Gilgit

a river in northwestern Kashmir, a right tributary of the Indus River.

The Gilgit is approximately 450 km long with a basin of 26,000 sq km. Its source is in the Hindu Kush Range, fed by snow and glacial runoff. Its waters begin rising in April and its heaviest flow is in July; in winter its water level is low. The Gilgit almost doubles the rate of flow of the Indus when the two rivers join. Near the city of Gilgit it forms the Gilgit Oasis. Because of its strong current and rapids, the Gilgit is not navigable. An ancient caravan route runs along its valley, connecting northeastern Afghanistan with India and Pakistan.