Abbottabad, the headquarters of Hazara Division, situated at an altitude of 1,225 m (4002 ft) above sea level and surrounded by refreshing green hills of Sarban, is one of the best-known hill resorts of Pakistan. It is situated on the Karakoram Highway ( Silk Route ) to China , 120 Km from Rawalpindi/Islamabad and 205 Km from Peshawar . The terrain of the area is both rugged and scenic, and its location at the base of the Himalayas lends it a temperate climate throughout most of the year. Situated between 33° 50' and 34° 23' North, and 73° 35' and 73° 31' East, Abbottabad is bordered by Mansehra district in the North, Muzzafarabad and Rawalpindi districts in the East, Rawalpindi district in the South and Haripur district in the West.
The city of Abbottabad was founded in 1853 by Maj. James Abbott, who was the first Deputy Commissioner of Hazara District (1849 to 1853. Hazara remained a District right up to its conversion into a Division in 1976. In October 1976, Mansehra was given the status of a full fledged District, which consisted of Mansehra and Batagram Tehsils. Subsequently in July 1991, Haripur Tehsil was separated from Abbottabad and made into a District. Thus only the old Tehsil of Abbottabad remained, which was declared as Abbottabad District. The British maintained a sizeable military presence here, evidenced even today by the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA), which has remained as the major training academy for military officers. The PMA provided fame to Abbottabad for many years, prior to the recent development of the city, from a non-industrial backward area, to a busy modern business, economic and academic centre. The creation of Ayub Medical Complex has once more brought the city into the national limelight and spurred a lasting chapter of growth and development.
Abbottabad district is home to an estimated 928,000 individuals, with the vast majority living in rural areas. Although just 18.6% of the district's residents currently make their home in the cities, deepening poverty is leading to increasing urbanization. Spread over 178,401 ha of predominantly mountainous terrain, population density in the district is high, at 466 persons per km2. Forests cover an area of 39,395 ha, or a little over 20% of the district, accounting for 5.4% of the total forest resources of the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP). The majority of Abbottabad's forested area is today so severely denuded that only 29% of forests support a density greater than 50%. Meanwhile, the gap between use and regenerative capacity continues to widen. Overall, some 48% of land in the district is under agriculture and land use intensity is high. Agriculture is the mainstay of the district's economy but the sector operates at a subsistence level. Of the 63,000 ha under cultivation, only 11% is irrigated. The remaining 56,000 ha of farmland depends exclusively on rain. As a result, per-hectare yields are low, and local demand for cereal crops such as maize and wheat is met through imports. Barring apples and potatoes, the district has few horticultural outputs. Besides subsistence-level agriculture, modest additional income is generated through activities such as backyard poultry farming and livestock rearing. In their present state, the livestock and poultry sectors suffer as a result of poor extension services, inadequate marketing support, and substantial shortages of feed and fodder. Aggravating the scarcity of livestock feed is the fact that the development of rangelands, a major fodder source spread over an estimated 59% of the district, has largely escaped the attention of the concerned departments.
he district is traversed by a number of major roads, including the Karakoram highway and the Murree–Abbottabad road. As a result of its location at the crossroads of major highways, Abbottabad city is exposed to excessive pollution originating from transit traffic. The district is rich in biodiversity, supporting a wide variety of flora and fauna. Two protected areas, the Ayubia National Park and the Qalandarabad game reserve, have been designated. The natural beauty and breathtaking landscape of the district make it an attractive destination for tourists. Even with its rich biodiversity, and the network of roads facilitating access, tourism has witnessed a steady decline in recent years. Instead, Abbottabad serves primarily as a transit point for other destinations, attracting mostly day visitors. Cultural norms in the area are beginning to change, with significant shifts away from traditional values already evident, particularly in urban areas.
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