Abbottabad (ăb'utäbäd) [key], city (1991 est. pop. 66,000), NE Pakistan. It is a popular health resort c.4,000 ft (1,220 m) above sea level in the Himalaya region. It is also an administrative center and a market town for an agricultural and timber area. Founded by Sir James Abbott, a deputy commissioner of British India, it was an important British military post. Nearby are rock inscriptions of Indian emperor Asoka (3d cent. B.C.). The city suffered widespread damage from the 2005 N Pakistan earthquake.
