Mirpur (
Urdu,
Punjabi:
مِيرپُور or more commonly known as
New Mirpur City) is the capital of Mirpur district and is one of the largest cities of
Azad Kashmir. The city itself has gone through a process of modernization, while most of the surrounding area remains agricultural. Mirpur is known for its grand buildings and large bungalow-houses primarily funded through its
ex-pat community, which comes mainly from the
United Kingdom, Europe,
Hong Kong,
Middle East and North America. The main crop cultivated during summer is
millet and pulses. However, there are places where other crops such as wheat, maize and vegetables are also grown. The produce of quality rice from the paddy fields of
khari Sharif between Upper Jhelum Canal and
Jhelum river are very famous and popular for its aroma and taste. The production of electricity, through
Mangla Dam makes this district somewhat unique in the entire region which provides energy needs for Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Northern Punjab province.