Kohistan District (Pakistan)

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The word Kohistan (کوہستان) in Persian literally means Country of the Hills. The Kohistan district has a rich local history as a crossroads between Central, South and Southwestern Asia. Predominantly inhabited by Dardic and Pashtun tribes since ancient times, Kohistan has been invaded and contested by Persians, Greeks, Scythians, Kushans, Turks, Mughals and the British.

1 Geography
2 Climate
3 Economy
4 People and culture
5 Education
6 See also

[edit] Geography

Kohistan is a sparsely populated district of the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan and is also a region that stretches from the border with Azad Kashmir in the east to Afghanistan's Nuristan province in the west. Located in an area where the Eurasian landplate and Indian subcontinent meet and collide, Kohistan is susceptible to earthquake activity such as the Kashmir earthquake of 2005.

Lush green forests, meadows and streams as well as massive mountains and hills literally make Kohistan resemble the Scottish Highlands of Britain. The Indus River divides Kohistan into two parts with the eastern portion referred to as the Indus Kohistan and the western portion refrred to as Swat Kohistan. KKH Passes through Kohistan on its way to Gilgit. Most of cities on KKH in Kohistan are not more than 600m high from sea level.

[edit] Climate

The weather of the region tends to be relatively mild with rain, snow and cold temperatures in the winter and mildly hot summers.

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[edit] Economy

Most Kohistanis rely upon animal husbandry for sustenance and income and tend to use cows, sheep, goats for milk and meat. In addition, the timber industry is on the rise, while many local men travel to find work in Peshawar, Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi.

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[edit] People and culture

Kohistan's population is estimated to be over 2 million and is spread across the various towns and villages. Kohistan is predominantly home to various Dardic peoples including the Shina, Kohistanis, Torwalis, Kashmiris, as well as Hindko-speaking Pathans in the central, northern, and eastern sections. Pashtun tribes and Afghan refugees can be mainly found in the western part of the district. The people mainly speak Indo-Iranian languages and share various similar cultural traits including the religion of Islam with the majority adhering to the Sunni sect while large minorities of Shia and Ismaili Muslims are also to be found throughout the area.