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Kharmang Valley وادیِ کھرمنگ | |
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  Kharmang Valley Location within Gilgit–Baltistan Show map of Gilgit Baltistan Kharmang Valley Location within Pakistan Show map of Pakistan | |
| Coordinates:34°56′40″N76°13′21″E / 34.94444°N 76.22250°E /34.94444; 76.22250 | |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Adm. Unit | Gilgit–Baltistan |
| District | Kharmang District |
| Time zone | UTC+5 (PKT) |
TheKharmang Valley (Urdu:وادی کھرمنگ), also known asKartaksha,[1][2] is one of the five main valleys inGilgit–Baltistan region ofPakistan.[3][4] The area became a district in 2015,[5] with its temporary headquarters at the town ofTolti.[6] The valley is located 120 kilometres (75 mi) from the city ofSkardu.[7]
Tourist destinations in the area include Manthokha Waterfall, Khamosh Waterfall, Mehdiabad Valley, Kharmang Khas Valley, and Kharmang Fort, which is located in Kharmang Khas Valley. Kharmang is the region where theIndus River enters Pakistani-administered territory from theLeh district in theIndian-controlled territory of the disputedKashmir region.
Kahrmang is aBalti word that consists of two parts (khar means "fort" andmang means "abundant"). The nameKharmang was given to the valley in the era ofAli Sher Khan Anchan, who built many forts in this region because of its strategic importance.
According to theGazetteer of Kashmir and Ladak (1890), Kharmang is an oldilaqa ofBaltistan that consists of the right bank of theIndus from the border ofLadakh to the village ofPari, and from the source of theShingo River to the village ofTolti on the left bank of the Indus.[2]
Kharmang valley is a populated area. The approximate population is about 20,000 households (approximately 60,000 people); most of the population resides in scattered villages. The main source of income is subsistence livestock rearing for their livelihood and agriculture and unskilled man power working abroad and urban centers of Pakistan. Many Kharmang people work in Gulf countries with a majority inKuwait,Bahrain andSaudi Arabia. Natives of Kharmang Valley speakBalti,Shina and predominantly followShia Islam, with the exception of a few people who belong toNoorbakhshi who live around Mehdi Abad.[citation needed]
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