اسلام آباد

Capital of Pakistan

Islamabad is the capital city of Pakistan, and is administered by the Pakistani federal government as part of the Islamabad Capital Territory. It is the ninth-largest city in Pakistan. Built as a planned city in the 1960s, it replaced Rawalpindi as Pakistan’s capital.

Area: 906.5 km²

Weather: 21°C, Wind E at 10 km/h, 59% Humidity

Local time: Saturday 9:49 pm

Population: 1.015 million (2017) United Nations

Founded: 1960

Area code: 051

Islamabad Capital Territory

The Islamabad Capital Territory is the only federal territory of Pakistan. Located between the provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, it includes the country’s capital city of Islamabad. The territory is represented in the NA-52, NA-53, and NA-54 constituencies of the National Assembly.

Area: 1,166 km²

Population: 2.007 million (2017)

Area code: 051

Points of interest: Shah Faisal Masjid, Pakistan Monument, MORE

Islamabad History

After extensive research, feasibility studies and a thorough review of various sites, the commission recommended the area North East of the historic garrison city of Rawalpindi. After the final decision of the National Cabinet, it was put into practice. A Greek firm, Doxiadis Associates devised a master plan based on a grid system, with its north facing the Margallah Hills. The long-term plan was that Islamabad would eventually encompass Rawalpindi entirely, stretching to the West of the historic Grand Trunk road.

Islamabad nestles against the backdrop of the Margallah Hills at the northern end of Potohar Plateau. Its climate is healthy, pollution free, plentiful in water resources and lush green. It is a modern and carefully planned city with wide roads and avenues, elegant public buildings and well-organized bazaars, markets, and shopping centers.
The city is divided into eight basic zones: Administrative, diplomatic enclave, residential areas, educational sectors, industrial sectors, commercial areas, and rural and green areas.

The metropolis of Islamabad today is the pulsating beat of Pakistan, resonating with the energy and strength of a growing, developing nation. It is a city, which symbolizes the hopes and dreams of a young and dynamic nation and espouses the values and codes of the generation that has brought it thus far. It is a city that welcomes and promotes modern ides, but at the same time recognizes and cherishes its traditional values and rich history.

Islamabad | City, Population, & Meaning

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national capital, Pakistan
Islamabad, city, capital of Pakistan, on the Potwar Plateau, 9 miles (14 km) northeast of Rawalpindi, the former interim capital.
The city’s site was chosen by a commission in 1959 after Karachi was found unsuitable as the capital. Construction began in 1961 with an effort to blend traditional Islamic architecture with modern patterns and requirements. Such world-renowned names in town planning and architecture as Konstantínos Doxiádes, Edward Durell Stone, and Gio Ponti have been associated with the city’s development. It is a compact city (area 25 square miles [65 square km]), lying at elevations ranging from 1,500 to 2,000 feet (450 to 600 metres). The second phase of construction ended with completion of the Secretariat, Pakistan House, President’s House, National Assembly Building, Grand National Mosque, and housing for government staff. The University of Islamabad was established in 1965 and the People’s Open University (later renamed the Allama Iqbal Open University) in 1974. The war with India in 1971 slowed construction temporarily.
Catedral at night on Plaza de Armas (also known as plaza mayor) Lima, Peru.
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The urban area is divided into eight zones: administrative, diplomatic, residential, institutional, industrial, and commercial areas, a greenbelt, and a national park. It includes an Olympic village and gardens and dairy, poultry, and vegetable farms, as well as such institutions as the Atomic Research Institute and the National Health Centre. The name Islamabad (“City of Islam,” or “City of Peace”) was chosen to reflect the country’s ideology.
The planned capital area of 350 square miles (906 square km) is an expanse of natural terraces and meadows surrounding the city. A further 1,400 square miles (3,626 square km) of hinterland, known as the Specified Areas, is subject to planning control, with the Margala Hills, 3,000 to 5,000 feet (900 to 1,500 metres) high, in the north and northeast. The southern portion is an undulating plain. It is drained by the Kurang River, on which the Rawal Dam forms a lake holding about 50,000 acre-feet (61,650,000 cubic metres) of water. Pop. (2017) city, 1,009,832; capital area, 2,001,579.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Zeidan.