Abbottabad

Abbottabad, city, east-central Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, northern Pakistan. It is situated 38 miles (61 km) northeast of Rawalpindi. A hill station (4,120 feet [1,256 metres]), it lies on a plateau at the southern corner of the Rash (Orash) Plain and is the gateway to the picturesque Kagan Valley. It is connected by road with the Indus Plain and the Kashmir region and by railhead (at Havelian, 10 miles [16 km] south) with Peshawar. Abbottabad is a district market centre. It was founded in 1853 and named after Maj. James Abbott, the first British deputy commissioner of the region. There are parks, a preparatory school, several colleges affiliated with the University of Peshawar, and a forest research centre. The Pakistan Military Academy is at Kakul, 5 miles (8 km) northeast. Major iron-ore deposits are nearby. With its lush scenery and proximity to the Himalayas and the Karakoram Range, the city is a popular summer resort. Pop. (1998) 106,101.