II.

Characteristics

The North-West Frontier Province spans an area of 74,521 sq km (28,773 sq mi). The province is mostly mountainous and rocky, and is crossed by several mountain ranges, including the Hindu Kush in the northwest, the Himalayas in the northeast, and the Sulaimān and Safed Koh ranges in the west.

The province’s climate is extremely diverse. Near Dera Ismāīl Khān in the south is one of the hottest areas in the Indian subcontinent, while across the mountain region to the north the weather is temperate in summer and intensely cold in winter. Canals irrigate the province. Much of Pakistan’s trade with Afghanistan passes through the province, and Peshāwar, the province’s capital city, serves as a market center for goods brought by traveling Afghan merchants. Peshāwar is also the seat of Peshāwar University, founded in 1950. The province’s inhabitants, who are mostly Pashtuns, speak the Pashto language, which is also spoken in Afghanistan.

The province’s culturally varied past is evident throughout the region. Roman and Hellenistic influence flourishes in the popular style of Buddhist art called Gandhara, and Hindu influence is reflected by Mahayana Buddhism, which had its origin in the North-West Frontier Province and from there spread to Central Asia and East Asia. Many important Buddhist relics have been found in the region.