Location: It lies between 34°-40′ to 35° N
latitude and 72′ to 74°-6′ E longitude. It is located between the foothills of
Hindukush mountain range. It is the part of the North-West Frontier Province of
Pakistan. The location of Swat valley has a major strategic importance as it
lies in the region where South Asia, Central Asia and China meet.
The major attractions of the Swat valley include its
archeology, the lush green sites, the history and their art. The altitude of
the Swat Valley is 975.36 meters and reaches to 2900meters. The highest peak of
Hindu Kush Range in Swat Valley is Falak Sher Sar Peak which is of 5918 metrs. The
Malakand passes between Mardan and Swat and is 470m to 663 m. Shangla pass top
is approximately 7000 feet above sea level and covers a 56 km distance
from Saidu Sharif and 45 km from Besham. The total distance between Islamabad
and Saidu Sharif is 266 km and travel time is five and half hours.
The history of Swat valley goes back to around 2000
years ago. It was known as Udyana and later the name was changed to Suvastu.
The valley was a very peaceful area for living until the 11th century. The game
of power led to the disruption the valley and it was first conquered by Mahmud
of Ghazni. The ritual of acquiring the lands continued and Swat valley was then
taken over by the Yusufzais.
In the time period of 19th century, swat valley
was under Akhund Sahib who believed in the Muslim law. At this time, the
economy of Swat valley flourished due to agriculture and it became one of the
significant trading areas for businesses.
The population of Swat valley is around 1,257,602
and they have a number of cultural group living in which the most prominent
ones are Pakhtuns, Yusufzais, Kohistanis, Gujars and Awans.
