Country Pakistan Time zone PST (UTC+5) Area 3,621 km² | Headquarters Athmuqam Number of Tehsils 2 (Athmuqam, Sharda) Province Azad Kashmir | |
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Neelum District (Also spelled Neelum District) (Urdu: ضلع نیلم ) is one of the ten districts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan. Until recently it was part of Muzaffarabad District. It is bound by the Gilgit (Northern Areas) to the North, with Kupwara, Baramulla and Bandipore Districts of Indian-administered Kashmir in India to the South and Southeast, Muzaffarabad District to the Southwest and Mansehra District to the West. The district was badly affected by the 2005 Kashmir earthquake.
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Administrative divisions
Neelam District is a part of Azad Kashmir which is part of the greater dispute between India and Pakistan. The district is administratively subdivided into two tehsils:
Languages
It is the northernmost district of Azad Kashmir. A variety of languages are spoken in the district. Kashmiri however, is the predominant language and is spoken mostly in the west, east, northeast and southwest towards the border with Muzzafarabad and NWFP (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). Shina and Kashmiri are the predominant languages spoken in the northeastern part of the district towards the border with Baramulla, Gurez, Bandipore, Astore District and Baltistan and also in the far north on the border with Diamer District. Pashto is also spoken in a few villages on the Line of Control with Kupwara. Other languages include Gojri and the Kundal Shahi Language which is an archaic form of Shina however, it is heavily influenced by Kashmiri and Hindko. The Kundal Shahi Language is spoken in a village called Kundal Shahi near Athmuqam. The language is under tremendous threat. If the current situation of language loss continues unabated, it is estimated that the language will disappear in the near future
Ethnic groups
Neelaum District is the least populated of all the districts of Azad Kashmir. The ethnic groups living in Neelam District include Gujjars, Rajputs,Pirzada,Mughal, Kashmiris, etc.
Geography
Neelum District is the largest district of Azad Kashmir by area. It is a valley extending approximately 200 kilometers along the Neelum River. Notable locations in the district include: Nausery, Leswa, Barian, Jura, Kundal Shai, Jagran, Salkhala, Shahkot, Athmuqam, Keran, Changan, Sharda, Kel, Taobat, and Halmat.
Education
According to the Alif Ailaan Pakistan District Education Rankings 2015, Neelum is ranked 33 out of 148 districts in terms of education. For facilities and infrastructure, the district is ranked 136 out of 148.