The land of mighty mountains and spellbound valleys, Gilgit–Baltistan known as the Northern Areas is the northernmost political entity within Pakistan. It borders Pakistan's Khyber Pukhtunkhwa province to the west, Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor to the north, China to the east and northeast, Azad Kashmir to the southwest, and Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir to the southeast. Its administrative ce
nter is the beautiful city of Gilgit, which, is also the economic center of the region. Gilgi-Baltistan is home to five of the "eight-thousanders" and to more than fifty peaks above 7000 meters. Gilgit and Skardu are the two main hubs for expeditions to those mountains. The region is home to some of the world's highest mountain ranges—the main ranges are the Karakoram and the western Himalayas. The Pamir mountains are to the north, and the Hindu Kush lies to the west. Amongst the highest mountains are K2 (Mount Godwin-Austen) and Nanga Parbat, the latter being one of the most feared mountains in the world.Three of the world's longest glaciers outside the Polar Regions are also found in Gilgit–Baltistan: the Biafo Glacier, the Baltoro Glacier, and the Batura Glacier. The Deosai Plains, are located above the tree line, and constitute the second-highest plateau in the world at 4,115 meters (14,500 feet)after Tibet. The plateau lies east of Astore, south of Skardu and west of Ladakh. The area was declared as a national park in 1993. The Deosai Plains cover an area of almost 5,000 square kilometres. There are more than 50,000 ancient pieces of rock art (petroglyphs) and inscriptions all along the Karakoram Highway in Gilgit–Baltistan. These elements show that the history of trade routes through GilgitBaltistan dates back to 5000 BCE. GilgitBaltistan has vastly abundant resources of colored gemstone treasures. Most important of these are ruby, topaz, aquamarine, tourmaline and quartz. To acquire the true economic potential of this strength of the region, Pakistan Gems and Jewellery Development Company (PGJDC) has established a Gems and Jewellery Training and Manufacturing Center (GJTMC) in Gilgit city. This center is successfully proving training and common facility center services to the masses. In an advent of expansion of these facilities across the region of Azad Kashmir, PGJDC also intends to open a Gems and Jewellery Training and Manufacturing Center in Azad Kashmir in near future.
