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| Khunjerab Pass | |
|---|---|
 Khunjerab Pass viewed from the Pakistani side |
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| Elevation | 4,693 m /15,397 ft. |
| Location |  China /  Pakistan |
| Range | Karakorum Range |
| Coordinates | 36°50′0″N 75°25′22″E / 36.83333°N 75.42278°ECoordinates: 36°50′0″N 75°25′22″E / 36.83333°N 75.42278°E |
Khunjerab Pass (simplified Chinese: 红其拉甫山口; traditional Chinese: 紅其拉甫山口; pinyin: hóngqílāfǔ shānkŏu) (elevation 4,693 metres (15,400 ft)) is a high mountain pass in the Karakorum Mountains on the northern border of Pakistan and the Xinjiang Autonmous Region of China. The name is derived from Wakhi for Blood Valley.
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Sino-Pakistani Border Crossing
The Khunjerab Pass is the highest paved border crossing in the world and the highest point on the Karakoram Highway. The roadway across the pass was completed in 1982, and has superseded the unpaved Mintaka Pass and Kilik Pass as the primary passage across the Karakorum Range.
On the Pakistan side, the pass is 125 km (78 mi) from Sust, 270 km (170 mi) from Gilgit and 870 km (540 mi) from Islamabad. There is a security outpost in Dih, and a customs and immigration post near Sust. On the Chinese side, the pass is 130 km (81 mi) from Tashkurgan, 420 km (260 mi) from Kashgar and some 1,890 km (1,170 mi) from Urumqi. The Chinese port of entry is located 1 km (0.62 mi) away from the mountain in Tashkurgan County.
The long, flat pass is often snow-covered during the winter season and is closed from November 30 to May 1. There is excellent grazing on the Chinese side of the pass, and domesticated yaks and dzu (a cross between yaks and cows) may be seen from the road. On the Pakistani side, the highway travels about 50 km (31 mi) across the extensive Khunjerab National Park before reaching the security outpost of Dih.
Since June 1, 2006, there has been a daily bus service across the boundary from Gilgit, Pakistan to Kashghar, China[1]
Strategic Position
Khunjerab Pass is in a strategic position between Pakistan and China. It is also very close to Indian-administered Kashmir.
Railway
In 2007, consultants [2] were engaged to investigate the construction of a railway through this pass to connect China with Pakistan.
Television
Khunjerab Pass can be seen in episode 13/30 of the NHK television series The Silk Road. The series was first shown in Japan in the early 1980's.
See also
Footnotes
- ^ Road widening work has begun on 600 km (370 mi) of the highway. [1]
- ^ Asia Times Online :: South Asia news : China-Pakistan rail link on horizon
References
- Curzon, George Nathaniel. 1896. The Pamirs and the Source of the Oxus. Royal Geographical Society, London. Reprint: Elibron Classics Series, Adamant Media Corporation. 2005. ISBN 1-4021-5983-8 (pbk; ISBN 1-4021-3090-2 (hbk).
- King, John 1989. Karakoram Highway : the high road to China. Hawthorn, Victoria, Lonely Planet Publications. ISBN 0-86442-065-X
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