Chitral, or Chitrāl, is the name of a town (35° 53' N; 71° 48' E), valley, river, district, and former princely state in the former Malakand Division of the Northwest Frontier Province of Pakistan.

Chitral Town, capital of the Chitral District, is situated on the west bank of the Chitral (or Kunar) River. The town is at the foot of Tirich Mir, the highest peak of the Hindu Kush, 7,708 m or 25,289 ft high. It has a population of about 20,000, while the District (of 14,833 sq km or 5,727 sq mi), has a population of about 300,000. The altitude of the valley is about 1,100 m or 3,700 ft.

Geography

The easiest route during summer (it was closed by snow in the winter), and the only one which also allowed the use of pack animals, went over the Broghol Pass (3,798 m or 12,460 ft) to Mastuj and, from there, either east towards

There is also a more difficult route over the dangerous Lowari Pass (3,200 m or 10,499 ft), 365 km (227 mi) south to the region of Peshawar. It is now jeepable, but used mainly because the easier route to Jalalabad is blocked by the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. There is also a 405 km (252 mi) route to Gilgit over the 3,719 m (12,201 ft) Shandur Pass.

Population

The main tribe, the Khos, speak Khowar (or Chitrali), one of the Dardic languages, which is also spoken in parts of Yasin, Gilgit and Swat. Chitral is known for the famous Kalash tribe that resides in three remote valleys west of Ayun, which is ten miles down from Chitral town.

See also

• State of Chitral
• North-West Frontier Province

Chitrâl Chitral