Ziarat (Urdu: ضلع زیارت) is a district in the north of Balochistan province of Pakistan. Ziarat town (situated at an altitude of about 2,400 meters) is the headquarters of the district, the sub-division, and also of the tehsil. The highest peak of Khalifat Hills, at an altitude of 11,400 feet (3,500 m), is located in Ziarat district.
Ziarat District
ضلع زیارت | |
|---|---|
  | |
 Map of Balochistan with Ziarat District highlighted | |
| Country |  Pakistan |
| Province |  Balochistan |
| Division | Sibi |
| Established | July 1986 |
| Headquarters | Ziarat |
| Government | |
| • Type | District Administration |
| • Deputy Commissioner | N/A |
| • District Police Officer | N/A |
| • District Health Officer | N/A |
| Area | |
| • District | 3,301 km2 (1,275 sq mi) |
| Population (2023)[2] | |
| • District | 189,535 |
| • Density | 57/km2 (150/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 49,402 |
| • Rural | 140,133 |
| Time zone | UTC+5 (PST) |
| Number of Tehsils | 2 [3] |
| Website | ziarat |
Administration
editZiarat District was established in July 1986, previously being part of Sibi District.[1] The district, with a population of 52,855, is subdivided into two tehsils, Ziarat and Sanjawi. The latter is comparatively more densely populated, with a population of 32,456, while Ziarat tehsil has a population of 18,000. The district contains a total of ten Union Councils.[3]
Demography
edit| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 15,853 | — |
| 1972 | 37,688 | +8.19% |
| 1981 | 63,179 | +5.91% |
| 1998 | 80,748 | +1.45% |
| 2017 | 160,095 | +3.67% |
| 2023 | 189,535 | +2.85% |
| Sources:[4] | ||
As of the 2023 census, Ziarat district has 22,894 households and a population of 189,535. The district has a sex ratio of 103.02 males to 100 females and a literacy rate of 43.37%: 53.06% for males and 33.49% for females.[2][5] 78,905 (41.63% of the surveyed population) are under 10 years of age.[6] 49,402 (26.06%) live in urban areas.[2] 684 (0.36% of the surveyed population) are religious minorities, mainly Christians and some Hindus.[7] Pashto is the predominant language, spoken by 98.85% of the population.[8]
Tourism
editZiarat has some of the oldest Juniper forests in the world.[9] 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 first Governor-General of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, spent last days of his life in Ziarat Residency in Ziarat.
Notable people
editReferences
edit- ^ a b PCO 1999, p. 13.
- ^ a b c "7th Population and Housing Census - Detailed Results: Table 1" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
- ^ a b Tehsils & Unions in the District of Ziarat - Government of Pakistan Archived February 9, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Population by administrative units 1951-1998" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
- ^ "7th Population and Housing Census - Detailed Results: Table 12" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
- ^ "7th Population and Housing Census: Population by Mother Tongue, Sex and Rural/Urban" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
- ^ "7th Population and Housing Census - Detailed Results: Table 9" (PDF). www.pbscensus.gov.pk. Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
- ^ "7th Population and Housing Census: Population by Mother Tongue, Sex and Rural/Urban" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
- ^ "Pakistan's Ziarat: An ancient juniper forest and its living fossils". BBC. 22 April 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
Bibliography
edit- 1998 District census report of Ziarat. Census publication. Vol. 19. Islamabad: Population Census Organization, Statistics Division, Government of Pakistan. 1999.