Sahiwal Division ساہیوال ڈویژن | |
|---|---|
.svg) Location of Sahiwal (in red) inPunjab, Pakistan and (inset) Punjab in Pakistan. | |
| Coordinates:30°39′52″N73°6′30″E / 30.66444°N 73.10833°E /30.66444; 73.10833 | |
| Country |  Pakistan |
| Province |  Punjab |
| Capital | Sahiwal |
| Established | 14 November 2008[1] |
| Districts | 3 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Divisional Administration |
| • Commissioner | Shoaib Iqbal |
| • Regional Police Officer | N/A |
| Area | |
• Division | 10,302 km2 (3,978 sq mi) |
| Population (2023) | |
• Division | 8,533,471 |
| • Density | 828.33/km2 (2,145.4/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 2,417,710 (28.33%) |
| • Rural | 6,115,761 |
| Combined population of all Districts of Sahiwal | |
| Main language(s) | |
| Literacy | |
| • Literacy rate |
|
| Time zone | UTC+5 (PST) |
| Postal code | 57000 |
| Dialling code | 040[3] |
| Website | sahiwaldivision |
Sahiwal Division (Punjabi,Urdu:ساہیوال) is one of the tenDivisions ofPakistan'sPunjab province. Sahiwal Division is situated in east-central Punjab, along theN-5 National Highway, roughly equidistant fromLahore andMultan. It is bordered byFaisalabad Division to the west,Lahore Division to the north,Bahawalpur Division andIndia to the east, andMultan Division to the south. The division is located on thefloodplains of two major rivers: theRavi River to the west and theSutlej River to the east. Additionally, the dry Khushak Bias channel traverses the region, forming a natural boundary betweenSahiwal District andPakpattan District. With an elevation of approximately 500 ft (150 m) above sea level, parts of the division rise to over 200 meters, contributing to its varied topography.
It was formed by merging parts of Lahore Division and Multan Division and took its name Sahiwal from the district and city of the same name. On 14 November 2008, Sahiwal Division was reorganized into three districts:Sahiwal District,Okara District, andPakpattan District.Sahiwal is the capital of the Sahiwal Division. In 1998, the population of Sahiwal was 6,271,247. The population rate of growth was 1.92 percent per annum.[4]
About 18 miles (29 km) southwest of Sahiwal isHarappa, an ancient city of theIndus Valley Civilization. About 28 miles (45 km) west of Sahiwal, atKamalia township, is the site of Malli, a city captured byAlexander the Great in 325 BCE. Alexander stayed in this region ofPunjab for two years in a time of frequent military conflict.[5]
| # | District | Headquarter | Area (km²)[6] | Pop. (2023) | Density (ppl/km²) (2023) | Lit. rate (2023) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Okara | Okara | 4,377 | 3,515,490 | 802.2 | 60.25% |
| 2 | Pakpattan | Pakpattan | 2,724 | 2,136,170 | 785.3 | 57.13% |
| 3 | Sahiwal | Sahiwal | 3,201 | 2,881,811 | 900.6 | 64.77% |
| # | Tehsil | Area (km²)[7] | Pop. (2023) | Density (ppl/km²) (2023) | Lit. rate (2023) | Districts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Depalpur | 2,502 | 1,592,201 | 636.37 | 55.29% | Okara District |
| 2 | Okara | 1,241 | 1,393,746 | 1,123.08 | 63.34% | |
| 3 | Renala Khurd | 634 | 529,543 | 835.24 | 66.98% | |
| 4 | Arifwala | 1,241 | 999,278 | 805.22 | 58.24% | Pakpattan District |
| 5 | Pakpattan | 1,483 | 1,136,892 | 766.62 | 56.11% | |
| 6 | Chichawatni | 1,591 | 1,155,978 | 726.57 | 65.25% | Sahiwal District |
| 7 | Sahiwal | 1,610 | 1,725,833 | 1,071.95 | 64.44% |
In theKöppen climate classification, Sahiwal has aSemi-arid climate. More precisely, it is intermediate between aDesert climate (BW) and aHumid subtropical climate.
Temperatures in Sahiwal vary between hot and very hot in summer and are mild in winters. In May, June and July, temperatures increase to maximums between 40 and 50 °C. In winter months, the temperature falls to minimums between 5 and 10 °C.
Sahiwal lies on the edge of theThar Desert at a low altitude and so, wet seasons are warm and dry seasons are cool. Sahiwal is also affected by themonsoon. Precipitation is very heavy in the monsoon, and dry during the rest of the year, with few or no months bringing moderate levels of precipitation.
The annual average rainfall in Sahiwal is approximately 349 mm.[8]
The soil in Sahiwal is fertile. The vegetation is short andscrubby. The land supports grasses,shrubs and some forests.
Theeconomy of Sahiwal Division depends onagriculture and associated industries. The largest crop is wheat, followed by cotton.
TheSahiwal cattle breed, a dairy breed ofZebu or "humped cattle" is grown in the region. This cattle breed istick resistant, heat tolerant and resistant to external and internal parasites Due to their heat tolerance and high milk production, Sahiwal cattle are grown in otherAsian countries,African nations such as Kenya, Burundi, Somalia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria and Caribbean nations such as Jamaica, and Guyana.[9][10][11][12][13]
Other livestock types that are grown in Sahiwal include sheep, and goat. Fish and poultry are also in abundant.
TheNili-Ravi is a breed of domesticwater buffalo native to the Sahiwal area.
The average urban literacy rate of Sahiwal Division (Sahiwal, Okara, and Pakpattan) is 60.7 percent. The average rural literacy rate is 33.8 percent.[14]
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | ... | — |
| 1961 | ... | — |
| 1972 | ... | — |
| 1981 | ... | — |
| 1998 | 5,362,866 | — |
| 2017 | 7,380,386 | +1.69% |
| 2023 | 8,533,471 | +2.45% |
| Sources:[15] | ||
According to2023 census, Sahiwal division had a population of 8,533,471[16] roughly equal to the nation ofHonduras[17] or the US state ofVirginia.[18]
According to2017 census, Sahiwal division had a population of 7,378,065, which includes 3,769,226 males and 3,608,089 females.
According to 1998Census in Pakistan, the population of Sahiwal Division was 6,271,247. Thepopulation density was 608 people per square kilometre, 47% were female, 75% lived in an urban environment. The urban literacy rate was 60.7 percent. The rural literacy rate was 33.8 percent.
Latvia 2,204,708, July 2011 est.
New Mexico - 2,059,179
Neighbourhoods ofSahiwal | ||
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Administrations:Sahiwal Division andSahiwal District | ||
| Tehsils |  | |
| Cities |
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| Towns and councils | ||
| Villages | ||
Website:Sahiwal District atNRB | ||