- Baltistan
Baltistan ( _ur. بلتستان) , also known as بلتیول (Baltiyul) in the
Balti language , is a region in northernPakistan ,borderingXinjiang Autonomous Region of China. It is situated in theKarakoram mountains just to the south ofK2 , 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 BaltiShi'a Muslim s of Tibetan descent who converted fromTibetan Buddhism prior to the 16th century.Baltistan was an independent state but was occupied by the Raja (King) of Kashmir in the nineteenth century. In 1947 when India and Pakistan gained independence, it was still part of Kashmir. Now the region is divided between
Pakistan andIndia . The districts ofSkardu (Skardo) andGanche , which is a part of theNorthern Areas of Pakistan, its main town isSkardu . It contains the highest peaks of the Karakoram, includingK2 . Indian-controlled Baltistan (the district ofKargil ) which is disputed and claimed by Pakistan is located in the north ofIndian-administered Kashmir .Geography
Baltistan is often called "little
Tibet ". The adjoining territory of Baltistan forms the west extremity of Tibet, whose natural limits here are theIndus from its abrupt southward bend in 74 45 E., and the mountains to the north and west, separating a comparatively peaceful Tibetan population from the fiercerAryan tribes beyond.Muslim writers about the 16th century speak of Baltistan as Little Tibet, and ofLadakh as Great Tibet, thus ignoring the really Great Tibet altogether. The Balti call Gilgit a Tibet, and Dr Leitner says that theChilasi call themselves But or Tibetans; but, although these districts may have been overrun by the Tibetans, or have received rulers of that race, theethnological frontier coincides with the geographical one given. Baltistan is a mass of lofty mountains, the prevailing formation beinggneiss . In the north is theBaltoro Glacier , the largest out of thearctic regions, 35 miles long, contained between two ridges whose highest peaks to the south are 25,000 ft and to the north 28,265 ft. The Indus, as in Lower Ladakh, runs in a narrowgorge , widening for nearly 20 m. after receiving theShyok . The capital,Skardu , a scattered collection of houses, stands here, perched on a rock 7250 ft. above the sea. The house roofs are flat, occupied only in part by a second storey, the remaining space being devoted to dryingapricots , the chief staple of the main valley, which supports little cultivation. But the rapid slope westwards is seen generally in the vegetation.Birch , plane,spruce and "Pinus excelsa" appear; the fruits are finer, includingpomegranate ,pear ,peach ,vine andmelon , and where irrigation is available, as in the NorthShigar , and at the deltas of the tributary valleys, the crops are more luxuriant and varied.See also
*
Balti language
*Balti people
*Baltit Fort
*Karakoram
*Karakoram Highway
*Skardu
*Skardu Airport
*Ladakh Notable People
*
Late Colonel Dr Mohammad Yaqoob Wazir - (First doctor from Northern Areas of Pakistan)
*Late Maulana Abdul Khaliq - (Former Magistrate/ Tahseeldaar)
*Nisar Hussien Khan - (Former Joint Secretary)
* Manzoor Hussain Parwana , Chairperson Gilgit Baltistan United Movement
*Prof. Dr Sikander Hayat Khan - (Tamgh-e-Imtiaz) Former Head of Surgery (PIMS Islamabad), ChairmanZubeida Khaliq Memorial Trust providing free medical care in northern areas.
*Dr Shujaat Ali Khan - (Plastic Surgeon) Fortwoth, USA
* G.M Sikandar , Secretary to the Government of Pakistan, Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education, Islamabad
* Nasir Ali , Researcher,Åbo Akademi,Finland
* Engineer Ghulam Mehdi, Water & Power Department, Skardu , Northern AreasExternal links
Explore Pakistan Tourism http://explorepak.com
* [http://www.dawn.com/events/lifestyle2002/ls16.htm The Changing Northern Areas]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/1491179.stm Pakistan's Northern Areas dilemma]
* [http://www.explorepak.com Tourism Northeran Areas]
* [http://paknews.com/articles.php?id=1&date1=2003-04-17 Pakistan's Northern Areas]
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