Karakoram Highway route map

The highest point on the highway: the Khunjerab Pass

The Karakoram Highway (KKH) is the highest paved international road in the world. It connects China and Pakistan across the Karakoram mountain range, through the Khunjerab Pass, at an altitude of 4,693 metres (15,397 feet), by far the highest paved international border crossing in the world. It connects China's Xinjiang region with Pakistan's Northern Areas and also serves as a popular tourist attraction. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (600x856, 1807 KB) Description, Source and License / Beschreibung, Quelle und Lizenz This is a map of Karakoram Highway, the road that links the Northern Areas of Pakistan to the Xinjiang province of China, connecting it to the old Silk Road. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (600x856, 1807 KB) Description, Source and License / Beschreibung, Quelle und Lizenz This is a map of Karakoram Highway, the road that links the Northern Areas of Pakistan to the Xinjiang province of China, connecting it to the old Silk Road. ... Image File history File links Khunjrabtop. ... Image File history File links Khunjrabtop. ... Khunjerab Pass from Pakistani side Snow leopard, an endangered species, is found in the Khunjerab National Park The Khunjerab Pass is a high mountain pass on the northern border of Pakistan with the Peoples Republic of China. ... Located in the mountainous regions of Gilgit, Ladakh & Baltistan, Gilgit and Baltistan are in Pakistan, the Karakoram is one of the great Himalayan mountain ranges, with many of the highest and most daunting peaks of the world. ... Khunjerab Pass from Pakistani side Snow leopard, an endangered species, is found in the Khunjerab National Park The Khunjerab Pass is a high mountain pass on the northern border of Pakistan with the Peoples Republic of China. ... For the county in Shanxi province, see Xinjiang County. ... Shown in green is the Kashmiri region under Pakistani control. ... A tourist attraction is a place where tourists, foreign and domestic, normally visit. ...

History

The Karakoram Highway, also known as the Friendship Highway in China, was built by the governments of Pakistan and China, and was completed in 1986, after 20 years of construction. 810 Pakistani and 82 Chinese workers lost their lives^[1], mostly in landslides and falls, while building the highway. The route of the KKH traces one of the many paths of the ancient Silk Road. This entry refers to the geological term landslide. ... The Silk Road, or Silk Route, is an interconnected series of routes through Southern Asia traversed by caravan and ocean vessel, and connecting Changan (todays Xian), China, with Antioch, Asia Minor, as well as other points. ...

On the Pakistani side, the road was constructed by FWO (Frontier Works Organization), employing the Pakistan Army Corps of Engineers. Presently, the Engineer-in-Chief branch of the Pakistani Army is working on a project documenting the history of the highway. It is being written by Brigadier (Retired) Muhammad Mumtaz Khalid, who oversaw its construction.

The Highway

The Karakoram Highway in the Xinjiang region of China.

The highway, connecting the Northern Areas of Pakistan to the ancient Silk Road, runs approximately 1,300 km from Kashgar, a city in the Xinjiang region of China, to Havelian, located in the Abbottabad District of Pakistan. An extension of the highway meets the Grand Trunk Road at Hasan Abdal, west of Islamabad, Pakistan. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1024x768, 204 KB) 5/10/2005 es: Autopista del Karakórum en la provincia de Xinjiang (China). ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1024x768, 204 KB) 5/10/2005 es: Autopista del Karakórum en la provincia de Xinjiang (China). ... For the county in Shanxi province, see Xinjiang County. ... Shown in green is the Kashmiri region under Pakistani control. ... The Silk Road, or Silk Route, is an interconnected series of routes through Southern Asia traversed by caravan and ocean vessel, and connecting Changan (todays Xian), China, with Antioch, Asia Minor, as well as other points. ... Location of Kashgar Kashgars Sunday market Kashgar (also spelled Cascar[citation needed]; Uyghur: قەشقەر/; Chinese: ; pinyin: Kāshí, ), is an oasis city in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... For the county in Shanxi province, see Xinjiang County. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Abbottabad (Urdu: ایبٹ آباد ) is a district in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. ... The Grand Trunk Road (abbreviated to GT Road in common usage) is one of South Asias oldest and longest major roads. ... Hasan Abdal is a small town in Northern Punjab. ... Islamabad (Urdu: اسلام آباد, abode of Islam), is the capital city of Pakistan, and is located in the Potohar Plateau in the northwest of the country. ...

The highway cuts through the collision zone between the Asian and Indian continents, where China, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India come within 250km of each other. Owing largely to the extremely sensitive state of the Kashmir conflict between India and Pakistan, the Karakoram highway has strategic and military importance. Continental collision is a phenomenon of the plate tectonics of our solid Earth. ...

On June 30, 2006, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Pakistani Highway Administration and China's State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) to rebuild and upgrade the KKH. According to SASAC, the width of the highway will be expanded from 10 meters to 30 meters, and its transport capacity will be increased three times. As well, the upgraded road will be constructed to particularly accommodate heavy-laden vehicles and extreme weather conditions. June 30 is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 184 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A memorandum of understanding (MOU) is a legal document describing an agreement between parties. ...

China and Pakistan are also planning to link the Karakoram Highway to the southern port of Gwadar in Balochistan through the Chinese-aided Gwadar-Dalbandin railway, which extends up to Rawalpindi. Gwadar port is located at Gwadar city at the entrance of the Persian Gulf on Arabian Sea and about 460 km west of Karachi in Balochistan, Pakistan. ... Balochistan or Baluchistan may refer to: Balochistan (region) is the name of a large region covering southwest Pakistan and southeast Iran Balochistan (Iran) is part of the Iranian Sistan and Baluchistan Province Balochistan (Pakistan) is the name of a province of Pakistan. ... Rawalpindi (Urdu: راولپنڈی) is a city in the Potwar Plateau near Islamabad, the current capital of Pakistan, in the province of Punjab. ...

Tourism

The highway provides accessibility for adventure tourism.

In recent years, the highway has become a destination for adventure tourism. The road has also given mountaineers and cyclists easier access to the many high mountains, glaciers and lakes in the area. The highway also provides access to Gilgit and Skardu from Islamabad by road. These are the two major hubs for mountaineering expeditions in the Northern Areas of Pakistan Administered Kashmir^[2] Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (640x956, 199 KB)Cyclists travel the Karakoram Highway. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (640x956, 199 KB)Cyclists travel the Karakoram Highway. ... Adventure tourism is a type of niche tourism involving exploration or travel to remote areas, where the traveler should expect the unexpected. ... Adventure tourism is a type of niche tourism involving exploration or travel to remote areas, where the traveler should expect the unexpected. ... Mountaineering is an umbrella term that can variously be used to describe the actions of climbing, hillwalking and scrambling. ... A cyclist is a person who engages in cycling whether as a sport or rides a bicycle for recreation or transportation. ... Gilgit is a region in the Northern Areas of Pakistan, bordering the Chinese region of Xinjiang. ... Skardu is the capital city of Baltistan a subdivision of the Northern Areas of Pakistan. ... Islamabad (Urdu: اسلام آباد, abode of Islam), is the capital city of Pakistan, and is located in the Potohar Plateau in the northwest of the country. ... Shown in green is the Kashmiri region under Pakistani control. ...

Mountains and glaciers

Karakoram Highway provides the pathway to expeditions for almost all peaks in the Northern Areas of Pakistan and several peaks in Xinjiang China. The regions includes some of the world's largest glaciers like Baltoro Glacier. Five of the Eight-thousanders (above 8,000m) of the world that are in Pakistan are accessible by the highway. The peaks include: Shown in green is the Kashmiri region under Pakistani control. ... For the county in Shanxi province, see Xinjiang County. ... K2 from Concordia The Baltoro Glacier, at over 70 kilometers long, is one of the longest glaciers outside of the polar regions. ... Cho Oyu, Lhotse, Makalu and Mount Everest as seen from the International Space Station. ...

• K2, border of Pakistan and China, 2nd highest in the world at 8,611m.
• Nanga Parbat, Pakistan, 9th highest of the world at 8,125m
• Gasherbrum I, border of Pakistan and China, 11th highest of the world at 8,080m.
• Broad Peak, border of Pakistan and China, 12th highest of the world at 8,047m.
• Gasherbrum II-IV, Pakistan, 13th-17th highest of the world at 8,035m-7,932m
• Masherbrum (K1), Pakistan, 22nd highest of the world at 7,821m.
• Muztagh Ata, China, 7,546m.
• Kongur Tagh, China, 7,719m.

The North Face of K2 K2 is the second-highest mountain on Earth. ... Nanga Parbat (also known as Nangaparbat Peak or Diamir) is the ninth highest mountain on Earth and the second highest in Pakistan. ... Gasherbrum I (also known as Hidden Peak or K5) is the eleventh highest peak on Earth. ... Broad Peak (originally named K3) is the 12th highest mountain on Earth and 4th highest in Pakistan. ... Gasherbrum is a remote group of peaks located at the northeastern end of the Baltoro Glacier in the Karakoram range of the Himalaya. ... Masherbrum is a mountain in the Karakoram region of the Pakistani Himalaya. ... Muztagh Ata, or Muztagata, is the second highest mountain in the Kunlun Shan, the mountain range which forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. ... Kongur Tagh (also referred to as Kongur or Kongur Shan) is the highest peak of the Kunlun Mountains in China. ...

Rivers & Lakes

Several lakes are also made accessible by the highway. These include:

• Karakul Lake in Xinjiang (China)
• Sheosar Lake in Deosai Plains (Pakistan)
• Satpara Lake in Skardu (Pakistan)
• Shangrila Lake in Skardu (Pakistan)
• Rama Lake near Astore (Pakistan)

The Indus River accommodates the highway for approximately 200km, where they divide the Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges. Karakul Lake Karakul Lake (Kirgiz: black lake) is located approximately 200km from Kashgar, Xinjiang province, China, in Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture on the Karakoram Highway, before reaching Tashkurgan, the Khunjerab Pass on the China - Pakistan border and Sost in Pakistan. ... For the county in Shanxi province, see Xinjiang County. ... Sheosar Lake in Deosai Plains Sheosar Lake is a lake situated in Deosai Plains, Northern Areas of Pakistan. ... Deosai National Park is located above the tree line and at an average height of 13,500 feet above sea level, the Deosai Plains are among the highest plateaus in the world. ... Satpara Lake in 2002 Satpara Lake is an important lake in Skardu Valley which supplies water for the town of Skardu, which is located at 2286 meters (7500 ft). ... Skardu is the capital city of Baltistan a subdivision of the Northern Areas of Pakistan. ... Shangrila Resort, Skardu Shangrila Lake or Lower Kachura Lake is a part of the Shangrila resort located at a drive of about 20 minutes from Skardu (nearly 2500 m or 8,200 feet) town. ... Skardu is the capital city of Baltistan a subdivision of the Northern Areas of Pakistan. ... Rama Lake is a lake near Astore in Northern Areas, Pakistan. ... Astore Valley is a District in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. ... The position of the Sindhu River in Iron Age (Vedic) India. ... Perspective view of the Himalaya and Mount Everest as seen from space looking south-south-east from over the Tibetan Plateau. ... The Himalaya as seen from the International Space Station A mountain range is a group of mountains bordered by lowlands or separated from other mountain ranges by passes or rivers. ...

Deosai Plains

Deosai Plains, the second highest plains of the world at 4,115 m (13,500 feet) are in the South of Skardu and in the East of the Astore Valley. The plains cover an area of 3,000 square km. The area was declared as Deosai National Park in 1993. Deosai National Park is located above the tree line and at an average height of 13,500 feet above sea level, the Deosai Plains are among the highest plateaus in the world. ... Skardu is the capital city of Baltistan a subdivision of the Northern Areas of Pakistan. ... Astore or Astor is a valley and town and is the capital of the the Astore District of Northern Areas, Pakistan. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ...

Rock art and petroglyphs

Main article: Northern Areas, Pakistan#Rock art and petroglyphs

Ancient petroglyphs near Chilas

There are more than 20,000 pieces of rock art and petroglyphs all along the highway that are concentrated at ten major sites between Hunza and Shatial. The carvings were left by various invaders, traders and pilgrims who passed along the trade route, as well as by locals. The earliest date back to between 5000 and 1000 BC, showing single animals, triangular men and hunting scenes in which the animals are larger than the hunters. These carvings were pecked into the rock with stone tools and are covered with a thick patina that proves their age. The Northern Areas (Urdu: شمالی علاقے ) or Gilgit-Baltistan is the northernmost region of Pakistani-administered Kashmir. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Petroglyphs_near_Chilas_-_Pakistan05_007. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Petroglyphs_near_Chilas_-_Pakistan05_007. ... Petroglyphs on a Bishop Tuff tableland Petroglyph on Petroglyph Point Petroglyphs on Petroglyph Point Petroglyphs on Petroglyph Point Petroglyphs on Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument Petroglyphs from Scandinavia (Häljesta, Västmanland in Sweden). ... // History Geography Climate Economy Civic administration Transport Utility services Demographics People and culture Media Education Sports External links Further reading References ... Petroglyphs on Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument, southern Utah, USA Petroglyphs are images incised in rock, usually by prehistoric, especially Neolithic, peoples. ... This page is about the town of Hunza in northern areas of Pakistan. ... Pilgrims is the name commonly applied to early settlers of the Plymouth Colony. ... BC or B.C. may stand for: Before Christ, a year before the beginning of the year count that starts with the conventional year of the birth of Jesus British Columbia, a Canadian province B.C. (comic), syndicated comic strip by Johnny Hart BC wheel, the impossible wheel, a unicycle... Carving can mean Rock carving Wood carving Meat carving Ivory carving Bone carving Skiing carving style See also: Sculpture, Lapidary This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Statue of Liberty gets its green color from the patina formed on its copper surface Patinas are chemical compounds formed on the surface of metals. ...

The archaeologist Karl Jettmar has pieced together the history of the area from various inscriptions and recorded his findings in Rockcarvings and Inscriptions in the Northern Areas of Pakistan and the later released Between Gandhara and the Silk Roads - Rock carvings Along the Karakoram Highway.

Commuter service between Gilgit and Kashghar

On June 1, 2006, a daily bus service began between Gilgit, FANA, Pakistan and Kashghar, China, through the Sust and Tashkorgan border area.^[3] Gilgit is a region in the Northern Areas of Pakistan, bordering the Chinese region of Xinjiang. ... Location of Kashgar Kashgar (Uyghur: قەشقەر/K̢ǝxk̢ǝr; Chinese: 喀什; Pinyin: Kāshí, ), is an oasis city in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... June 1 is the 152nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (153rd in leap years), with 213 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Gilgit is a region in the Northern Areas of Pakistan, bordering the Chinese region of Xinjiang. ... Location of Kashgar Kashgar (Uyghur: قەشقەر/K̢ǝxk̢ǝr; Chinese: 喀什; Pinyin: Kāshí, ), is an oasis city in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ...

Weather

Landslides often disturb the traffic for several hours

The KKH is best travelled in the spring or early autumn. Heavy snow during harsh winters can shut the highway down for extended periods. Heavy monsoon rains, around July and August, cause occasional landslides that can block the road for hours or more. The border crossing between China and Pakistan at Khunjerab Pass is open only between May 1 and October 15 of every year. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (876x592, 400 KB) Beschreibung: En: Landslides block the road (Karakoram Highway)frequently for several hours or even days. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (876x592, 400 KB) Beschreibung: En: Landslides block the road (Karakoram Highway)frequently for several hours or even days. ... Monsoon in the Vindhya mountain range, central India A monsoon is a wind pattern that reverses direction with the seasons. ... This entry refers to the geological term landslide. ... Khunjerab Pass from Pakistani side Snow leopard, an endangered species, is found in the Khunjerab National Park The Khunjerab Pass is a high mountain pass on the northern border of Pakistan with the Peoples Republic of China. ...

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Karakoram Highway

• Silk Road
• Karakoram
• Northern Areas
• Xinjiang
• Gilgit
• Kashghar

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Wikimedia Commons logo by Reid Beels The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ... The Silk Road, or Silk Route, is an interconnected series of routes through Southern Asia traversed by caravan and ocean vessel, and connecting Changan (todays Xian), China, with Antioch, Asia Minor, as well as other points. ... Located in the mountainous regions of Gilgit, Ladakh & Baltistan, Gilgit and Baltistan are in Pakistan, the Karakoram is one of the great Himalayan mountain ranges, with many of the highest and most daunting peaks of the world. ... Shown in green is the Kashmiri region under Pakistani control. ... For the county in Shanxi province, see Xinjiang County. ... Gilgit is a region in the Northern Areas of Pakistan, bordering the Chinese region of Xinjiang. ... Location of Kashgar Kashgar (Uyghur: قەشقەر/K̢ǝxk̢ǝr; Chinese: 喀什; Pinyin: Kāshí, ), is an oasis city in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ...

References

• Curzon, George Nathaniel. 1896. The Pamirs and the Source of the Oxus. Royal Geographical Society, London. Reprint: Elibron Classics Series, Adamant Media Corporation. 2005. ISBN 1-4021-5983-8 (pbk; ISBN 1-4021-3090-2 (hbk).
• Rall, Ted. "Silk Road to Ruin: Is Central Asia the New Middle East?" New York: NBM Publishing, 2006.

1. ^ 25th Anniversary of the Karakoram Highway (1978 - 2003)". Pakistan Post Office, May 16, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-07-10.
2. ^ Pakistan and the Karakoram Highway, Owen Bennett-Jones, Lindsay Brown, and John Mock, Lonely Planet Publications; 6 Rev Ed edition (30 Sep 2004), ISBN 0864427093
3. ^ Kashghar-Gilgit bus service planned, DAWN Newspaper, 23 March 2006

May 16 is the 136th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (137th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... July 10 is the 191st day (192nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 174 days remaining. ... Dawn is Pakistans oldest and most widely-read English-language newspaper. ...

External links

• Blankonthemap The Northern Kashmir WebSite
• Northern Areas Development Gateway
• Pakistan's Northern Areas
• Karakoram Highway Map
• A good brief description of the highway