Miranzai Valley

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The Miranzai Valley, also Hangu, is a mountain valley situated in the Kohat and Hangu districts in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. It is made up of two valleys, draining from the southwest into the Kunam and northeast into the Kohat Tai. It is divided into upper and lower Miranzai. It extends from the Zaimukht and Orakzai hills to the Khattaks. It is 40 miles in length and is 546 square miles in area. East of Hangu is made up of numerous smaller valleys. To the west of Hangu, consisting of all of the upper portion of the valley, is a broad and open plain, bare of trees. There are many ravines in this area. The area surrounding the valley has many inhabitants, mostly comprising the Bangash and Orakzai peoples.

British military expeditions occurred in the area when it was still part of India in the late 19th century due to disturbance.

The portion of Miranzai east of Hangu village consists of numerous small and well-cultivated valleys, in which orchard trees flourish abundantly. To the west of Hangu, including the whole of Upper Miranzai, the country is a broad, open, breezy valley. The plain is bare of trees, but the hills are generally covered with scrub. The country is full of ravines towards Thal. The wealth of the inhabitants consists principally in cattle, goats and sheep; of these the cows are of a lean and dwarf breed, and give but little milk. Miranzai forms the meeting place of many different tribes; but its chief inhabitants are the Bangash and Orakzais.

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This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.