Baltistan, also known as Baltiyul or Little Tibet, is a mountainous region in the Pakistani-administered territory of Gilgit–Baltistan. It is located near the Karakoram and borders Gilgit to the west, China's Xinjiang to the north, Indian-administered Ladakh to the southeast, and the Indian-administered Kashmir Valley to the southwest. The average altitude of the region is over 3,350 metres (10,990 ft). Baltistan is largely administered under the Baltistan Division.
The Karakoram Highway is a 1,300 km (810 mi) national highway which extends from Hasan Abdal in the Punjab province of Pakistan to the Khunjerab Pass in Gilgit-Baltistan, where it crosses into China and becomes China National Highway 314. The highway connects the Pakistani provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa plus Gilgit-Baltistan with China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The highway is a popular tourist attraction and is one of the highest paved roads in the world, passing through the Karakoram mountain range, at 36°51′00″N75°25′40″E at maximum elevation of 4,714 m (15,466 ft) near Khunjerab Pass. Due to its high elevation and the difficult conditions under which it was constructed, it is often referred to as the Eighth Wonder of the World. The highway is also a part of the Asian Highway AH4.
Balawaristan, meaning the 'country of heights', is a name used by the Gilgit-Baltistan people to refer to their region. The term was coined by the Pakistani political party Balawaristan National Front, founded by Nawaz Khan Naji, in 1989. But it has its roots in the historical names Bolor or Boloristan, with documented usage in Chinese sources from the 8th century AD. According to the present day activists, 'Balawaristan' includes Chitral, Gilgit, Skardu, Hunza, Nagar, Ishkoman, Punial and Yasin. The leader of BNF Nawaz Khan Naji declared that Balawaristan (Gilgit-Baltistan) is not a part of Kashmir region.
Deosai National Park is a high-altitude alpine plain (plateau) and National Park located in between Skardu, Astore and Kharmang district in Gilgit Baltistan. Most of the area falls in Skardu District.
Astore Wildlife Sanctuary is as wildlife refuge located in Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan. It is within the Astore District, between Nanga Parbat 8,126 metres (26,660 ft) to the west and the plains of Deosai to the east, and about 11 km (6.8 mi) from the town of Bungi. Its area is approximately 414.72 km2 (160.12 sq mi) and its altitude is from 1,212 m (3,976 ft) to 6,060 m (19,880 ft).
The Skardu District is one of the 14 districts of Gilgit-Baltistan territory of Pakistan. The Skardu District is bounded on the east by the Ghanche District, on the south by the Kharmang District, on the west by the Astore District, on the north-west by the Rondu District and on the north by the Shigar district. The district headquarters is the town of Skardu, which is also the division headquarters.
The Gilgit District is one of the 14 districts of Pakistan-administered territory of Gilgit-Baltistan. The headquarters of the district is the town of Gilgit. According to the 1998 census, the Gilgit District had a population of 243,324. The district includes Gilgit, the Bagrot Valley, Juglot, Danyore, Sultanabad, Naltar Peak, and the Nomal Valley. The highest peak in the district is Distaghil Sar 7,885 metres (25,869 ft), which is the seventh-highest peak in Pakistan and 19th highest in the world.
The Diamer District, also spelled Diamir District,) is a district in Gilgit-Baltistan territory of Pakistan. The headquarters of the district is the town of Chilas. The district is bounded by on the north by the Tangir and the Gilgit districts, on the east by the Astore District, on the south by the Naran District of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province and the Neelum District of Azad Kashmir, and on the west by the Upper Kohistan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. The Karakoram Highway passes through the Diamer District.
Astore District is one of the 14 districts of the Pakistani-administered territory of Gilgit−Baltistan. Its administrative headquarters are located at Eidgah in the Astore Valley. The Astore District is bounded by Gilgit District to the north, Roundu District to the northeast, Skardu District to the east, Kharmang District to the southeast, Diamer District to the west, the Neelum District of Azad Jammu and Kashmir to the southwest, and the Bandipore District of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir to the south.
Gilgit-Baltistan has been under Pakistan administration since 1947 and was given self-governing status on August 29, 2009. Gilgit-Baltistan comprises 10 districts within three divisions. The four districts of Skardu Kharmang Shigar and Ghanche are in the Baltistan Division, four districts of Gilgit Ghizer Hunza and Nagar districts which were carved out of Gilgit District are in the Gilgit Division and the third division is Diamir, comprising Chilas and Astore. The main political centres are the towns of Gilgit and Skardu.
Dashkin is a village in Astore, Pakistan. It is 85 km from Gilgit, the capital of Gilgit-Baltistan. It has over 5,000 inhabitants, primarily farmers and herdsmen.
Tarishing is a village with around 200 inhabitants and a subdivision of the Astore District of Gilgit−Baltistan, Pakistan. It is considered to be the gateway to Nanga Parbat, the ninth-highest mountain on Earth. The village has around 25 shops, one boys' high school, one girls' middle school, one private English-medium school, two hotels and a small medical centre. A large glacier beside the Rupal River is also a part of this village, which is situated on an altitude of about 2900 meters.
Gilgit-Baltistan, formerly known as the Northern Areas, is a region administered by Pakistan as an autonomous territory, and constituting the northern portion of the larger Kashmir region which has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947, and between India and China from somewhat later. It borders Azad Kashmir to the south, the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the west, the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan to the north, the Xinjiang region of China, to the east and northeast, and the Indian-administered union territories Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to the southeast.
Astore is the capital of Astore District in Gilgit−Baltistan, Pakistan. The city is situated on an altitude of 2,546 metres (8,353 ft).
Tourism in Gilgit-Baltistan, a dependent territory of Pakistan, focuses on the mountains.
Rattu Cantonment is a century plus old cantonment located at Rattu in Astore district of Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan. It is located at an altitude of 9000 ft above sea level. During summer, the weather remains pleasant but winters are very cold and temperatures vary between ~20 °C to -35 °C. Rattu receives three to six feet snow during winter.
Nasir Abad is a village in Astore, Pakistan. Nasir Abad has been traditionally used as a route for traders going to Kashmir from Astore, Gilgit and other parts of Pakistan. Nasir Abad is known for its delicacies like cumin and trout.
Bunji Bridge is a suspension bridge on the Indus River near Bunji, a town in the Astore District of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. It was first built in the 19th century by the Maharaja Pratap Singh's government of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. Its wooden girders were burnt down during the 1947 Gilgit Rebellion and subsequently repaired. It fell into disuse and neglect in recent decades. It was restored by the recently established Government of Gilgit-Baltistan in 2012 after the 2010 Indus floods highlighted its value. The bridge is said to serve as a vital link between the town of Gilgit and the locations in the Astore District.
Bunji (Urdu:بنجی) is a town in Astore District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. it is historically important being in the end of Dogra Rule before 1948 and on the brim of Ancient Yagistan. It was economically hub for Barter trade between Yagistan and Dogras. The distance from Bunji to Gilgit is about 50 kilometres (31 mi) on the Karakoram Highway. Bunji, located at the junction of Three Great Mountain Ranges, has its historical importance. The Village has its prominent traces in the socio-political and economical situations of the region in History. River Indus covers the village from North to west while from eastern side it is connected with river Astore. Baltistan region joins its territory from the North-East.
Muhammad Khalid Khurshid Khan is a Pakistani lawyer and politician who is the current Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. He has been a member of the Gilgit Baltistan Assembly since 25 November 2020.
