Muzaffarabad
Muzaffarabad (/ˌmʊzəˌfærəˈbæd/;[4] Urdu: مُظَفَّر آباد, IPA: [mʊzəffərɑːbɑːd]) is the capital and largest city of Azad Kashmir, and the 60th largest in Pakistan.
Muzaffarabad مظفر آباد | |
|---|---|
Muzaffarabad Muzaffarabad | |
| Coordinates: 34°21′30″N 73°28′20″E / 34.35833°N 73.47222°ECoordinates: 34°21′30″N 73°28′20″E / 34.35833°N 73.47222°E | |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Territory | Azad Kashmir |
| District | Muzaffarabad |
| Founded by | Sultan Muzaffar Khan |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Sikandar Gilani (PML(N)) |
| • Deputy Mayor | Khalid Awan (PPP) |
| Elevation | 737 m (2,418 ft) |
| Population | |
| • City | 149,913 |
| • Rank | 60th, Pakistan |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Urdu[2][3][note 1] |
| • Spoken | |
| Time zone | UTC+05:00 (PST) |
| Calling code | 05822 |
| Website | (defunct) |
The city is located in Muzaffarabad District, near the confluence of the Jhelum and Neelum rivers. The district is bounded by the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the west, the Kupwara and Baramulla districts of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the east, and the Neelum District in the north.
History
Muzaffarabad was founded in 1646 by Sultan Muzaffar Khan, chief of the Bomba tribe[5] who ruled Kashmir.[6] Khan also constructed the Red Fort that same year for the purpose of warding off incursions from the Mughal Empire.
2005 earthquake
The city was near the epicenter of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, which had a magnitude of 7.6 Mw. The earthquake destroyed about 50% of the buildings in the city (including most government buildings) and is estimated to have killed up to 80,000 people in the Pakistani-controlled areas. As of 8 October 2005[update], the Pakistani government's official death toll was 87,350, while other estimates have put the death toll at over 100,000.[7]
Administrative subdivisions
The district of Muzaffarabad is administratively divided into 2 tehsils, which are subdivided into 25 union councils.[8]
- Muzaffarabad
- Pattika (Naseerabad)
Climate
| Climate data for Muzaffarabad (1961–2009) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 27.0 (80.6) | 29.4 (84.9) | 37.0 (98.6) | 40.5 (104.9) | 46.5 (115.7) | 46.2 (115.2) | 45.0 (113.0) | 40.2 (104.4) | 39.0 (102.2) | 38.3 (100.9) | 33.0 (91.4) | 27.0 (80.6) | 46.5 (115.7) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 16.0 (60.8) | 18.0 (64.4) | 22.6 (72.7) | 28.3 (82.9) | 33.5 (92.3) | 37.4 (99.3) | 34.9 (94.8) | 34.0 (93.2) | 33.4 (92.1) | 30.1 (86.2) | 24.2 (75.6) | 18.1 (64.6) | 22.3 (72.1) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 3.1 (37.6) | 5.4 (41.7) | 9.7 (49.5) | 14.2 (57.6) | 18.4 (65.1) | 21.9 (71.4) | 22.8 (73.0) | 22.6 (72.7) | 19.4 (66.9) | 13.7 (56.7) | 7.8 (46.0) | 4.1 (39.4) | 11.1 (52.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −3.0 (26.6) | −1.1 (30.0) | 1.0 (33.8) | 6.5 (43.7) | 7.0 (44.6) | 12.0 (53.6) | 15.5 (59.9) | 16.0 (60.8) | 12.4 (54.3) | 6.5 (43.7) | 1.0 (33.8) | −1.4 (29.5) | −3 (27) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 101.3 (3.99) | 137.4 (5.41) | 157.3 (6.19) | 109.0 (4.29) | 78.5 (3.09) | 113.6 (4.47) | 328.7 (12.94) | 229.9 (9.05) | 112.6 (4.43) | 45.9 (1.81) | 37.2 (1.46) | 69.0 (2.72) | 1,242.8 (48.93) |
| Average relative humidity (%) (at 12:00 PST) | 50.3 | 46.3 | 40.9 | 38.0 | 33.2 | 34.0 | 52.2 | 57.6 | 48.1 | 42.4 | 48.4 | 54.0 | 37.2 |
| Source: Pakistan Meteorological Department[9] | |||||||||||||
Transport
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (June 2020) |
The nearest railway station is located in the Rawalpindi District of Pakistani Punjab.[10]
Notable people
- Anam Najam, medical doctor and psychiatrist[citation needed]
Gallery
Heightened view of the city on both riverbanks after the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, c. 2014
Photo of Muzaffarabad Cricket Stadium
Photo of the city's skyline, c. 2017
Azad Jammu Kashmir Medical College
Muzaffarabad City, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan]]
See also
Notes
- ^ Snedden (2013, p. 176): On p. 29, the census report states that Urdu is the official language of the government of Azad Kashmir, with Kashmiri, Pahari, Gojri, Punjabi, Kohistani, Pushto, and Sheena 'frequently spoken in Azad Kashmir'. Yet, when surveyed about their 'mother tongue', Azad Kashmiris' choices were limited to selecting from Pakistan's major languages: Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, Pushto, Balochi, Saraiki, and 'others'; not surprisingly, 2.18 million of Azad Kashmir's 2.97 million people chose 'others'.
References
- ^ "Statistical Year Book 2019" (PDF). Statistics Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
- ^ "Kashmir".
- ^ Rahman 1996, p. 226.
- ^ . Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021.
- ^ Mir-át-i Mas'údi Archived 2007-09-29 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Ahmad, Pirzada Irshad (2003). A Hand Book on Azad Jammu & Kashmir. Nawab Sons Publication. ISBN 978-969-530-050-3.
- ^ Stuart, Julia. (1 January 2006) IoS Appeal: Last chance to donate to quake victims 16 January 2006 at the Wayback Machine. News.independent.co.uk. Retrieved on 3 July 2012.
- ^ Information about SPs District Muzaffarabad 6 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ . Pakistan Meteorological Department. Archived from the original on 13 June 2010. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
- ^ Google Maps. Maps.google.co.uk. Retrieved on 3 July 2012.
External links
- Government official Website