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{{Infobox settlement
| name = Gilgit-Baltistan
| native_name = {{Nastaliq| گلگت بلتستان}}<br>{{lang|bo|གིལྒིཏ་བལྟིསྟན}}<!-- If different from name -->
| native_name_lang = ur<!-- ISO 639-2 code e.g. "fr" for French. If more than one, use {{lang}} instead -->
| image_skyline = Montage Gilgit-Baltistan.PNG
| image_alt =
| image_caption = ''Counterclockwise from top'': [[:File:K2 2006b.jpg|K2]] – [[:File:Astor valley.jpg|Astore Valley]] – [[:File:Nanga Parbat 029.jpg|Nanga Parbat]] – [[:File:ShangrilaSkardu1090.JPG|Shangrila Resort, Skardu]] – [[:File:Deosai Plateau 2.jpg|Deosai Plateau]]
| image_flag =

| flag_alt =
| image_blank_emblem = Gilgit Baltistan Government Logo.jpg
| nickname =
| image_map = Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan (de-facto + wo Glacier) (claims hatched).svg
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Location of Gilgit-Baltistan (in red, minus the [[Siachen Glacier]] area) in Pakistan
| latd = 35.35
| longd = 75.9
| coor_pinpoint =
| coordinates_type =
| coordinates_display = inline,title
| coordinates_footnotes =
| subdivision_type = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name = {{flag|Pakistan}}
| subdivision_type1 =
| subdivision_name1 =
| parts_style = para
| parts_type = Largest city
| p1 = Gilgit
| established_title = Established
| established_date = July 1, 1970
| seat_type = Capital
| seat = Gilgit
| blank_name_sec1 = Main languages
| blank_info_sec1 = {{unbulleted list|[[Urdu]] (National & Official)|[[Shina language|Shina]]|[[Burushaski]]|[[Balti dialect|Balti Tibetan]]|[[Wakhi language|Wakhi]]|[[Khowar language|Khowar]]}}
| blank_name_sec2 = Assembly&nbsp;seats
| blank_info_sec2 = 33<ref>''Legislative Assembly will have directly elected 24 members, besides
six women and three technocrats.'' "[http://www.unpo.org/content/view/10003/236/ Gilgit Baltistan: New Pakistani Package or Governor Rule]" 3 September 2009, The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO)</ref>
| blank1_name_sec2 = [[Districts of Pakistan|Districts]]
| blank1_info_sec2 = 7
| blank2_name_sec2 = [[Town]]s
| blank2_info_sec2 = 7
| blank3_name_sec2 = [[Union Councils of Pakistan|Union Councils]]
| blank3_info_sec2 =
| government_footnotes =
| government_type = Autonomous [[Administrative units of Pakistan|territory of Pakistan]]
| governing_body = [[Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly|Legislative assembly]]
| leader_party =
| leader_title = [[List of Governors of Pakistan|Governor]]
| leader_name = Pir Karam Ali Shah<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thenews.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=10133|title=Pir Karam Ali Shah appointed GB Governor|newspaper=The News|date=2011-01-26|accessdate=2011-01-28}}</ref>
| leader_title1 = [[List of Chief Secretary in Pakistan|Chief Minister]]
| leader_name1 = <Sajad Saleem Hottianaref>{{cite web|url=http://ftp.app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=92218&Itemid=1 |title=Associated Press Of Pakistan ( Pakistan's Premier NEWS Agency ) – Public service policy to be pursued in Gilgit–Baltistan: PM |publisher=Ftp.app.com.pk |date= |accessdate=2010-06-05}}</ref>
| unit_pref = Metric<!-- or US or UK -->
| area_footnotes =
| area_total_km2 = 72496
| area_note =
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m =
| population_footnotes =
| population_total = 1,800,000
| population_as_of = 2008; est.
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_demonym =
| population_note =
| timezone1 = [[Time in Pakistan|PKT]]
| utc_offset1 = +5
| postal_code_type =
| postal_code =
| area_code_type =
| area_code =
| iso_code = PK-NA
| website = [http://gilgitbaltistan.gov.pk/ gilgitbaltistan.gov.pk]
| footnotes =
}}
'''Gilgit–Baltistan''' ([[Shina language|Shina]]/[[Urdu]]/[[Burushaski language|Burushaski]]: {{Nastaliq|گلگت بلتستان}}, [[Balti language|Balti]]: {{lang|bo|གིལྒིཏ་བལྟིསྟན}}, formerly known as the '''Northern Areas'''<ref>"[http://www.app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=85033&Itemid=2 Cabinet approves ‘Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order 2009’]" 29 August 2009 ''Associated Press of Pakistan''</ref>) is the northernmost [[Administrative units of Pakistan|territory]] of [[Pakistan]].<ref name=Weightman>{{cite book|last=Weightman|first=Barbara A.|title=Dragons and Tigers: A Geography of South, East, and Southeast Asia|year=2005|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-0471630845|page=193|edition=2nd|date=2|month=December}}</ref> It borders the territory of [[Azad Kashmir]] to the south, the province of [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]] to the west, the [[Wakhan Corridor]] of Afghanistan to the north, the [[Xinjiang]] autonomous region of China to the east and northeast and the Indian controlled [[Jammu and Kashmir]] to the southeast.

Together with [[Azad Kashmir]], it forms part of the [[Kashmir conflict|disputed Kashmir region]], which has been the subject of [[Kashmir conflict|conflict between India and Pakistan]] since the two countries' independence in 1947.<ref name=Weightman/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/WOR-SAS-violence-rocks-gilgit-baltistan-again-5-killed-50-injured-3058122.html |title=Violence rocks Gilgit Baltistan again: 5 killed, 50 injured |publisher=daily.bhaskar.com |date=2012-04-04 |accessdate=2013-02-23}}</ref>

Gilgit–Baltistan is an autonomous self-governing region that was established as a single administrative unit in 1970, formed by the amalgamation of the [[Gilgit Agency]], the [[Baltistan]] region and the former princely states of [[Hunza (princely state)|Hunza]] and [[Nagar (princely state)|Nagar]]. It covers an area of 72,971&nbsp;km² (28,174&nbsp;mi²) and is highly mountainous. It has an estimated population approaching 1,000,000. Its capital city is [[Gilgit]] (population 216,760).

==History==
{{main|History of Gilgit-Baltistan}}
{{further2|[[History of Kashmir]]}}
The territory was part of the [[Delhi Sultanate]] until it fell to the [[Mughal Empire]] in the early half of the 16th century. Gilgit-Baltistan region became predominantly [[Muslim]] during the rule of [[Delhi Sultanate]] and later [[Mughal Empire]] due to [[missionary]] [[Sufi]] saints whose [[dargah]]s dot the landscape. By 1757, [[suzerainty]] of the region was obtained from the Mughals by [[Ahmad Shah Durrani]] under an agreement<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+af0010)|title=Ahmad Shah and the Durrani Empire |accessdate=2010-09-23|work=|publisher=[[Library of Congress Country Studies]] on [[Afghanistan]]|year=1997}}</ref> and became part of [[Afghanistan]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1857/afghanistan/index.htm |title=Afghanistan |accessdate=2010-09-23|author=[[Friedrich Engels]]|work=Andy Blunden |publisher=The New American Cyclopaedia, Vol. I|year=1857| archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20101018134909/http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1857/afghanistan/index.htm |quote=Afghanistan ... an extensive country of Asia...between [[Persia]] and the Indies, and in the other direction between the [[Hindu Kush]] and the Indian Ocean. It formerly included the Persian provinces of [[Khorasan Province|Khorassan]] and [[Quhistan|Kohistan]], together with [[Herat Province|Herat]], [[Balochistan|Beluchistan]], [[Kashmir|Cashmere]], and [[Sindh|Sinde]], and a considerable part of the [[Punjab region|Punjab]]... Its principal cities are Kabul, the capital, [[Ghazni|Ghuznee]], [[Peshwar|Peshawer]], and [[Kandahar]]|archivedate= 18 October 2010 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref> (also known as the [[Durrani Empire]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/10162/Ahmad-Shah-Durrani|title=Aḥmad Shah Durrānī|accessdate=2010-08-25|work=|publisher=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] Online Version|year=2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Conflict in Afghanistan: a historical encyclopedia|last1=Clements|first1=Frank |authorlink=|coauthors=|volume=|year=2003|publisher=ABC-CLIO|location=|isbn=978-1-85109-402-8|page=81|page=377|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=bv4hzxpo424C&lpg=PP1&pg=PA81#v=onepage&q&f=false |accessdate=2010-09-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/7798/Afghanistan/21396/The-Durrani-dynasty?anchor=ref306642|title=The Durrani dynasty |work=Encyclopædia Britannica Online|accessdate=2010-09-23}}</ref> until [[Ranjit Singh]] invaded and took control from the [[Afghan]]s in 1819.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelpregion/asia/afghanistan/afghanistancollection/1809to1838/sources1809to1838.html |title=Afghanistan 1809–1838: Sources in the India Office Records |publisher=Bl.uk |date=2003-11-30 |accessdate=2013-02-23}}</ref> It became a [[Kashmir and Jammu (princely state)|princely state with the name "Jammu and Kashmir"]] around 1847. After the [[Pakistan Movement|independence]] in 1947, Jammu and Kashmir initially remained an independent state. After the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1947]], Pakistani control was established on territories captured by Pakistan to the north and west of the [[Line of Control|cease-fire line]]. In 1970, the name "Northern Areas" (today's Gilgit–Baltistan, 72,971&nbsp;km²) was applied to the areas that had previously been known as the Gilgit Agency and Baltistan. The name "Northern Areas" was actually first used by the [[United Nations]] to refer to the northern areas of Kashmir. A small part of the Northern Areas, the [[Trans-Karakoram Tract|Shaksgam tract]], was provisionally ceded by Pakistan to China in 1963.

===Autonomous status and present-day Gilgit-Baltistan===

The territory of present-day Gilgit–Baltistan became a separate administrative unit in 1970 under the name ''Northern Areas'', formed by the amalgamation of the [[Gilgit Agency]], the [[Baltistan|Baltistan District]] of the Ladakh Wazarat, and the states of [[Hunza (princely state)|Hunza]] and [[Nagar (princely state)|Nagar]]. It presently consists of seven districts, has a population approaching one million, and an area of approximately {{convert|28000|sqmi|km2}}, and shares borders with Pakistan, China, Afghanistan, and India.

While ruled by Pakistan since 1947, it had never been formally integrated into the Pakistani state and does not participate in Pakistan's constitutional political affairs until 2009.<ref name = indian_express>{{cite web|author=Nadeem | 21-Sep-2009 |url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/gilgitbaltistan-a-question-of-autonomy/519428/1 |title=Gilgit-Baltistan: A question of autonomy |publisher=Indian Express |date=2009-09-21 |accessdate=2013-02-23}}</ref><ref name = gilgit_polls>{{cite web|last=Shigri |first=Manzar |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/11/12/us-pakistan-election-idUSTRE5AB1ZE20091112 |title=Pakistan's disputed Northern Areas go to polls |publisher=Reuters.com |date= |accessdate=2013-02-23}}</ref> On 29 August 2009, the ''Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order, 2009'', was passed by the Pakistani cabinet and later signed by the [[President of Pakistan]]. The order granted self-rule to the people of ''Gilgit-Baltistan'', by creating, among other things, an elected [[Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly]]. Gilgit–Baltistan thus gained de facto province-like status without constitutionally being a province.<ref name = indian_express/><ref name = dawn_gilgit>{{cite web|url=http://archives.dawn.com/archives/30198 |title=DAWN: Gilgit-Baltistan autonomy |publisher=Archives.dawn.com |date=2009-09-09 |accessdate=2013-02-23}}</ref> Officially, Pakistan has rejected Gilgit–Baltistani calls for further integration on the grounds that it would prejudice its international obligations over the [[Kashmir dispute]]. Some militant Kashmiri nationalist groups, such as the [[Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front]], claim Gilgit–Baltistan as a part of a future independent Kashmir rather than as a future integral part of Pakistan.<ref name="Schofield"/>

On September 29, 2009, the Pakistani prime minister, while addressing a huge gathering in Gilgit–Baltistan, announced a multi-billion-rupee development package aimed at the socio-economic uplifting of the people of the area. Development projects are slated to include the areas of education, health, agriculture, tourism, and the basic needs of life.<ref>{{cite news|author=Manzar Shigri |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5AB1ZE20091112 |title=Pakistan's disputed Northern Areas go to polls |publisher=Reuters |date= 2009-11-12|accessdate=2010-06-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-09/07/content_12011387.htm |title=Pakistani president signs Gilgit-Baltistan autonomy order _English_Xinhua |publisher=News.xinhuanet.com |date=2009-09-07 |accessdate=2010-06-05}}</ref>

An attempt in 1993 by the High Court of [[Azad Jammu and Kashmir]] to annex Gilgit–Baltistan was quashed by the [[Supreme Court of Pakistan]], after protests by the predominantly [[Shia Islam|Shia]] population of Gilgit–Baltistan, who feared domination by the [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] Kashmiris.<ref name="Schofield">{{Cite book|title=Kashmir in Conflict: India, Pakistan, and the Unending War|first=Victoria|last=Schofield|publisher=I.B. Tauris|year=2000|pages=180–181}}</ref>

[[File:Northern Areas Pakistan.svg|thumb|300px|Map of Gilgit-Baltistan, showing the boundaries of six of the seven present districts and their tehsils. The boundary between the recently created Hunza-Nagar District and the now smaller Gilgit District is the same line as the northern boundary of the former Gilgit Tehsil, which is the southernmost division of the area shown above in light blue. Sikanderabad, the administrative center of the new Hunza-Nagar District, is not yet shown on this map.]]

==Administrative divisions==
[[File:Gilgit-Baltistan Divisions.png|thumb|Map of Gilgit Baltistan Divisions]]

Gilgit–Baltistan is administratively divided into two divisions which, in turn, are divided into Nine districts,<ref name="districts">{{cite web|url=http://www.dawn.com/2005/08/01/nat13.htm|title=Wrangling over new Astore district headquarters|accessdate=2006-11-17|work=Dawn Newspaper Internet Edition}}</ref> including the four [[Baltistan]] districts of [[Skardu District|Skardu]], [[Shigar District|Shigar]], [[Khrmang District|Kharmang]] and [[Ghanche District|Ghanche]], and the five [[Gilgit]] districts of [[Gilgit District|Gilgit]], [[Ghizer District|Ghizer]], [[Diamer District|Diamer]], [[Astore District|Astore]], and [[Hunza-Nagar District|Hunza-Nagar]]. The main political centres are the towns of [[Gilgit]] and [[Skardu]].

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Division
! District
! Area (km²)
! Population (1998)
! Capital
|-
|'''Baltistan'''||[[Ghanche District|Ghanche]]||align="right"|9,400||align="right"|165,366||[[Khaplu]]
|-
| ||[[Skardu District|Skardu]]||align="right"|8,000||align="right"|214,848||[[Skardu]]
|-
| | ||[[Shigar Valley|Shigar]]||align="right"|8,500||align="right"|109,000||[[Shigar]]
|-
| | ||[[Kharmang]]||align="right"|5,500||align="right"|188,000||[[Tolti]]
|-
|'''Gilgit'''||[[Gilgit District|Gilgit]]||align="right"|16,300||align="right"|283,324||[[Gilgit]]
|-
| ||[[Diamer District|Diamer]]||align="right"|10,936||align="right"|131,925||[[Chilas]]
|-
|||[[Ghizer District|Ghizar]]||align="right"|9,635||align="right"|170,218||[[Gahkuch]]
|-
| ||[[Astore District|Astore]]||align="right"|8,657||align="right"|121,666||[[Eid Ghah]]
|-
| ||[[Hunza-Nagar District|Hunza-Nagar]]||align="right"|20,057||align="right"|112,450||[[Aliabad,Sikandarabad]]
|-
|}

==Geography and climate==
{{Main|Geography of Gilgit-Baltistan}}
[[File:K2 8611.jpg|thumb|[[K2]] as seen from [[Concordia (Karakoram)|Concordia]]]]
[[File:SatparaLakeSkardu1215.jpg|thumb|[[Satpara Lake]], [[Skardu]], in 2002]]
Gilgit–Baltistan borders the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan to the northwest, China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to the northeast, the Indian-administered state of Jammu and Kashmir to the south and southeast, the Pakistan-administered Azad Jammu and Kashmir to the south, and Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to the west.

Gilgit–Baltistan is home to five of the "[[eight-thousander]]s" and to more than fifty peaks above 7000 meters. [[Gilgit]] and [[Skardu]] are the two main hubs for expeditions to those mountains. The region is home to some of the world's [[List of highest mountains|highest mountain]] ranges. The main ranges are the [[Karakoram]] and the western [[Himalayas]]. The [[Pamir Mountains|Pamir]] mountains are to the north, and the [[Hindu Kush]] lies to the west. Amongst the highest mountains are [[K2]] (Mount Godwin-Austen) and [[Nanga Parbat]], the latter being one of the most feared mountains in the world.

Three of the world's longest glaciers outside the polar regions are found in Gilgit–Baltistan: the [[Biafo Glacier]], the [[Baltoro Glacier]], and the [[Batura Glacier]]. There are, in addition, several high-altitude lakes in Gilgit–Baltistan:
*[[Sheosar Lake]] in the [[Deosai Plains]], [[Astore]]
*[[Satpara Lake|Satpara Tso Lake]] in [[Skardu]], Baltistan
*[[Kachura Lake|Katzura Tso Lake]] in [[Skardu]], Baltistan
*[[Zharba Tso Lake]] in [[Shigar]], Baltistan
*[[Phoroq Tso Lake]] in Skardu, Baltistan
*[[Bara Tso Lake]] in Gangche, Baltistan
*[[Byarsa Tso Lake]] in Gultari, Baltistan
*[[Borith Lake]] in Gojal, upper [[Hunza (princely state)|Hunza]], Gilgit
*[[Rama Lake (Pakistan)|Rama Lake]] near [[Astore, Pakistan|Astore]]
*[[Rush Lake (Pakistan)|Rush Lake]] near [[Nagar, Pakistan|Nagar]], Gilgit
*[[Karambar Lake|Kromber Lake]] at [[Kromber Pass]], Ishkoman Valley, Ghizer District
* Barodaroksh lake in Bar Valley, Nagar
The [[Deosai Plains]], are located above the tree line and constitute the second-highest plateau in the world at 4,115 meters (14,500 feet)after [[Tibet]]. The plateau lies east of Astore, south of [[Skardu]] and west of [[Ladakh]]. The area was declared as a [[national park]] in 1993. The Deosai Plains cover an area of almost 5,000 square kilometres. For over half the year (between September and May), Deosai is snow-bound and cut off from rest of Astore and Baltistan in winters. The village of Deosai lies close to [[Chilum chokki]] and is connected with the Kargil district of Ladakh through an all-weather road.

===Rock art and petroglyphs===
There are more than 50,000 pieces of rock art ([[petroglyph]]s) and inscriptions all along the [[Karakoram Highway]] in Gilgit–Baltistan, concentrated at ten major sites between [[Hunza (princely state)|Hunza]] and [[Shatial]]. The carvings were left by various invaders, traders, and [[pilgrim]]s who passed along the trade route, as well as by locals. The earliest date back to between 5000 and 1000 [[Common Era|BCE]], showing single animals, triangular men and hunting scenes in which the animals are larger than the hunters. These [[Stone carving|carvings]] were pecked into the rock with stone tools and are covered with a thick [[patina]] that proves their age.
The ethnologist [[Karl Jettmar]] has pieced together the history of the area from various inscriptions and recorded his findings in ''Rock Carvings and Inscriptions in the Northern Areas of Pakistan''<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.rzuser.uni-heidelberg.de/~u71/kara/intro.html|title= Rock Carvings and Inscriptions along the Karakorum Highway (Pakistan) – - a brief introduction}}</ref> and the later released ''Between Gandhara and the Silk Roads – Rock Carvings Along the Karakoram Highway''.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.rzuser.uni-heidelberg.de/~u71/kara/kat.html|title= Between gandhara and the silk roads}}</ref> Many of these carvings and inscriptions will be inundated and/or destroyed when the planned Basha-Diamir dam is built and the Karakoram Highway is widened.

===Climate===
The climate of Gilgit–Baltistan varies from region to region, surrounding mountain ranges creates sharp variations in weather. The eastern part has the moist zone of the western Himalayas, but going toward [[Karakoram]] and [[Hindu Kush]], the climate dries considerably.<ref>{{cite web
|author=WWF Pakistan
|title=Climate of Gilgit-Baltistan (formerly Northern Areas)
|url=http://www.wwfpak.org/nap/dnap_climatechange.php
|publisher=WWF Pakistan
|accessdate=2009-06-11
}}</ref>

There are towns like [[Gilgit]] and [[Chilas]] that are very hot during the day in summer, yet cold at night, and valleys like [[Astore Valley|Astore]], [[Khaplu]], [[Yasin Valley|Yasin]], [[Hunza (princely state)|Hunza]], and [[Nagar Valley|Nagar]] where the temperatures are cold even in summer.

==Economy and resources==
{{See also|Education in Gilgit–Baltistan}}
The economy of the region is primarily based on a traditional route of trade through the historic "Silk Road." The China Trade Organization was the leading economic forum through which most of barter trade activity made a phenomenal change in the general economic outlook of the area, which, being the remotest region under Pakistani control, was neglected for over a quarter of a century. That forum led the people of the area to actively invest and learn modern trade know-how from its Chinese neighbor Xinjiang. The participation of all ethnic groups and the active force behind this activity, the legendary economist of the area Ashraf Khan, brought a great change in the region. Later, the establishment of a chamber of commerce and the Sost dry port(in Gojal Hunza) are milestones. The rest of the economy is shouldered by mainly agriculture and tourism. Agricultural products are wheat, corn (maize), barley, and fruits. Tourism is mostly in trekking and mountaineering, and this industry is growing in importance.<ref>{{cite web|author=Encyclop&aelig;dia Britannica |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/51055/Baltistan |title=Baltistan (region, Northern Areas, Kashmir, Pakistan) – Britannica Online Encyclopedia |publisher=Britannica.com |date= |accessdate=2010-06-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Encyclop&aelig;dia Britannica |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/233661/Gilgit |title=Gilgit (Kashmir region, Indian subcontinent) – Britannica Online Encyclopedia |publisher=Britannica.com |date= |accessdate=2010-06-05}}</ref>

In early September 2009, [[Pakistan]] signed an agreement with the [[People's Republic of China]] for a major energy project in Gilgit–Baltistan which includes the construction of a 7,000-megawatt dam at [[Bunji, Pakistan|Bunji]] in the [[Astore District]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/04-gilgit-baltistan-autonomy-qs-01 |title=Pakistan &#124; Gilgit-Baltistan autonomy |publisher=Dawn.Com |date=2009-09-09 |accessdate=2010-06-05}}{{dead link|date=January 2011}}</ref>

==Sports==
{{Expand section|date=January 2010}}
[[Polo]] is the favourite game of the people of Gilgit,Skardu,Gangchey Chilas, Astore, Hunza, Nagar and the surrounding areas.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}} Every year, many tourists visit to enjoy polo in Gilgit–Baltistan.'Polo' is a Balti Word which means ball. {{Citation needed|date=September 2009}} Other games such as [[cricket]], [[tuksori]] of [[Nagar, Pakistan|Nagar]], [[lippa (sport)|gulli danda]], [[kabbadi]], and [[volleyball]] are also played.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.co.nz/books?id=XCl1c2yy5ooC&pg=PA25&dq=Sports+in+gilgit&as_brr=3&client=firefox-a&cd=5#v=onepage&q=Sports%20in%20gilgit&f=false |title=Sports and games of the 18th and ... – Google Books |publisher=Books.google.co.nz |date= |accessdate=2010-06-05}}</ref>

==Transport==
Prior to 1978, Gilgit–Baltistan was cut off from Pakistan and the rest of the world due to the harsh terrain and the lack of accessible roads. All of the roads to the south opened toward the Pakistani-controlled state of [[Azad Jammu and Kashmir]] (AJK) and to the southeast towards the present-day Indian-controlled state of Jammu and Kashmir. During the summer, people could walk across the mountain passes to travel to Rawalpindi. The fastest way to travel, however, was by air, but air travel was accessible only to a few privileged local people and to Pakistani military and civilian officials. Then, with the assistance of the Chinese government, Pakistan began construction of the Karakoram Highway (KKH), which was completed in 1978.
The [[Karakoram Highway]] (KKH) connects [[Islamabad]] to [[Gilgit]] and [[Skardu]], which are the two major hubs for mountaineering expeditions in Gilgit–Baltistan. The journey from [[Rawalpindi]]/[[Islamabad]] to [[Gilgit]] takes approximately 20 to 24 hours. Landslides on the [[Karakoram Highway]] are very common. The [[KKH]] connects [[Gilgit]] to [[Taxkorgan, Xinjiang|Taxkorgan]] and [[Kaxgar]] in China via [[Sost]] (the customs and health-inspection post on the Gilgit–Baltistan side) and the [[Khunjerab Pass]], the highest paved international border crossing in the world at 4,693 metres (15,397 feet).

[[Northern Areas Transport Corporation]] (NATCO) offers bus and jeep transport service to the two hubs and several other popular destinations, lakes, and glaciers in the area.
[[File:KKH.png|thumb|The [[Karakoram Highway]]]]
In March 2006, the respective governments announced that, commencing on June 1, 2006, a thrice-weekly bus service would begin across the boundary from Gilgit to [[Kaxgar]], [[China]], and road-widening work would begin on 600 kilometres of the Karakoram Highway. There would also be one daily bus in each direction between the [[Sost]] and [[Taxkurgan, Xinjiang|Taxkorgan]] border areas of the two political entities.<ref name="buses">{{cite web|url=http://www.dawn.com/2006/03/23/nat2.htm|title=Kashgar-Gilgit bus service planned|accessdate=2006-11-17|work=Dawn Newspaper Internet Edition}}</ref>

[[Pakistan International Airlines]] used to fly a [[Fokker F27]] aircraft daily between [[Gilgit Airport]] and [[Islamabad International Airport]]. The flying time was approximately 50 minutes, and the flight was one of the most scenic in the world, as its route passed over [[Nanga Parbat]], the mountain whose peak is higher than the aircraft's cruising altitude. However, the Fokker F27 aircraft was retired after a crash at Multan in 2006. Currently, flights are being operated by PIA to Gilgit on the brand-new ATR42-500 aircraft, which was purchased in 2006. With the new plane, the cancellation of flights is much less frequent. [[Pakistan International Airlines|PIA]] also offers regular flights of a [[Boeing 737]] between [[Skardu]] and [[Islamabad]]. All flights, however, are subject to weather clearance, and, in winter, flights are often delayed by several days.

A railway through the region has been proposed, see [[Khunjerab Railway]] for details.

==Demographics==
At the last 1998 census, the population of Gilgit–Baltistan was 870,347.<ref name="population">{{cite web|url=http://asp.isb.sdnpk.org/namis/census/NA%20Admin%20Division%20&%20Population.htm|title=Administrative Divisions and Population of the Northern Areas (1998)|accessdate=2006-11-17|work=Northern Areas Management Information System}}</ref> Approximately 14% of the population was urban.<ref name="urban">{{cite web|url=http://www.northernareas.org.pk/nassd/soed_pdf/ppe13.pdf|title=Population, poverty and environment|accessdate=2006-11-17|format=PDF|work=Northern Areas Strategy for Sustainable Development}}</ref>
The estimated population Gilgit–Baltistan in 2013 is over 2 million. The population of Gilgit–Baltistan consists of many diverse linguistic, ethnic, and religious sects, due in part to the many isolated valleys separated by some of the world's highest mountains. The ethnic groups include [[Dard people|Shins]], [[Yashkuns]], Kashmiris,Mir's Kashgaris, Pathans, and Kohistanis. The population of Gilgit-Baltistan is [[Muslim]]. The majority of population is [[Sunni]] [[Hanafi]] followed by [[Shia Islam|Shia]] [[Ismailism|Ismaili]] [[fiqh]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.cfr.org/publication/18749/|title= Pakistan's Fragile Foundations|publisher= [[Council on Foreign Relations]]|date= 2009-03-12}}</ref>. A significent number of people from Gilgit-Baltistan are resident in other parts of Pakistan, consisting of around one million, out of which at least 400,000 are in [[Karachi]]. Litearcy rate of Gilgit -Baltistan is about 72%.

===Languages===
[[Urdu]] is the [[lingua franca]] of the region, understood by most inhabitants.{{citation needed|date=April 2013}} The [[Shina language]] (with several dialects like Asturjaa, Kharuchaa, chilasi) is the majority language of of the population, spoken mainly in Gilgit, Astore, throughout Diamer, and in some parts of Ghizer and Baltistan region.<ref name=Katy>{{cite book|last=Katy|first=Gardner|title=Muslim diversity: local Islam in global contexts|year=1999|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0700711048|page=64|editor=Leif O. Manger}}</ref> The [[Balti dialect]], a sub-dialect of Ladakhi and part of the Tibetan language group, is spoken by the entire population of Baltistan. Minor languages spoken in the region include [[Wakhi language|Wakhi]], spoken in upper Hunza, and in some villages in Ghizer, while [[Khowar language|Khowar]] is the language of Ghizer. [[Burushaski]] is an isolated language spoken in the [[Hunza Valley|Hunza]], [[Nagar, Pakistan|Nagar]], [[Yasin Valley|Yasin]] (where Khowar is also spoken), in some parts of Gilgit, and in some villages of [[Punial]]. Another interesting language is [[Domaaki language|Domaaki]], spoken by musician clans in the region. A small minority of people also speak [[Pashto language|Pashto]].

Gilgit–Baltistan has very few speakers of [[Kashmiri language|Kashmiri]]. However, speakers of other [[Dardic languages]] such as [[Shina language|Shina]] and [[Khowar language|Khowar]] are present in the region.

===Religion===
The population of Gilgit–Baltistan are [[Muslim]]s. The majority of the people are [[Shia Islam|Shia]] with a significant [[Sunni]] minority.<ref>{{cite news|date=16 August 2012 |publisher=BBC |title=Pakistan Shias killed in Gilgit sectarian attack |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19280339 |accessdate=13 November 2012}}</ref> The [[Ismailism|Ismailis]] and [[Sufia Nurbakhshia]] are also present in Gilgit–Baltistan. Where 50% Shia and Sunni in GIlgit division via 90% Shia population in Baltistan Division.

==See also==
{{portal|Geography|Asia|South Asia|Pakistan}}
*[[List of mountains in Pakistan]]
*[[Kashmir dispute]]
{{clear}}

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==Further reading==
*''Pakistan Trekking Guide'', by Isobel and Ben Shaw, 1993.
*{{cite doi|10.1163/1571811041631272}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|voy=Gilgit-Baltistan}}
* [http://www.gilgitbaltistan.gov.pk/ Official Website of the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan]
*{{dmoz|Regional/Asia/Pakistan/Provinces/Northern_Areas}}
{{Wikivoyage-inline}}
*{{Wikia|Pakistan}}

{{Geographic location
|Centre = Gilgit–Baltistan
|North = {{flagicon|Afghanistan}} [[Badakhshan Province]]
|Northeast =
|East = {{flagicon|China}} [[Xinjiang]]
|Southeast = {{flagicon|India}} [[Jammu and Kashmir]]
|South = {{flagicon|Pakistan}} [[Azad Kashmir]]
|Southwest =
|West = {{flagicon|Pakistan}} [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]]
|Northwest =
}}

{{Administrative units of Pakistan}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilgit-Baltistan}}
[[Category:Gilgit-Baltistan| ]]
[[Category:Disputed territories in Asia]]
[[Category:Divided regions]]
[[Category:Foreign relations of Pakistan]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1970]]
[[Category:Territorial disputes of India]]

Revision as of 14:41, 4 June 2013

Its Just A North Area Of Pakistan

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