Islamabad

The capital of Pakistan is located near the north-western outskirts of the Himalayas , on the Potvar plateau . To the north of Islamabad, the largest mountain site of Asia and the whole world is located, the intersection of the ranges is the Hindu Kush , Pamir , Karakorum . Himalayas stretch east of the city. Indus River flows west of Islamabad. The city center is located at an altitude of 507 m above sea ​​level ^[2] .

The climate of Islamabad is subtropical , which is strongly influenced by seasonal winds - monsoons , as well as a foothill location. Islamabad is in a zone of moderate humidity, which is rare for Pakistan, as many areas of the country suffer from arid climate . For the year in the capital falls to 900 mm of rain. June is the warmest month in Islamabad (not July or August). The reason for this is the onset of the monsoon in July-August, when heavy precipitations fall, and the average temperature decreases. The average June temperature is +31.3 ° C. The coldest month is January, with an average temperature of + 10.2 ° C. Warm days and cold nights are characteristic, frost occurs from time to time in the winter months, although rarely enough; sometimes snow falls, although not often.

Natural vegetation in the suburbs has the character of desert savannahs ( chiy , wormwood , capers , astragalus ). The fauna surrounding the capital of Pakistan is represented by leopards , wild sheep and goats , Persian gazelles , hyenas , jackals , wild boars , wild donkeys and numerous rodents. The world of birds is diverse ( eagles , vultures , peacocks , parrots ). A lot of snakes .

Islamabad is a multinational city. The official language is Urdu . It is of great importance as a means of inter-ethnic communication and the basis of literary creativity. Along with him, English is common in the business and educational life of the capital. In everyday life, Urdu is not widely used (about 10% of citizens consider it to be native). The most common Punjabi language is the native language of 72% of Islamabad residents. The second place is shared by Urdu and Pashto (10% of residents), less than 1% of the city’s population speak other languages.

Since in Pakistan Islam is the state religion, the overwhelming number of the inhabitants of Islamabad (95.53%) are Muslims . Of these, the majority are supporters of the Sunni trend , there are also Shiites . 0.22% are Ahmad (Muslim community of followers of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad ). In 1974, the Parliament of Pakistan passed a law declaring the Ahmadi to non- Muslims ^[3] . Christians make up 1.59% of the population of Islamabad, Hindus - 1.6% ^[4] .

The Indus basin is one of the most ancient centers of civilizations on Earth. Islamabad is located north of the main cultural centers, however, people have inhabited the environs of the current Pakistani capital since ancient times. Here is the intersection of the most important trade routes connecting the countries of Central Asia , the Indian Peninsula and Tibet .

Such a favorable economic situation had a very positive impact on the development of the rival city of Islamabad - Rawalpindi . Before the appearance on the map of the current capital, this city occupied a dominant position in the region. It was decided to build a new city in 1959 . A large-scale project was developed by 1960 , under the leadership of the Greek architect Konstantinos Doksiadis . The plan was implemented by a number of both foreign and Pakistani specialists.

Islamabad became the main city of the country to the full only in the late 1960s, when the main government institutions were moved to the new city from Rawalpindi, which played the role of temporary capital.

Having received the status of the capital from the moment of birth, Islamabad is developing rapidly. The high birth rate and, as a consequence, population growth has created a number of problems for the city authorities. To solve them, the authorities of the capital at this stage unsuccessfully trying to limit the influx of migrants.

In 2008, the Danish embassy in Islamabad was completely terrorist attack . 6 people were killed ^[6] .

Islamabad was originally built as the capital of the state. Therefore, it is of great interest to plan the city. The architecture of Islamabad can be noted successful combination of local traditions with the European architectural school. The main part of the city was erected in the period from 1960 to 1980 . Of the facilities can be noted hotel "Scheherazade", Faisal Mosque , the parliament building. The capital of Pakistan is the country's scientific and educational center. The city has a large National Library, the Open University, the University of Qaid-e-Azam , the Institute of Islamic Studies, the world-famous Institute of Nuclear Research and Technology, some other universities . The city is home to the Pakistan Monument and the residence of the President of the country Ivan-e-Sadr . The city also has the following attractions: Lok Virsa Museum , Pakistan Museum of Natural History , National Art Gallery, Fatima Jinna Park , Rose Garden and Jasmine .

Islamabad is the twin city of the following cities:

•   Ankara , Turkey ( 1982 )
•   Amman , Jordan ( 1989 )
•   Beijing , PRC ( 1993 )
•   Seoul , South Korea ( 2008 )
•   Madrid , Spain ( 2010 )
•   Jakarta , Indonesia ( 2010 )

• Islamabad.net - City Web Guide