Shigar District

Shigar District is part of the Baltistan division in Gilgit-Baltistan, located in northern Pakistan. It is bordered by Nagar and Hunza to the north, Ghanche to the east, Rondu to the south-west, and Gilgit to the west. The district's headquarters, Shigar town, is about 30 kilometers from Skardu city, making it a gateway to the Karakoram mountain range, which includes K2, the world's second-highest peak. Nearby, the Shigar River, a tributary of the Indus, enhances the region's scenic beauty.

Shigar District is renowned for its gemstones, particularly aquamarine, topaz, and beryl, found in pegmatite deposits within the Shigar Valley. Other minerals include tourmaline, garnet, apatite, fluorite, zoisite, clinozoisite, and axinite. Mining has been ongoing for decades, gaining prominence in the 1970s and 1980s, with both local and foreign companies involved. A notable recent find is the "King of Kashmir" aquamarine in 2019, highlighting the area's continued significance in the gemstone market.

The district's geology features gneiss and metamorphic rocks with pegmatite intrusions, likely formed by magmatic hydrothermal fluids due to Karakoram Range tectonic activity. The climate is cold and dry, with winters reaching -27°C and summers up to 35°C, supporting a high-altitude ecology adapted to harsh conditions. Climate change, however, poses threats like soil erosion and extreme weather, affecting the region's agriculture and environment.

The local population, mainly Balti people of Tibetan descent, follows various Islamic sects, including Shi'a, Norbakhshi, and Sunni. The Shigar Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built in the early 17th century, now a museum and hotel, reflects the region's rich cultural and architectural heritage, blending Tibetan and Islamic influences.