Faisalabad

Sister cities

• Kobe
• Manchester

History

The region encompassing modern-day Faisalabad district was originally inhabited by a number of forest-dwelling tribes. The main architecture of the city was designed by architect Ganga Ram. In the 1880s, the Punjab government began an irrigation scheme to cultivate large tracts of western Punjab through the creation of canal colonies. The Chenab colony was the largest of these colonisation projects, and covered the entirety of the Lyallpur District. Popham Young, the colonisation officer, managing the project, identified the site of the current city to establish headquarters for the colony. The centre of the city was built in a way to replicate the design in the Union Jack with eight roads extending from a large clock tower at its epicentre; a design geometrically symbolic of the Cross of Saint Andrew counter changed with the Cross of Saint Patrick, and Saint George's Cross over all. The eight roads developed into eight separate bazaars (markets) leading to different regions of the Punjab. In 1896, the newly constructed town with its growing agricultural surplus was added to the British rail network. Construction of the rail link between Wazirabad and Lyallpur was completed in 1895. In 1896, Gujranwala, Jhang and Montgomery comprising the tehsils of Lyallpur were under the administrative control of the Jhang District in Multan Division. The town became one of the first planned settlements within British India. In 1904, the new district of Lyallpur was created in Multan Division to include the three tehsils; Lyallpur, Samundri and Toba Tek Singh. A sub-tehsil at Jaranwala later became a full tehsil in itself. The University of Agriculture, originally the Punjab Agricultural College and Research Institute, Lyallpur, was established in 1906. By 1911, the city had a…

Geography

Faisalabad lies in the rolling flat plains of northeast Punjab, at above sea level. The city proper comprises approximately while the district encompasses more than . The Chenab River flows about , and the Ravi River meanders to the southeast. The lower Chenab canal provides water to 80% of cultivated lands making it the main source of irrigation. Faisalabad is bound on the north by Chiniot and Sheikhupura, on the east by Sheikhupura and Sahiwal, on the south by Sahiwal and Toba Tek Singh and on the west by Jhang. Faisalabad overlaps between a semi-arid climate and a humid subtropical climate. The weather in the city is monitored by the Pakistan Meteorological Department. The Pakistan Meteorological Department regularly provides forecasts, public warnings and rainfall information to farmers with the assistance of the National Agromet Centre. Average annual rainfall is approximately . It is at its peak in July, August and September during the monsoon season though western disturbances during winter months also bring considerable rainfall associated with hail. Monsoon season which starts in July and ends in September brings heavy rain to the city causing flash flooding. If the monsoon currents interact with the western disturbance, then cloudburst can also occur. July is the wettest month of the year during which flooding is reported a number of times. Monsoon ends in September and then the dry period begins. October and November are the driest months with very little rainfall. During winter the weather usually remains cloudy associated with frequent fog. Record-breaking rainfall of was recorded on 5 September 1961 by the Pakistan Meteorological Department. The temperature of the city has reached a summer maximum record temperature of 48.0 °C (118.4 °F),…

Most-observed species

• Field Bindweed

  Convolvulus arvensis L. · Magnoliopsida
  3
• Bermuda-grass

  Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. · Liliopsida
  3
• Arabian paper wasp

  Polistes wattii Cameron, 1900 · Insecta
  2
• African Caper White

  Belenois aurota (Fabricius, 1793) · Insecta
  2
• House Crow

  Corvus splendens Vieillot, 1817 · Aves
  2
• Indian Banyan

  Ficus benghalensis L. · Magnoliopsida
  2
• Common Chickweed

  Stellaria media (L.) Vill. · Magnoliopsida
  2
• Nettle-leaved Goosefoot

  Chenopodiastrum murale (L.) S.Fuentes, Uotila & Borsch · Magnoliopsida
  2

Most recent

• M 4.2 — 2023-01-04
  1 km SSW of Shekhupura, Pakistan
• M 4.4 — 2022-11-13
  13 km SSE of Chiniot, Pakistan
• M 3.4 — 2021-09-09
  7 km W of Sahiwal, Pakistan
• M 3.9 — 2018-09-01
  10 km NNW of Kot Radha Kishan, Pakistan
• M 4.5 — 2017-01-08
  12 km WSW of Jahanian Shah, Pakistan
• M 4.3 — 2014-03-20
  2 km NNW of Chak Five Hundred Seventy-five, Pakistan