33°40N 73°08E, pop (2000e) 329 000. Capital city of Pakistan, on the R Jhelum; a modern planned city, built since 1961; head of navigation for larger vessels in the Vale of Kashmir; two universities (1965, 1974); centre of agricultural region; shrine of Bari Imam; museum of folk and traditional heritage.
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Islamisbad اسلام آباد |
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| General Information | |
| Province | Islamabad Capital Territory |
| Altitude | 457 - 610 metres ( feet) above sea level AMSL |
| Area | 906.0 km² |
| Calling code | 051 |
| Time zone | PST (UTC+5) |
| No. of Towns | none in city proper |
| Population | 955,629 1998 |
| density | 1054 persons/km² |
| Government | |
| No. of Union Councils | none in city proper |
| Website | |
| Official City District Govt Website | |
Islamabad (Urdu: اسلام آباد, abode of Islam), is the capital city of Pakistan, and is located in the Potohar Plateau in the northwest of the country. It is located within the Islamabad Capital Territory, though the area has historically been a part of the crossroads of the Punjab region and the North-West Frontier Province (the Margalla pass being a historic gateway to the North-West Frontier Province, and the Potwar Plateau historically a part of the Punjab). Islamabad is located at 33°40′N 73°10′E.
History
From independence until 1958 Pakistan's capital was Karachi in Sindh in the far south. Worries about the concentration of investment and development in that city are said to have led to the idea of building a new capital in a different location. His plan revolved around the building of the city in sectors, each containing four sub-sectors separated by green belts and parks.
In 1967, the capital was officially moved from Rawalpindi to Islamabad.
When Islamabad was finally built, growth was slow, and the government did not fully relocate to the city from Rawalpindi until the 1980s. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) was established on June 14, 1960 (first by an executive order issued on June 24, 1960 entitled the Pakistan Capital Regulation, and superseded by the CDA ordinance issued on June 27, 1960 by the National Parliament) and accorded the task of developing Islamabad as well as all major government buildings. The CDA is also responsible for running the city of Islamabad and provides most city services.
On October 8th 2005, an earthquake hit northern parts of Pakistan and was also felt in Islamabad. More recently, the Prime Minister of Pakistan has said that a separate building code be implemented for Islamabad.
Geography and climate
The city is situated at the edge of the Pothohar plateau, south of the Margalla hills. The modern capital Islamabad and the ancient Gakhar city of Rawalpindi stand side by side, displaying the country’s past and present.
Vegetation
Islamabad was built on heavily forested land, but due to the growing population of the city, more and more wooded areas are being cut down for land.
Fauna of Islamabad
Islamabad is rich in natural animal wildlife from animals ranging from wild boars to leopards that dwell the Margala Hills. Islamabad also has a sizeable population of feral dogs and cats.
Tourism and sightseeing
Islamabad is a relatively young city compared to the other cities. However, the views from the sculpted gardens of Islamabad's Shakar Parian Hills, the fascinating Heritage Museum, and the huge marble Shah Faisal Mosque are the major highlights of the modern city. The commercial center of Islamabad is known as the Blue Area and runs along the length of Jinnah Avenue.
The city is very green, with much afforestation of what was formerly scrub forest and open ground.
Islamabad's architecture walks a tight-rope between modernity and tradition. Quaid-i-Azam University is also located in the capital city along with numerous government buildings and foreign embassies such as the National Assembly building, the Supreme Court building, the President's official residence (Aiwan-e-Sadr) and the Prime Minister's secretariat. Not only will this be the tallest and most impressive structure in Islamabad, second only to proposed taller skyscrapers in Karachi and Lahore, but will also truly put Pakistan's beautiful capital city on the global architectural map.
General Margalla hills Islamabad Zoo Shaker Parrian Rawal Lake Murree Hills Museums Pakistan Museum of Natural History Islamabad Museum Lok Virsa Museum Pakistan Army Museum(Rawalpindi) Museum of Pakistan Mosques and Shrines Shah Faisal Mosque Daman-e-Koh Golra Sharif Bari Maam Panja Sahib (Taxila) Government Buildings Supreme Court of Pakistan National Parliament of Pakistan President's official residence (Aiwan-e-Sadr) Prime Minister's Secretariat Parks Fatima Jinnah Park Rose and Jasmine Garden Lotus Lake Japanese Park Chattar Bagh Main Markets Chinatown Jinnah Super Market Abpara Karachi Company/G-9 Markaz Super Market Sitara Market Blue Area Peshawar Moore G-10 Markaz G-11 Markaz F-10 Markaz F-11 Markaz G-8 Markaz -mainly second hand automobiles market I-8 Markaz I-9 Markaz I-10 Markaz I-11 Markaz Hotels Marriott Hotel Holiday Inn Hotel Serena Hotel Pearl Continental Hotel Centaurus Hotel (Underconstruction) Grand Hyatt(2009) Intercontinental(2009) Le Meridian(2009) Best Western Hotel Sporting facilities Jinnah Sports Complex Liaquat Gymnasium Margalla cricket Ground Rawalpindi cricket stadium Islamabad club golf course Yachting facility at Rawal lake Islamabad club tennis courtsSectors
Islamabad is divided into several different sectors, each identified by a letter of the English alphabet and a number, with each sector covering an area of approximately 2km x 2km. Although this sector is underdeveloped with its development to be completed in 2008, it will be considered as one of the most beautiful sectors of Islamabad because of its location near the Margalla Hills.
The E sectors are numbered from E-6 to E-12.
The F sectors are numbered F-5 through F-12. F-5 is an important sector for the software industry in Islamabad, as both of the two software technology parks are located here.
The G sectors are numbered G-5 through G-12.
The H sectors are numbered H-7 through H-12. Management Accountants of Pakistan, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Allama Iqbal Open University, City School, and Beacon House School in sector H-8; the National University of Modern Languages (NUML) and International School of Islamabad in sector H-9;
The I sectors are numbered I-8 through I-10.
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