Islamabad (Urdu: اسلام آباد) is the capital and tenth-largest city in Pakistan. It is located in the Islamabad Capital Territory on the northern part of the country, covering 1,165.5 sq km (450 sq mi). The city itself occupies 906 sq km (349.8 sq mi) of the territory and has a population of 1.152 million people within the Islamabad-Rawalpindi Metropolitan Area with 4.5 million inhabitants.
Although human settlement in the Pothohar Plateau, where Islamabad is located, goes back as far as 100,000 years and probably more, the modern city of Islamabad was only established in 1960. It was a purpose-built city to replace Karachi as the capital. The reason for shifting the national capital was Karachi's located that makes it vulnerable to attacks from the Arabian Sea. The location of Islamabad is said to be more easily accessible from other parts of the country.
The name Islamabad means "abode of Islam". Since its founding, the city has attracted immigrants from all over the country, making it the most cosmopolitan city in Pakistan. Islamabad is divided into five zones namely Zones I, II, III, IV and V.
The tourist attractions of Islamabad reflects its position as the administrative capital of the country. The architecture here is a fusion of modern architectural technology with old Islamic traditions.
Visiting Islamabad
The Benazir Bhutto International Airport (ISB) is the international airport serving Islamabad. it receives flights from major cities of the world, as well as all the major cities in Pakistan.