Kupwara district is an administrative district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. It is one of the 10 districts located in the Kashmir Valley Division of Indian administered Kashmir. The Pohru River (originating in Lolab Valley and flowing from east to west) and Mawar river are two main rivers in the district. Both of them meet Jhelum river in Baramulla district.
History
The district was carved out of the erstwhile Baramulla district in 1979 with Kupwara Town as the district headquarters.
Geography
Kupwara district has a total area of 2,379 square kilometres (919 sq mi). The district is bordered by Bandipora district in the east, Baramulla district to the south and Pakistan administered Jammu and Kashmir to the north and west. The district is mostly rural/agricultural.
Adjacent districts
- Bandipora district, Indian administered Kashmir – east
- Neelum district, Pakistan administered Jammu and Kashmir – northeast
- Neelum district, Pakistan administered Jammu and Kashmir – northwest
- Muzaffarabad district and Hattian Bala district, Pakistan administered Jammu and Kashmir – west
- Baramulla district, Indian administered Kashmir – south
Economy
Most of the people depend on agriculture and horticulture. There is a good production and business of walnuts in Kupwara.
Department of horticulture have developed high density walnut nursery in Kupwara
Demographics
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 110,979 | — |
| 1911 | 124,744 | +1.18% |
| 1921 | 137,936 | +1.01% |
| 1931 | 153,758 | +1.09% |
| 1941 | 170,079 | +1.01% |
| 1951 | 187,076 | +0.96% |
| 1961 | 204,073 | +0.87% |
| 1971 | 257,824 | +2.37% |
| 1981 | 328,743 | +2.46% |
| 1991 | 465,948 | +3.55% |
| 2001 | 650,393 | +3.39% |
| 2011 | 870,354 | +2.96% |
| source: | ||
According to the 2011 census Kupwara district has a population of 870,354. This gives it a ranking of 470th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 368 inhabitants per square kilometre (950/sq mi). Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 34.62%. Kupwara has a sex ratio of 843 females for every 1000 males (this varies with religion), and a literacy rate of 75.60% Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 0.12% and 8.08% of the population respectively.
| Kupwara district: religion, gender ratio, and % urban of population, according to the 2011 Census. |
|---|
At the time of the 2011 census, 71.11% of the population spoke Kashmiri, 14.12% Pahari, 9.21% Gujari and 2.70% Hindi as their first language. Urdu is widely-spoken as a second language.
Notable people
- Anwar Shah Kashmiri,
- Ali Mohammad Shahbaz,
- Abdul Gani Lone
- Shah Faesal
- Engineer Rashid
- Ashraf Sehrai
- Sajad Gani Lone
- Sharifuddin Shariq
- Aadil Manzoor Peer
Transportation
Air
The nearest airport is Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport in Srinagar located 87 kilometres from district headquarters Kupwara. There are plans to construct an airport in Panzgam.
Rail
Kupwara district is not yet connected to railways. There are plans to extend the Jammu–Baramulla line up to Kupwara in the near future. The nearest railway station is Baramulla railway station located 45 kilometres from Kupwara.
Road
Kupwara is well-connected with roads and highways. The NH 701 passes through Kupwara district alongside other intra-district roads.