North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan
North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) is geographically the smallest of the four provinces of Pakistan. Neighbouring regions are Afghanistan to the west and north, Northern Areas and Azad Kashmir to the east. The Federally Administered Tribal Areas stand as a buffer between the NWFP and parts of Afghanistan. Punjab and Islamabad Capital Territory are to the south.
Its area is 74,521 kmÃÂò and its districts include Hazara, not to be confused with the Hazara people of Afghanistan. The capital and main city of the province is Peshawar. The major language spoken in the NWFP is Pashto also known as Afghan, and most of its residents are Pashtuns. NWFP was traditionally a part of Afghanistan but was divided during British rule of India.
During the 1950s, Afghanistan supported a secessionist movement in the NWFP known as the Pakhtunistan movement. There are also numerous Afghan refugee camps in the NWFP owing to its proximity to Afghanistan. Likewise, it has a major base for supplying mujahideen who fought the Soviets in Afghanistan during the 1980s.
Indigenous movements within the NWFP have sought to rename the province to Pakhtunkhwa, which translates to Land of the Pakhtuns in Afghan, however the Pakistan federal government, dominated by Punjabi interests, does not look to allow the other ethnic groups of Pakistan free choice.
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Subdivisions of Pakistan
Balochistan | North-West Frontier Province | Punjab | Sindh
Islamabad Capital Territory | Federally Administered Tribal Areas | Azad Kashmir | Northern Areas