Gilgit is the capital of Northern Areas of Pakistan. Gilgit has an area of 14,680 squaremiles (38,021 km²). The region is significantly mountainous, lying on the foothills of the Karakoram mountains, and has an average altitude of 1,500 metres (4,900 ft). It is drained by the Indus River, which rises in the neighbouring regions of Ladakh and Baltistan