About this sound Islamabad (help·info) (Urdu: ‫ ;اسلم آباد‬Islām ābād, lit.

Abode of Islam) is the capital of

Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. The population of the city has increased from 100,000 in
1951[2] to 1.21 million in 2009.[3][4] The Rawalpindi/Islamabad Metropolitan Area is the third largest in
Pakistan with a population of over 4.5 million inhabitants.[5]

Islamabad is located in the Pothohar Plateau in the north of the country, within the Islamabad Capital
Territory. The region has historically been a part of the crossroads of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
with Margalla pass acting as the gateway between the two regions.[6] The city was built during the 1960s
to replace Karachi as Pakistan's capital.

Islamabad is a well-organized city divided into different sectors and zones. It was ranked as a Gamma
world city in 2008.[7] The city is home to Faisal Mosque, the largest mosque in South Asia and the sixth
largest mosque in the world.

Islamabad has the highest literacy rate in Pakistan[8] and is home to the some of the top ranked
universities in Pakistan, including Quaid-i-Azam University, Pakistan Institute of Engineering & Applied
Sciences and the National University of Sciences and Technology.[9] Allama Iqbal Open University in
Islamabad is one of the world's largest universities by enrollment.[10]

The population of the city is around 950,000 people of which 66% is urban. It is thus the most advanced
region in Pakistan. It has an area of about 910 square kilometres

When the master plan for Islamabad was drawn up in 1960, Islamabad and Rawalpindi, along with
the adjoining areas, would be integrated to form a large metropolitan area called Islamabad/Rawalpindi
Metropolitan Area. The area would consist of the developing Islamabad, the old colonial, cantonement
city of Rawalpindi, and Margalla Hills National Park, including surrounding rural areas.[36] The three
combined areas are now called Islamabad Capital Territory.

Initially, it was proposed that the three areas would be connected by four major highways: Murree
Highway, Islamabad Highway, Soan Highway, and Capital Highway. However, to date only two highways
have been constructed: Kashmir Highway (the former Murree Highway) and Islamabad Highway.[36]

Islamabad is the hub all the governmental activities while Rawalpindi is the centre of all industrial,
commercial, and military activities. The two cities are considered sister cities and are highly
interdependent.

Faizabad Interchange is the main gateway between the twin Pakistani cities of Rawalpindi & Islamabad. It
was the first modern highway interchange of Pakistan made during late 1990s to better solve the traffic
problem on Murree Road & Islamabad Highway
slamabad is located at 33.43°N 73.04°E at the edge of the Pothohar Plateau at the foot of the
Margalla Hills in Islamabad Capital Territory. Its elevation is 507 metres (1,663 ft).[22] The
modern capital and the ancient Gakhar city of Rawalpindi stand side by side and are commonly
referred to as the Twin Cities. To the east of the city lies Murree and Kotli Sattian. To the north
lies the Haripur District of North-West Frontier Province. Kahuta lies on the northeast, Taxila,
Wah Cantt, and Attock District to the northwest, Gujar Khan, Kallar Syedian, Rawat, and
Mandrah on the northeast, and Rawalpindi to the southwest. Islamabad is located 120 kilometres
(75 mi) SSW of Muzaffarabad, 185 kilometres (115 mi) east of Peshawar, 295 kilometres
(183 mi) NNE of Lahore, and 300 kilometres (190 mi) WSW of Srinagar, the capital of Indian
Kashmir.
The area of Islamabad is 906 square kilometres (350 sq mi). A further 2,717 square kilometres
(1,049 sq mi) area is known as the Specified Area, with the Margala Hills in the north and northeast. The
southern portion of the city is an undulating plain. It is drained by the Kurang River, on which the Rawal
Dam is located.[23]

About this sound Rawalpindi (help·info) (Urdu, Potwari, Punjabi: ‫راولپنڈی‬,Rāwalpindī) is a city in the
Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab.
Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad. In the 1950s,
Rawalpindi was smaller than Hyderabad and Multan, but the city's economy received a boost during the
building of Islamabad (1959–1969), during which time Rawalpindi served as the national capital and its
population increased from 180,000 to over 2.1 million.[citation needed] Rawalpindi is located in the
northernmost part of the Punjab province, 275 km (171 miles) to the north-west of Lahore. It is the
administrative seat of the Rawalpindi District. The total area of the city is approximately 154 square
kilometres (59 sq mi). Rawalpindi is the military headquarters of the Pakistani Armed Forces.

Rawalpindi, locally known as Pindi,named after Raja Pindi, is a bustling city on the northernmost part of
the Punjab province, strategically located between the NWFP and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Many
tourists use the city as a stop before traveling towards the northern areas. Rawalpindi is also a prime
destination for the expatriat community of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Numerous shopping bazaars, parks
and a cosmopolitan population attract shoppers from all over Pakistan and abroad. The city is home to
several industries and factories. Islamabad's international airport, Benazir Bhutto International Airport, is
actually located in Rawalpindi, and serves both cities.

Rawalpindi also maintains strong links with the Pahari-Potwari speaking people of neighbouring Azad
Jammu and Kashmir who have many businesses within the city and region

The population of Rawalpindi is approximately 1,991,656[7] according to the 2006 census which includes
many people who come from Punjab villages looking for work in the city.Punjabi is the language of people
and most people speak Pothohari dailect of Punjabi language. The majority of the people of Rawalpindi
are Muslims. There are many mosques throughout the city. The most famous Mosques are Jamia
Mosque, Raja Bazaar Mosque and Eid Gah Mosque which attract thousands of visitors daily. Other
minority religions are Christian, Zoroastrian, Bahai, Parsi, Hinduism and Sikhism. The literacy rate is 80%
(2006–07).[8] The population is ethnically and linguistically heterogeneous, comprising Pothohari, Satti,
Awans, Kathwals, Paharis, Kashmiris, Pakhtuns, Gilgiti, Muhajirs, Hindkowans, Afghans, Sheikh,
Hazaries, Punjabis
Rapidly developing into a large city, Rawalpindi has many good hotels, restaurants, clubs, museums and
parks, of which the largest is the Ayub National Park. Rawalpindi forms the base camp for the tourists
visiting the holiday resorts and hill stations of the Galiyat area, such as Murree, Nathia Gali, Kotli, Ayubia,
Rawlakot, Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Abbottabad, Samahni, Swat, Kaghan, Gilgit, Hunza, Skardu and Chitral.

The city has two main roads: the Grand Trunk Road runs roughly from east to west and is known as The
Mall as it passes through the cantonment. Murree Road originates toward north from The Mall, crosses
the railway lines and brushes the east end of the old city on its way to Islamabad.

The two main bazaar areas are Raja Bazaar in the old city and Saddar Bazaar, which developed as the
cantonment bazaar between the old city and The Mall. Another developing market is the Commercial
Market in the area of Satellite Town near Islamabad.