Islamabad is the capital city of Pakistan, and is located in the Potohar Plateau in the northwest of the country. It is located within the Islamabad Capital Territory, the area has historically been a part of the crossroads of the Rawalpindi and the North-West Frontier Province (the Margalla pass being a historic gateway to the North-West Frontier Province. Islamabad is located at 33°40′N, 73°10′E.
The city was built during the 1960s to replace Karachi as Pakistan's capital. A Greek firm of architects, Doxiadis Associates, drew up a master plan, triangular in shape based on a grid system with its apex towards the Margalla Hills. Rawalpindi is considered its sister city due to the close proximity of the two cities. 
This city was built for several reasons: The development of the country was focused on Karachi and President Ayub Khan wanted it to be equally distributed; Karachi was vulnerable to attack from the sea in an event of a war with India; and Islamabad by contrast is safely surrounded by the mountains. The climate in Islamabad is favourable compared to Karachi with lower average temperatures throughout the year. It was also closer to the GHQ which was, and still is in Rawalpindi.
Islamabad is a rather modern and clean city, especially in comparison to other cities in Pakistan. It is well-organized, with the city being divided into different sectors and zones. Islamabad was divided into eight zones: the diplomatic enclave, the commercial district, the educational sector, the industrial area and so on, each with its own shopping area and park. Islamabad is also home to the Faisal Mosque which is well known for its architecture and immense size. The mosque was gifted by King Faisal of Saudi Arabia.
Geography and climate
The city is situated at the edge of the Pothohar plateau, south of the Margalla hills. The modern capital Islamabad and the ancient Gakhar city of Rawalpindi stand side by side, displaying the country’s past and present. The area's micro-climate is regulated by three man-made lakes (Rawal, Simli and Khanpur). The city overall has an extreme climate with hot summers with monsoon rains occurring during July and August, and fairly cold winters with sparse snowfall over the hills and sleet in the city. The weather ranges from a minimum of -4 °C in January to a maximum of 45 °C in June.
The modern city of Islamabad was envisaged as the new capital of Pakistan in the 1960s. In the mid 1960's the capital was shifted from Karachi to Islamabad, with most of the Government machinery shifting to Islamabad, along with the foreign embassies, though off-shoots of some of these remain even today in Karachi. The city was built as a planned city and has been divided into various sectors on a "grid". One axis is indexed numerically, the other alphabetically. 
Flora and Fauna
Islamabad is rich in natural animal wildlife ranging from wild boars to leopards that dwell in the Margala Hills. Islamabad also has a sizeable population of feral dogs and cats.
Tourist Attractions
Islamabad is a relatively young city compared to the other cities. However, the views from the sculpted gardens of Islamabad's Shakar Parian Hills, National Monument, the fascinating Heritage Museum, and the huge marble Shah Faisal Mosque are the major highlights of the city. To the west of Islamabad is the town of Taxila, dating from 500 BC with heavy Buddhist and Sikh (home to a shrine, among the most important in the Sikh faith) influences. Sculptures here show a strong Greek influence, a result of Alexander the Great's journey through the region. The commercial center of Islamabad is known as the Blue Area and runs along the length of Jinnah Avenue. Its eastern end runs into Parliament Road, where the majority of the country's government buildings are located.
The city is very green, with much afforestation of what was formerly scrub forest and open ground. The city's pleasant climate has enabled the introduction of many exotic plants to the area. There is also much wildlife in the north in the Margalla hills, which have been turned into a national park. The Margalla hills are home to various species of wild life including a variety of exotic birds and carnivores such as the rare and presently endangered Margalla leopards.
Islamabad's architecture walks a tight-rope between modernity and tradition. The Saudi-Pak Tower is a good example of the combination of modern and traditional styles into one building. The city is also home to the Faisal Mosque, which is well-known for its architecture and immense size. Quaid-i-Azam University is also located in the capital city along with numerous government buildings and foreign embassies such as the National Assembly building, the Supreme Court building, the President's official residence (Aiwan-e-Sadr) and the Prime Minister's secretariat. Another landmark is a giant silver-colored Globe statue, installed in 2004 to mark Pakistan's hosting of that year's SAARC Summit. Recently, Atkins UK have designed a striking building for the capital, the Centaurus, reflecting the margalla hills surrounding it. Not only will this be the tallest and most impressive structure in Islamabad, second only to proposed taller skyscrapers in Karachi and Lahore, but will also truly put Pakistan's beautiful capital city on the global architectural map.
General
- National Monument Islamabad
- National Art Gallery, Islamabad
- Murree Hills
- Margalla Hills
- Shakar Parrian
- Daman-e-Koh
- Islamabad Zoo
- Rawal Lake
- Simli dam lake
- Khanpur dam lake
- Anchorage, Islamabad
Museums
- Pakistan Museum of Natural History
- Islamabad Museum
- Lok Virsa Museum
- Pakistan Army Museum(Rawalpindi)
- Museum of Pakistan
- Taxila Museum
Mosques and Shrines
- Shah Faisal Mosque
- Golra Sharif
- Lal Masjid
- Bari Imaam
- Panja Sahib (Hasan Abdal)
Parks
- Fatima Jinnah Park
- Rose and Jasmine Garden
- Japanese Park
- Chattar Bagh
- Auyb National Park, Rawalpindi
- Shakar Padiyan
