Islamabad (Urdu اسلام آباد‎, English Islamabad) is the capital of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Cultural, political and economic center of the country.

Geographic location
The capital of Pakistan is located near the northwestern outskirts of the Himalayas, on the Potwar Plateau. To the north of Islamabad is located the largest mountain junction of Asia and the whole world, the intersection of the ranges – Hindu Kush, Pamir, Karakoram. The Himalayas stretch east of the city. West of Islamabad flows the Indus River. The city center is located at an altitude of 507 m above sea level.

Climate
The climate of Islamabad is subtropical, which is strongly influenced by seasonal winds – monsoons, as well as a foothill location. Islamabad is located in a zone of moderate humidity, which is rare for Pakistan, as many areas of the country suffer from an arid climate. During the year, up to 900 mm of precipitation falls in the capital area. The warmest month in Islamabad is June (not July or August). The reason for this is the onset of the monsoon in July-August, when precipitation is plentiful and the average temperature decreases. The average June temperature is +31.3 °C. The coldest month is January, with an average temperature of +10.2 °C. Warm days and cold nights are characteristic, frosts occur from time to time in the winter months, although quite rarely; sometimes snow falls, although also infrequently.
The natural vegetation in the suburbs has the character of desert savannahs (chia, wormwood, capers, astragalus). The fauna surrounding the capital of Pakistan is represented by leopards, wild sheep and goats, Persian gazelle, hyenas, jackals, wild boars, wild donkeys and numerous rodents. The world of birds is diverse (eagles, vultures, peacocks, parrots). Lots of snakes.

Population, language, religion
Islamabad is a cosmopolitan city. The official language is Urdu. It is of great importance as a means of interethnic communication and the basis of literary creativity. Along with it, English is widespread in the business and educational life of the capital. Urdu is not widely used in everyday life (about 10% of the townspeople consider it native). Punjabi is the most widely spoken language – it is the native language for 72% of the inhabitants of Islamabad. The second place is shared by Urdu and Pashto (10% of the population each), other languages ​​are spoken by less than 1% of the population cities.

Since Islam is the state religion in Pakistan, the vast majority of the inhabitants of Islamabad (95.53%) are Muslims. Most of them are supporters of the Sunni direction, there are also Shiites. 0.22% are Ahmadiyya (Muslim community of followers of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad). In 1974, the Pakistani Parliament passed a law declaring Ahmadis to be non-Muslims. Christians make up 1.59% of the population of Islamabad, Hindus – 1.6%.

History of the city
The Indus Basin is one of the oldest centers of civilization on Earth. Islamabad is located to the north of the main cultural centers, however, people have inhabited the surroundings of the current Pakistani capital since ancient times. Here is the intersection of the most important trade routes connecting the countries of Central Asia, the Indian Peninsula and Tibet.
Such a favorable economic situation had a very positive impact on the development of Islamabad’s rival city, Rawalpindi. Before the appearance of the current capital on the map, this city occupied a dominant position in the region. It was decided to build a new city in 1959. A large-scale project was developed by 1960, under the direction of the Greek architect Konstantinos Doxiadis. The plan was implemented by a number of both foreign and Pakistani specialists.

Islamabad became the main city of the country in full measure only at the end of the 1960s, when the main government institutions were moved to the new city from Rawalpindi, which played the role of a temporary capital.
Having received the status of the capital from the moment of its birth, Islamabad is developing rapidly. A high birth rate and, as a result, population growth has created a number of problems for the city authorities. To solve them, the authorities of the capital at this stage are unsuccessfully trying to limit the influx of migrants.
In 2008, the Danish embassy in Islamabad was completely terror attacked. 6 people died.

Cultural Significance
Islamabad was originally built as the capital of the state. Поэтому представляет большой интерес планировка cities. In the architecture of Islamabad, one can note a successful combination of local traditions with the European architectural school. The main part of the city was erected between 1960 and 1980. Of the buildings, the Scheherazade Hotel, the Faisal Mosque, the parliament building can be noted. The capital of Pakistan scientific and educational center of the country. The city has a large National Library, Open University, Qaid-e-Azam University, the Institute of Islamic Studies, the world famous Institute of Nuclear Research and Technology, and some other universities. The city is home to the Pakistan Monument and the residence of the country’s president, Ivan-e-Sadr. Also in the city there are the following attractions: Lok Virsa Museum, Pakistan Museum of Natural History, National Art Gallery, Fatima Jinnah Park, Rose and Jasmine Garden.