Abbottabad
Abbottabad is a city located in the Hazara region of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in northeastern Pakistan. The city is situated in
110 kilometres (68 mi) north of the capitalIslamabad, 130 kilometres
(81 mi) from Rawalpindi and 150 kilometres (93 mi) northeast of Peshawar at an altitude of 1,260 metres (4,134 ft) and is the
capital of the Abbottabad District. Kashmir lies to the east of the city. The city is well known
throughout Pakistan for its pleasant weather, high-standard educational
institutions and Military Establishment Pakistan Military AcademyKakul. It remains a popular hill station attracting hundreds of thousands of tourists every year.
Abbottabad, was the headquarters of the Hazara District during British rule of the Indian
Subcontinent. It was named after Major James Abbott who founded the town and district in January 1853 after the annexation
of Punjab. He remained the first Deputy Commissioner of the
Hazara district from 1849 until April 1853. Major Abbott is noted for having
written a poem titled "Abbottabad", before he went back to Britain, in which he
wrote of his fondness for the town and his sadness at having to leave it. In
the early 20th century, Abbottabad became an important military cantonment and sanatorium, serving as the headquarters of a brigade in the Second
Division of the Northern Army Corps. The garrison consisted of four battalions
of native infantry, of the Frontier Force (including the5th Gurkha Rifles) and two native mountain batteries.
In 1901, the population of the town and
cantonment was 7,764 and the income
averaged around Rs. 14,900. This increased to Rs. 22,300 in 1903, chiefly
derived from octroi. During this time chief public institutions were built
such as the Albert Victor unaided Anglo-Vernacular High School, the Municipal
Anglo-Vernacular High School and the Government dispensary. In 1911, the
population had risen to 11,506 and the town also contained four battalions of
Gurkhas. In June 1948, the British Red Cross opened a hospital in
Abbottabad to deal with thousands of patients who were being brought in from
the Kashmir fighting areas.
Geography
Location of Abbottabad within the district and province
The city is bounded at all four sides by the
Sarban hills, from which residents and tourists can see breathtaking views of
the region and city. The location of the city and the hills allows Abbottabad
to experience pleasant weather in the summer and cold winters. The Dor river
flows south of Abbottabad through the town of Harnol, eventually reaching Tarbela Dam, situated west of Abbottabad.
Neighbouring districts are Mansehra to the north, Muzaffarabad to the east, Haripur to the west and Islamabad Capital Territory to the south.
Topography
Abbottabad is situated in the Orash Valley
lying between 34°92′N latitude and 73°13′E longitude at an altitude of 4,120
feet (1,260 m). To the north is the picturesque Kaghan Valley.
Climate
Abbottabad has a humid subtropical climate,
with mild to warm temperatures during the spring and autumn months, hot
temperatures during June and July and cool to mild temperatures during the
winter. The temperature can rise as high as 38 °C (100 °F) during the
mid-summer months and drop below −5 °C (23 °F) during the extreme
cold waves. Snowfall occurs occasionally in December and January, though it is
sparse, while the heavy rainfall events occurs during the monsoon season
stretching from July to September that frequently cause flooding in lower lying
parts of the city.
