Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi (Punjabi, Urdu: راولپنڈى‎, Rāwalpiṅḋī), commonly known as Pindi (Punjabi: پنڈی), is a city in the Punjab, Pakistan. It is the 4th most populous metropolitan area of Pakistan. The center of the Rawalpindi is only 14 kilometres (9 mi) from the center of Islamabad. Due to the high interdependence and intertwined areas of the two cities, they are known as the twin cities of Rawalpindi/Islamabad. In the 1950s, Rawalpindi's population was smaller than Hyderabad and Multan, but the city's economy received a boost during the building of Islamabad (1959–1969), during which Rawalpindi served as the national capital. Rawalpindi is in the northernmost part of the Punjab province, located 275 km (171 mi) to the north-west of Lahore. It is the administrative seat of the Rawalpindi District. Also, Rawalpindi is the military headquarters, also referred to as GHQ (General Headquarters) of the Pakistani Armed Forces.

Its location is very central as it has capital to its north, Punjab to its south, KPK Province to its west and Azad Kashmir to its east. For this reason the tourists use the city as a stop before traveling towards the northern areas. Rawalpindi is easy accessible as several highways come into the city including National Highway (G.T Road) and Motorway. Numerous shopping bazaars, parks and a cosmopolitan population attract shoppers from all over Pakistan and abroad. The city is home to several industries and factories. Islamabad International Airport is actually located in Rawalpindi city, and serves both cities and several neighboring districts for international flights. Moreover, part of the facility is also the famous Chaklala Airbase (PAF Base Nur Khan)

Rawalpindi District

Rawalpindi District (Urdu: ضِلع راولپِنڈى‎), is a district of Pakistan in the northern region of the Punjab province. The district has an area of 5,286 km² (2,041 sq mi). It was part of Rawalpindi Division, until the year 2000 when the division was abolished. It is situated on the southern slopes of the north-western extremities of the Himalayas, including large mountain tracts with rich valleys traversed by mountain rivers. The chief rivers are the Indus and the Jhelum, and the climate is noted for its health benefits.

Demography

According to the 1998 census of Pakistan, the population of the district was 3,363,911 of which 53.03% were urban, and is the second-most urbanised district in Punjab. The population was estimated to be 4.5 million in 2010.

Languages

As per the 1981 census of Pakistan, the following are the demographics of the Rawalpindi district, by spoken language:

First Languages of Rawalpindi district in 1981

History

Ancient history

Rawalpindi (disambiguation)

Rawalpindi is a city in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Rawalpindi may also refer to:

Places

Other

See also