Gujranwala is a city in Punjab, Pakistan with a population of 3.5 million. It is located at 32.16° North, 74.18° East and is 700 feet above sea-level. The District of Gujranwala, with a population of about 11 million has an area of 3198 sq. miles. Gujranwala is the 5th largest city of Pakistan. Punjabi is the local language, however English and Urdu are also common, as in Pakistan they are the only languages allowed in schools and places of government business. It's home to the international cricket stadium called Jinnah Stadium and has many hospital and several colleges affiliated with the University of the Punjab. The city is famous all over Pakistan for its food, especially meat dishes. The city has been always known for its famous wrestling which is why it is also called The City Of Wrestlers.

Location of Gujranwala in Pakistan

Economy

The rural areas around Gujranwala produce a large variety of agricultural goods, the main crops grown here are wheat, cotton, rice, barley and millet. Today, Gujranwala is playing a major role to support the economy of Pakistan. It is a large industrial city. It has numerous textile mills, and large agricultural processing plants. The major exports of the city are Rice, textiles, carpets, transformers, garments, goods of glass, electric fans,, surgical equipment, hosiery, leather products, metal utensils, auto parts, sanitation parts. Gujranwala's hydro-electric project provides power from the Chenab River.

History

Gujranwala city is about 500 years old. The first name of the settlement, according to the compilers of the first edition of the district Gazette, was Khanpur Shansi after an individual of the Jat caste called Khan Shansi who founded 11 villages in the region. Later, the Jat tribe "Gujar" occupied the land. They reached such dominance that the town came to be known as Gujranwala, which means "Land of the Gujars". In present day too, the Gujars form the majority population of the city. It seems likely that the district once contained the capital of the Punjab, at an epoch when Lahore had not begun to exist. Later, the Sikh Empire made the city its capital. The famous Sikh leader Maharaja Ranjit Singh was also born in this city. The manor in which he was born still stands today in the center of the city.

After the partition of India in August 1947, Gujranwala became the capital of the district 1951.

External links

• http://www.gujranwalacity.com
• Article on Gujranwala from the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica