Karimabad

Karimabad, also called Baltit or Hunza, town in the Gilgit-Baltistan area of the Pakistani-administered portion of the Kashmir region, in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent. Formerly a small principality under the hereditary ruler known as the Mir of Hunza, it joined with Pakistan in 1947. The town, situated on the west bank of the Hunza River, was a stopping place for travelers descending from the Hindu Kush mountains into the Vale of Kashmir. Surrounded by snowcapped mountain peaks such as the Rakaposhi, vast glaciers such as the Ulter, and deep gorges, Karimabad is accessible by mountain road from Gilgit. Roses, pansies, lilies, zinnias, and cosmos grow wild in the area, as do willow, fir, and poplar trees. Snow leopards, markhors (a type of goat), ibexes, yaks, red-striped foxes, ducks, and Marco Polo sheep also inhabit the region. The local residents use irrigation to grow crops of rice, corn (maize), fruits, and vegetables.