Khowar (کھووار, Khōwār, [kʰɔːwɑːɾ]), also known by its common exonym Chitrali, is an Indo-Aryan language of the Dardic group, primarily spoken by the Kho people (Chitralis), native to the Chitral region and surrounding areas of Pakistan.
Khowar is the lingua franca of Chitral, and it is also spoken in the Gupis-Yasin and Ghizer districts of Gilgit-Baltistan, as well as in the Upper Swat district.
The Kho (/koʊ/, Khowar: کھو), or Chitrali people, are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group native to the Chitral region in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan and the Gupis-Yasin and Ghizer districts of Pakistani-administered Gilgit-Baltistan. They speak an Indo-Aryan language belonging to the Dardic group called Khowar.
Chitral District (Khowar: ݯھیترارو ضلع; Urdu: ضلع چترال) was a district in the Malakand Division of the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from 14 August 1947 to 2018. It was the northernmost and the largest district of the province, covering an area of 14,850 km, before the district was split in two forming the new districts of Upper Chitral and Lower Chitral.
It shared district borders with Swat and Dir to the south, a provincial border with Gilgit-Baltistan to the east and the Durand Line as international border with Afghanistan to the north and west. Afghanistan's narrow strip of Wakhan Corridor separated Chitral from Tajikistan in the north.
Shandur Lake (Urdu: شندور جھیل; Khowar: شندور چھت) is a high-altitude lake located in Gupis-Yasin District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. It is located in between the Shandur Pass and Shandur Polo Ground, and is a primary source for Gilgit River. It is the 5th largest lake in northern Pakistan by surface area.
Shandur Ice Sports Challenge is held at the Lake from December 24 to 28, and features ice hockey and speed skating, between the teams of Chitral and Gilgit Baltistan.
Chitral (Khowar: ݯھیترار, romanized: ćhitrār, lit. 'field') is a city situated on the Chitral River in the northern area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It serves as the capital of the Lower Chitral District, and was previously the capital of Chitral District, and before that the capital of Chitral princely state. The region was encompassed into West Pakistan between 1969 and 1972.
Upper Chitral District (Khowar: توری ݯھیترارو ضلع; Urdu: ضلع چترال بالا) is an administrative district in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Kho people are the dominant ethnic group in the district, forming 99.84% of the total population.
Chitral River flows across the length of the district. Upper Chitral District along with Lower Chitral District were part of the erstwhile Chitral District which was the largest district in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, covering an area of 14,850 km. Previously, it formed part of the Chitral princely state that encompassed the region until its incorporation into the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan in 14 August 1947. The former Chitral District was bifurcated into Upper Chitral and Lower Chitral Districts in November 2018.
Lower Chitral District (Khowar: موڑی ݯھیترارو ضلع; Urdu: ضلع چترال زیریں) is a district in Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It is mainly populated by the ethnic Kho people.