Hunza << HUN zuh >> is an area in the northern tip of Pakistan. It lies in the Pakistan-controlled part of Kashmir, near the borders of Afghanistan and China. Hunza covers about 3,900 square miles (10,101 square kilometers). Karimabad is the largest city of Hunza.
Hunza consists of a long, narrow valley in the Karakoram mountain range. The people of Hunza are called Hunzukuts. Most of them are farmers who grow such crops as barley, grapes, plums, and wheat. The chief industries of Hunza are the production of woolen cloth and fine handicrafts.
Many of Hunza’s people live more than 90 years. They believe that mineral-rich mountain water and a simple diet contribute to their long life. Their diet consists chiefly of fruits, such as apricots and peaches, and grains, nuts, and vegetables. The majority of the people speak a language called Burushaski. They have no written language. Most Hunzukuts are Muslims, and Islamic religious holidays are important to them.
No one knows who first lived in what is now Hunza. According to legend, three soldiers from the army of Alexander the Great settled there with their Persian wives during the 300’s B.C. For hundreds of years, Hunza was an isolated state ruled by a mir (prince). Pakistan gained control of Hunza in 1949, as a result of a United Nations truce that ended fighting between Pakistan and India in Kashmir. The mir was allowed to rule over local matters until 1974, when Pakistan took over complete control.
