Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (/ˌkaɪbər pəkˈtuːŋkwə/; Pashto: خېبر پښتونخوا; Hindko, Urdu: خیبر پختونخوا, pronounced [ˈxɛːbaɾ paxˈtuːnxuɑː] ⓘ; abbr. KP), formerly known as North West Frontier Province (NWFP), is a province of Pakistan. Located in the northwestern region of the country, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the fourth largest province of Pakistan by land area and the third-largest province by population. It is bordered by the Pakistani provinces of Balochistan to the south, Punjab to the south-east, the territory of Gilgit-Baltistan to the north and north-east, Islamabad Capital Territory to the east and Azad Kashmir to the north-east. It shares an international border with Afghanistan to the west. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has a varied landscape ranging from rugged mountain ranges, valleys, plains surrounded by hills, undulating submontane areas and dense agricultural farms.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
خیبر پختونخوا (Urdu) خېبر پښتونخوا (Pashto) | |
|---|---|
| Province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | |
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Seal | |
Location of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within Pakistan | |
| Coordinates: 34.00°N 71.32°E | |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Established (as NWFP) | 9 November 1901 |
| Provincial status | 1935 |
| Accession to Pakistan | July / August 1947 |
| Merged into West Pakistan | 1955 |
| Restoration | 1 July 1971 |
| Name Changed | 2010 |
| FATA Merger | May 2018 |
| Capital and largest city | Peshawar |
| Government | |
| • Type | Self-governing province subject to the federal government |
| • Body | Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
| • Governor | Haji Ghulam Ali |
| • Chief Minister | Ali Amin Gandapur |
| • Chief Secretary | Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry |
| • Legislature | Provincial Assembly |
| • High Court | Peshawar High Court |
| Area | |
| • Total | 101,741 km2 (39,282 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 4th |
| Population | |
| • Total | 40,856,097 |
| • Rank | 3rd |
| • Density | 402/km2 (1,040/sq mi) |
| GDP (nominal) | |
| • Total (2022) | $38 billion (3rd) |
| GDP (PPP) | |
| • Total (2022) | $152 billion (3rd) |
| Time zone | UTC+05:00 (PKT) |
| Area code | 9291 |
| ISO 3166 code | PK-KP |
| Languages | |
| Notable sports teams | List:
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| HDI (2019) | 0.527 low |
| Literacy rate (2020) | 55.1% |
| Seats in National Assembly | 65 |
| Seats in Provincial Assembly | 145 |
| Divisions | 7 |
| Districts | 38 |
| Tehsils | 105 |
| Union councils | 986 |
| Website | kp |
While it is the third-largest Pakistani province in terms of both its population and its economy, it is geographically the smallest. The province is home to 17.9 percent of Pakistan's total population. The province is multiethnic, with the main ethnic groups being the Pashtuns, Hindkowans, Saraikis, and Chitralis.
Once a stronghold of Buddhism, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the site of the ancient region of Gandhara, including the ruins of the Gandharan capital of Pushkalavati (located near present day Charsadda). The region's history is characterized by frequent invasions by various empires, largely due to its geographical proximity to the historically important Khyber Pass.
Although it is colloquially known by a variety of other names, the name "Khyber Pakhtunkhwa" was brought into effect for the North-West Frontier Province in April 2010, following the passing of the 18th Constitutional Amendment. On 24 May 2018, the National Assembly of Pakistan voted in favour of the 25th Constitutional Amendment, which merged the FATA as well as the Provincially Administered Tribal Areas into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa subsequently approved the bill on 28 May 2018; it was signed into law on 31 May by erstwhile Pakistani president Mamnoon Hussain, which officially completed the administrative merger process.