Located on both banks of the river Indus, NWFP stretches from the Himalayas in the north to the deserts in the south where it is bordered by the Baluchistan and Punjab provinces. On its western flank is the rugged terrain of neighboring country Afghanistan, which is accessed via the historic Khyber Pass through the mountains of the Sulaiman Range. The capital of the province is the city of Peshawar.

NWFP known as Frontier Province or Sarhad in the local languages has a climate ranging from the benign in winters (-10ºC to 20ºC) when the sun shines and the breeze blows sharp and clean from the snows of the mountains onto the plains, to the sweltering heat of the summers in the plains when the only refuge can be found in the mountain resorts and villages.

A variety of languages are spoken. Pashtu and Urdu being the most common. English is widely understood. Other languages include Hazara, Punjabi, Hindko, Siraiki, Chitrali and Kohistani. The prevalent religion is Islam.

A number of universities and institutes provide education in the field of software development and general computer literacy. Amongst these are the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute (GIKI), University of Peshawar and Gomal University. The graduates of these institutions obtain employment within the province and outside. Various software companies have cropped up throughout the province, and Information Technology plays an important role in the economy and advancement of the people.

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