Swat

Swat (swät) [key], district of the Malakand division, North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan. Saidu Sharif is the capital. The largely inaccessible region is reached by air and through mountain passes from the south and east. Swat was famous for its beautiful forests and gardens and had a noted wood-carving industry, but its extensive deodar forests in the north have been drastically deforested. Agriculture is dominated by the growing of potatoes for export and of vegetables and fruits for urban markets. Tourism is a major industry. There is a college. Archaeological evidence indicates that Swat's history dates back to at least the 3d cent. B.C. Long a stronghold of Buddhism, it has several Buddhist stupas. In 2007–8 there was fighting in Swat between Pakistani troops and Islamic militants. A peace agreement was signed with the militants in May, 2008, but fighting recurred two months later.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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