This article is written like a travel guide. (December 2018) |
Kalam (Kalami, Pashto and Urdu: کالام) is a valley located in the Swat Kohistan region of Swat District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan.[2][3] It is the site where the Swat River forms as a result of the confluence of two major tributaries, the Gabral and Ushu rivers.[4][5]
Kalam | |
|---|---|
| کالام | |
.jpg) Kalam Valley | |
  Kalam  Kalam | |
| Coordinates: 35°28′48″N 72°35′15″E / 35.4801°N 72.5874°E | |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Province | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
| District | Swat |
| Tehsil | Behrain |
| Elevation | 2,001 m (6,565 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 23,170 |
| Time zone | UTC+5 (PST) |
Located 99 kilometres (62 mi) north from Mingora and at an elevation of about 2,000 m (6,600 ft) above sea level, the valley itself provides a plateau that is located above the river and is used for farming.[6] There are a number of visible mountains, also visible from Matiltan, a valley close to Kalam Valley, including Mount Falak Sar at 5,918 meters (19,416 feet), and another unnamed peak at 6,096 meters (20,000 feet) high.[7]
Climate
editWith a mild, generally warm and temperate climate, Kalam features a Humid continental climate (Dfa) under the Köppen climate classification. The average temperature in Kalam is 13.4 °C (56.1 °F), while the annual precipitation averages 639 mm (25.16 in). November is the driest month with 15 mm (0.59 in) of precipitation, while April, the wettest month, has an average precipitation of 93 mm (3.66 in).
July is the hottest month of the year with an average temperature of 24.1 °C (75.4 °F). The coldest month, January, has an average temperature of 1.5 °C (34.7 °F).
| Climate data for Kalam | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 6.9 (44.4) |
8.0 (46.4) |
12.2 (54.0) |
18.0 (64.4) |
22.8 (73.0) |
26.1 (79.0) |
26.4 (79.5) |
25.7 (78.3) |
23.8 (74.8) |
19.6 (67.3) |
13.9 (57.0) |
9.6 (49.3) |
17.8 (63.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −0.4 (31.3) |
1.0 (33.8) |
5.2 (41.4) |
10.8 (51.4) |
15.3 (59.5) |
18.5 (65.3) |
20.1 (68.2) |
19.4 (66.9) |
16.4 (61.5) |
11.7 (53.1) |
6.6 (43.9) |
2.4 (36.3) |
10.6 (51.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −7.6 (18.3) |
−5.9 (21.4) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
3.7 (38.7) |
7.8 (46.0) |
11.0 (51.8) |
13.8 (56.8) |
13.1 (55.6) |
9.0 (48.2) |
3.8 (38.8) |
−0.7 (30.7) |
−4.7 (23.5) |
3.5 (38.2) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 49 (1.9) |
66 (2.6) |
88 (3.5) |
93 (3.7) |
64 (2.5) |
32 (1.3) |
66 (2.6) |
66 (2.6) |
41 (1.6) |
28 (1.1) |
15 (0.6) |
31 (1.2) |
639 (25.2) |
| Source: PMD | |||||||||||||
Lakes
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Kalam has numerous alpine glacial lakes. Two notable lakes in the Kalam Valley are the Mahodand lake and Kandol lake, both of which are frequently visited due to their easy access routes. Other lakes in the region, such as Izmis lake, are harder to enter and need to be done so through trekking.
Mahodand Lake is a large lake in the Swat Valley, located approximately 40 km from Kalam, in the Usho Sub-valley, at the base of the Hindu Kush mountains.
Another notable lake in the Kalam Valley is the Kundol Lake, located in the north of Utror region, 19 km away from Kalam. It is located at the base of the Hindu Kush mountains.
Gallery
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See also
editReferences
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- ^ "Population and household detail from block to district level: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. 3 January 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 August 2019. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
- ^ "Kalam Valley in Swat District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Distance from Mingora". Pakistantravelguide.pk. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
- ^ "Kalam Valley, Swat District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa". www.worldfortravel.com. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
- ^ "Birthplace of Swat and Surrounded by Green Hills and Thick Forest". Destinations.com.pk. 24 February 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
- ^ Hassan, Ali (7 August 2015). "Kalam — As memories of war fade..." Dawn. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ^ Tourists Guide >> Places to Visit >> Kalam Publisher: swat valley.com, Retrieved on 29 September 2012
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Kalam From Above.......Pakistan HD". YouTube.
- ^ "Climate: Kalam – Climate-Data.org". Retrieved 15 September 2016.