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Dream City
Quetta is the provincial capital of Balochistan, Pakistan and 9th
largest city of Pakistan.[4] The city is known as the fruit garden
of Pakistan, due to the numerous fruit orchards in and around it,
and the large variety of fruits and dry fruits produced there.
The city was also known as Little Paris in the past due to its beauty and
geographical location.[5] The immediate area has long been one of pastures
and mountains, with varied plants and animals relative to the dry plains to
the west. Quetta is at an average elevation of 1,680 meters (5,510 feet)
above sea level,[6] making it Pakistan's only high-altitude major city.
The population of the city is estimated to be approximately two million.
Hanna Lake, which nestles in the hills ten kilometres (six miles)
east of the city, is a turquoise body of water that contrasts markedly
with the bare surrounding hills. It is an attractive destination for
vacationers, with facilities for boat hire. A lakeside restaurant is
crowded with hikers and campers during holiday periods. At one end there
is an irrigation dam, while on the eastern shore there is Hayat Durrani
Water Sports Academy, the only water sports training center in Balochistan.
The Hanna Lake Development Authority, the Hayat Durrani Water Sports Academy
and Merck Marker have planted a range of trees in the Hanna Lake Mountains
both for beautification and the protection of the environment.
The Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, 20 km (12 mi) south-west of Quetta,
Markhors is a protected park area. The name of the park, "Hazarganji"
literally means "Of a thousand treasures" is spread over 32,500 acres
(132 km2) at an altitude ranging from 2,021 to 3,264 metres (6,631 to 10,709 ft).
In the folds of the mountains, according to legend, there are over a thousand
buried treasures, reminders of the passage over the ages of great armies
including the Bactrians, the Scythians, the Muslims, and the Mongols.
[citation needed] Pir Ghaib is a waterfall and picnic spot located 70 km
from the Quetta City in hisotric Bolan valley. Kharkhasa is located 10 km
(6.2 mi) west of Quetta in a 16 km (9.9 mi) long narrow valley that contains
a variety of flora and fauna species.
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