Ziarat District

Ziarat is a district in the north of Balochistan province of Pakistan. Ziarat town (situated at an altitude of about 2,400 meters) is headquarters of the district of the Sub division, and also of the tehsil. Khalifat Hills are the highest peak with an altitude of 11.400 feet (3.475 m) in Ziarat district. Ziarat District has the highest Human Development Index of all districts in Balochistan.

Administration

Ziarat District was established in July, 1986. The district, with a population of 52855, is subdivided into two tehsils Ziarat and Sinjavi the latter is the most densely populated having a population of 32,456, while Ziarat Tehsil has a population of 18,000. The district contain a total of ten Union Councils

Demography

The population of Ziarat district was estimated to be over 100,000 in 2005. Over 99% of the people of the area are Muslims. The main language of the district is 99 percent Pashto.

Tourism

Ziarat has some of the oldest Juniper forests in the world. A tourist destination, the economy of the district also benefits from orchards of apples and cherries. The Ziarat district has the highest Human Development Index of all districts in the province. The Founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah spent his last days of his life in Ziarat Residency in Ziarat.

Harnai

Harnai (Pashto: هرنای‎) is the capital of Harnai District in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. It is located in the north east of Balochistan province. The town is surrounded by the cities Ziarat, Loralai and the state capital, Quetta. The population is predominantly Pashtun followed by Baloch and Waneci dialect of Pashto and Balochi is spoken in the area.

Geography

Harnai is surrounded by mountainous ranges. The encircling hills have the resounding names of Khalifat and Zarghoon.

Climate

The minimum and maximum winter temperature of the area is -2˚C to 20˚C. The summer is extreme in the area and the minimum and maximum temperature falls between 20˚C to 48˚C. Harnai has a fertile rainy season during monsoon time. In general Harnai has a pleasant weather in winter season.

Geography and climate

Harnai is surrounded by mountainous ranges. The minimum and maximum winter temperature of the area is -2˚C to 20˚C. The summer is extreme in the area and the minimum and maximum temperature falls between 20˚C to 48˚C. Harnai has a fertile rainy season during monsoon time. In general Harnai has a pleasant weather in winter season.

Ziarat

Ziarat (Urdu: زیارت‎) is the capital of Ziarat District, Balochistan Province, Pakistan. It is a holiday resort, and was the summer residence of the chief commissioner of Balochistan and a sanatorium for European troops. It is 8,850 feet above sea level and is located about 125 km from Quetta. The surrounding hills are wooded and picturesque. The Khilafat Hills include Ziarat's highest peak, with an altitude of 11,400 feet (3,475 m). Most tourists visit in the summer.

Juniper forest

Near Ziarat is a juniper forest, which features the species Juniperus macropoda.

Pakistan’s largest juniper forest is located in this reserve. The ecosystem is of inestimable value for biodiversity conservation. It is also of great ecological significance, providing local, regional, and global benefits.

The biosphere reserve is home to the largest area of juniper forest (Juniperus excelsa) in Pakistan, covering about 110,000 hectares. It is believed that the forest is the second largest of its kind in the world. The juniper species found there are of global significance because of their advanced age and slow growth rate. In fact, the junipers of Ziarat are among the oldest living trees in the world. Although no dendrological study has yet been conducted, according to one estimate, the age of a mature tree in Ziarat can exceed 1,500 years. Local people refer to the trees as "living fossils". Their remarkable longevity allows research on past weather conditions in the region, making the species of particular significance for studies on climate change and ecology.

Ziarat, Golestan

Ziarat (Persian: زيارت or زيارَت‎‎, also Romanized as Zīārat; also known as Zeyārat-e Khāşeh Rūd, Ziār, Zīārat-e Khāşeh Rūd, Zīārat-e Khāsteh Rūd, and Zīyārat Khāseh Rūd) is a village in the Central District of Gorgan County, Golestan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census its population was 1,964, in 478 families.

Ziarat is located about 8 km south of Gorgan, in the Golestan Province of Iran. The Arabic word 'ziarat' (زيارة), meaning "visit", is used in Persian to refer to (pilgrimage to) a holy place.

Ziarat lies in a valley inside the eastern part of the Caspian Hyrcanian rain forests. There are three mosques in the village and near the shrine is a hot spring that feeds a public bath before joining the valley river. Some of the surrounding hills are grazed by sheep, goats and cattle. South of the village, at the end of a dirt road, is a water fall that is a popular tourist attraction.

References

External links

Ziarat (disambiguation)

Ziarat (Persian: زيارت‎‎) may also refer to:

Iran

Bushehr Province

Golestan Province

Hormozgan Province

Kerman Province