature up to 40 °C (104 °F), yet it is always cool in the shade. As a result of this extremity in the weather, landslides and avalanches are frequent in the area.^[16]

Gilgit manuscripts[link]

The Gilgit manuscripts^[18] were nominated^[19] in 2006 to be included on the UNESCO Memory of the World register, but without success. The Gilgit manuscripts are among the oldest manuscripts in the world, and the oldest manuscript collection surviving in Pakistan and India,^[18][20] having major significance in the areas of Buddhist studies and the evolution of Asian and Sanskrit literature. The manuscripts are believed to have been written in the 5th to 6th Century AD, though some more manuscripts were discovered in the succeeding centuries, which were also classified as Gilgit manuscripts.

This corpus of manuscripts was discovered in 1931 in Gilgit, containing many Buddhist texts such as four sutras from the Buddhist canon, including the famous Lotus Sutra. The manuscripts were written on birch bark in the Buddhist form of Sanskrit in the Sharada script. The Gilgit manuscripts cover a wide range of themes such as iconometry, folk tales, philosophy, medicine and several related areas of life and general knowledge.

• Rare Gilgit Buddhist manuscript Lotus Sutra to be released

Tourism and transport[link]

Jeeps' are the best way to travel up in the North West Frontier^{[citation needed]}

Gilgit city is one of the two major hubs for all mountaineering expeditions in Gilgit–Baltistan. Almost all tourists headed for treks in Karakoram or Himalaya Ranges arrive at Gilgit first. Many tourists choose to travel to Gilgit by air, since the road travel between Islamabad and Gilgit, by the Karakoram Highway, takes nearly 14–24 hours, whereas the air travel takes a mere 45–50 minutes.^{[citation needed]}

Places to visit[link]

There are several tourist attractions relatively close to Gilgit: Naltar Valley with Naltar Peak, Hunza Valley, Nagar Valley, Ferry Meadows in Raikot, Shigar town, Skardu city, Haramosh Peak in Karakoram Range, Bagrot-Haramosh Valley, Deosai National Park, Astore Valley, Rama Lake, Juglot town, Phunder village, Yasin Valley and Kargah Valley.

Road transport[link]

Overview of the Karakoram Highway

Gilgit lies about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) off the Karakoram Highway (KKH). The KKH connects it to Chilas, Dasu, Besham, Mansehra, Abbottabad and Islamabad in the south. In the North it is connected to Karimabad (Hunza) and Sust in the Northern Areas and to the Chinese cities of Tashkurgan, Upal and Kashgar in Xinjiang.

There are various transports companies i.e. Silk Route Transport Pvt, Masherbrum Transport Pvt and Northern Areas Transport Corporation (NATCO), from these NATCO offers most coverage. It offers passenger road service between Islamabad, Gilgit, Sust and Tashkurgan, and road service between Kashgar and Gilgit (via Tashkurgan and Sust) started in the summer of 2006. However, the border crossing between China and Pakistan at Khunjerab Pass—the highest border of the world—is open only between May 1 and October 15 of every year. During winter, the roads are blocked by snow. Even during the monsoon season in summer, the roads are often blocked due to landslides. The best time to travel on Karakoram Highway is spring or early summer.^{[citation needed]}

Health care[link]

Tuberculosis, endocrinal disorders with mainly iodine deficiency disorders, iron deficiency, and diarrheal diseases are more common. Sewage system has yet to be fully established, electricity and water supply are still faulty. These factors make a hindrance in developing a strong health care system.^{[citation needed]}

Sister cities[link]

• Kashgar, China (since May 2009)

Gallery[link]

• Danyor.jpg

  Danyor Tunnel Gilgit

• 

  Danyor Tunnel

• Danyor Bridge.jpg

  Danyor Bridge Gilgit

• 

  Manuscript of the Buddhist Jyotiṣkāvadāna text written in the early Sharada script, from Gilgit.

See also[link]

• Silk Road transmission of Buddhism
• Astore
• Hunza
• Skardu
• Karakoram
• Northern Areas
• National Highways of Pakistan
• Xinjiang
• Karakoram Highway
• Kashghar
• Kashmir
• Parri Bangla
• Shina language
• Shin of Hindukush
• Nagar (princely state)

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• The Gilgit Game by John Keay (1985) ISBN 0-19-577466-3
• Drew, Frederic. Date unknown. The Northern Barrier of India: a popular account of the Jammoo and Kashmir Territories with Illustrations. Reprint: Light & Life Publishers, Jammu. 1971.
• Jettmar, Karl, 1980. Bolor & Dardistan. National Institute of Folk Heritage, Islamabad.
• Knight, E. F. 1893. Where Three Empires Meet: A Narrative of Recent Travel in: Kashmir, Western Tibet, Gilgit, and the adjoining countries. Longmans, Green, and Co., London. Reprint: Ch'eng Wen Publishing Company, Taipei. 1971.
• Leitner, G. W. 1893. Dardistan in 1866, 1886 and 1893: Being An Account of the History, Religions, Customs, Legends, Fables and Songs of Gilgit, Chilas, Kandia (Gabrial) Yasin, Chitral, Hunza, Nagyr and other parts of the Hindukush, as also a supplement to the second edition of The Hunza and Nagyr Handbook. And An Epitome of Part III of the author's The Languages and Races of Dardistan. First Reprint 1978. Manjusri Publishing House, New Delhi.
• Muhammad, Gulam. 1980. Festivals and Folklore of Gilgit. National Institute of Folk Heritage, Islamabad.
•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 
• Imperial Gazetteer of India. Provincial Series: Kashmir and Jammu
• Shri Badat The Cannibal King A Buddhist Jataka from Gilgit
• Among Muslims: Meetings at the frontiers of Pakistan by Kathleen Jamie (2002) ISBN 978-0-9535227-7-4
• From Colonialism to Postcolonial Colonialism: Changing Modes of Domination in the Northern Areas of Pakistan by Martin Sokefield. The Journal of Asian Studies 64 no 4. (November 2005):939-973. 2005 by the Association of Asian Studies, Inc.

External links[link]

Media related to Gilgit at Wikimedia Commons

• Official Website of the Gilgit Baltistan Tourism Department
• Official Website of the Government of Gilgit Baltistan
• Gilgit Nomination, UNESCO, the Memory of the World Register entry document
• Britannica Gilgit
• Gilgit travel guide from Wikitravel

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Coordinates: 35°55′19″N 74°17′21″E / 35.92194°N 74.28917°E / 35.92194; 74.28917

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Karakoram Highway and the Indus River

Baltistan (Urdu: بلتستان, Balti: བལྟིསྟན, also known as Baltiyul), is a region in northern Pakistan which forms Gilgit–Baltistan, bordering the Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China. In addition, a part of Baltistan also falls into the part of India's Jammu and Kashmir state.^{[1][2][3][4][5]} It is situated in the Karakoram mountains just to the south of K2, the world's second highest mountain. It is an extremely mountainous region, with an average altitude of over 3,350 m (11,000 ft). It is inhabited principally by the Balti people of Tibetan descent.