Rawalpindi District
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Rawalpindi راولپِنڈى |
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|---|---|
| District | |
 Map of Punjab with Rawalpindi District highlighted Rawalpindi is located in the north of Punjab. |
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| Coordinates: 33°20′N 73°15′E / 33.333°N 73.250°ECoordinates: 33°20′N 73°15′E / 33.333°N 73.250°E | |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Province | Punjab |
| Headquarters | Rawalpindi |
| Number of Tehsils | 8 |
| Government | |
| • District Coordination Officer | Sajid Zafar |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5,286 km2 (2,041 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 2,790 m (9,160 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 300 m (1,100 ft) |
| Population (1998) | |
| • Total | 3,363,911 |
| • Density | 851.3/km2 (2,205/sq mi) |
| Time zone | PKT (UTC+5) |
| Languages (1981) | 85% Punjabi 7.5% Urdu |
| Website | www |
Rawalpindi District (Urdu: ضِلع راولپِنڈى), is a district located in the northernmost part of the Punjab province of Pakistan. Part's of the district form's part of the Islamabad Rawalpindi metropolitan area. Rawalpindi city is the district capital.
The district has an area of 5,286 km2 (2,041 sq mi). Originally, its area was 6,192 km2 (2,391 sq mi) until the 1960s when Islamabad Capital Territory was carved out of the district, giving away an area of 906 km2 (350 sq mi). 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 it is noted for its milder climate and abundant rainfall due to its proximity to the foothills.
In ancient times the whole or the greater part of the area between the Indus and the Jhelum seems to have belonged to a Naga tribe called Takshakas, who gave their name to the city of Takshasila. Known as Taxila by the Greek historians, the location of the ancient city has been identified to be in the ruins of Shahdheri in the north-west corner of the District. At the time of Alexander's invasion Taxila was described by Arrian as a flourishing city, the greatest indeed between the Indus and the Hydaspes; Strabo adds that the neighbouring country was crowded with inhabitants and very fertile; and Pliny speaks of it as a famous city situated in a district called Amanda. The invasion of Demetrius in 195 B.C. brought the Punjab under the Graeco-Bactrian kings. Later they were superseded by the Sakas, who ruled at Taxila with the title of Satrap. At the time of Hiuen Tsiang the country was a dependency of Kashmir.
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