Dir District

Dir
دیر
Natural region
(former Princely state) and District
Map
Coordinates: 35°10′N 72°00′E / 35.167°N 72.000°E / 35.167; 72.000
Country Pakistan
Area
 • Total
5,282 km2 (2,039 sq mi)
Population
 (1998)
 • Total
1,373,710
 • Density260/km2 (670/sq mi)
Languages
 • Spoken Language(s)Pashto, Gawri
Time zonePST
Largest city or townTimergara, Wari and Dir

Dir is a region in northwestern Pakistan in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in the foothills of the Himalayas. Before the independence of Pakistan, Dir was a princely state, and it remained so until 1969 when it was abolished by a presidential declaration,[1] and the Dir District was created the following year. The area covers 5,280 square kilometres. In 1996 Dir district was officially divided into Lower Dir District and Upper Dir District.

The district is situated between Chitral and Peshawar. It is bordered by Chitral to the northwest and north, Swat to the east, Malakand to the south, Bajaur to the southwest, and Afghanistan to the west.[2][3]

  1. ^ "Upper Dir District: History of Dir". Syed Ziafat Ali. Archived from the original on 21 May 2015.
  2. ^ Schweitzer, Sylvia; et al. (2008). Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Dir Area Support Project, Completion Evaluation (Report No. 1993-PK) (PDF). Rome, Italy: International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). p. 2. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 December 2008.
  3. ^ "Vulnerable Areas and Threatening Water Channels - North Region". Provincial Disaster Management Authority, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Archived from the original on 21 May 2015. Retrieved 6 November 2015.