Kalam (Swat)
| Kalam | |||
| State : |
 Pakistan
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| Province : | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | ||
| Coordinates : |
35 ° 30 ' N , 72 ° 35' E
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| Height : |
2070 m
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| Residents : | 5,000 | ||
| Time zone : |
PST ( UTC + 5 )
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Kalam is a sprawling place with about 5,000 inhabitants in the north of the Swat Valley in the Swat District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in northern Pakistan . It is the main town of the Kalam Valley as well as several side valleys.
geography
location
The 2070 m high town of Kalam is - surrounded by the southern foothills of the Hinduraj Mountains - at the confluence of the Gabral and Ushu , which from then on form the Swat River , which flows south . The provincial capital Peshawar is about 260 km (driving distance) to the southwest; the district capital Saidu Sharif is located at a distance of almost 100 km in the southern area of the Swat district.
landscape
The entire Kalam valley and its side valleys are surrounded by mountains - mostly wooded with pine trees - with numerous small rivers and lakes. The mountain peaks in the vicinity of the place are around 3000 to 4000 m high, those at the northern end of the valley reach heights of around 6000 m; the Falak Sher, which can be seen from Mahodand Lake on a clear day, with its 5918 m is the most striking.
climate
Due to the altitude, daytime temperatures rarely exceed 30 ° C in summer; At night and in winter, depending on the cloud cover, it is not uncommon for frost levels to be reached. Rain - or snow at higher altitudes - rarely falls and only in the monsoon months of July to September; However, due to the numerous mountain streams and rivers, water is available in sufficient quantities all year round.
population
The entire Kalam valley with its side valleys is around 1000 km² and has an estimated or projected population of around 50,000 people. The majority of the population consists of Pashtuns , but members of other ethnic groups have also immigrated in recent decades. Most of the residents are Muslims ; they mainly speak Pashtu and Urdu . In the winter months from November to March, many men or entire families, fleeing the cold and looking for work, migrate to the cities of the southern Swat Valley, some 1,000 m below, or to other regions of Pakistan.
economy
The Kalam Valley is comparatively fertile: mainly potatoes, maize and wheat are grown; There are also fruit and nut trees and the small gardens provide the necessary vegetables (especially onions, peas and beans). The roads are paved as far as Kalam; the side streets are mostly only accessible with jeeps. Since the last decades of the 20th century, summer tourism has achieved great economic importance for the place and the entire valley; important places are Usho and Matiltan with the Mahodand lake to the north as well as Gabral and Utrot with the Kundol lake.
history
In contrast to the southern Swat valley, the northern area does not look back on a long history: Although there are no reliable sources, the valley was probably not settled until the 16th or 17th century. In the 19th century, the entire Kalam Valley was a quasi-independent princely state , which was later attached to the princely state of Chitral , which in turn was incorporated into the newly formed state of Pakistan in 1947. During British rule , the entire valley and the surrounding areas were known as Hill Stations , despite the constant risk of earthquakes .
Attractions
There are no historically or culturally significant sights in the town or in the entire region; Most mosques, residential buildings, hotels and administrative buildings have been built from concrete and hollow blocks in the last few decades . The exceptionally attractive landscape within a radius of approx. 25 km, which can be explored on various tours with shared taxis (mostly jeeps) or rented four-wheel drive vehicles, is worth seeing.
Web links
- Kalam Valley - Information (English)