Khyber Agency is the most famous agency amongst seven others in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Khyber Agency derives its name from the famous Khyber Pass, which has served as a historical trade route, connecting the Asian sub-continent with the rest of Central Asia, via Afghanistan. Because of its geographical location, the agency has a history dating back thousands of years. The Khyber Pass has been used by the Aryans in 1600 B.C., the Persians in 600 B.C., Alexander in 326 B.C. and subsequently, by Changez Khan, Taimurlang, the Mehmood of Ghazni and the Mughals.

Khyber Agency is bordered with Afghanistan, Peshawar city and the Kurram and Orakzai agencies. The total area of the agency is 2,576 square kilometers, with 8.22% of the total area of the agency being forest. The Khyber Agency consists of three tehsils; Bara, Landi Kotel and Jamrud. Khyber Agency has a barren and rugged mountainous terrain. It consists mostly of hilly tracks and mountains, with narrow strips of valleys. It is the meeting place of a series of ranges, such as the Koh-e-Safaid, an off-shoot of the mighty Hindukush Mountains. Lacha Ghar, Karagah Ghar, Surghar, Tor Ghar, Morgah and Kalauch; are some of the mountains located in the agency.

The total cultivated area is about 20,075 hectares, whilst uncultivated land is 237,579 hectares, with 2070 hectares as forest area. The total cropped area is 19,365 hectares. (Source: FATA Development Statistics, 2012). The population of the agency, according to the 1998 census was 546,730; however, recent estimates suggest that the population has crossed 0.9 million.

Khyber Agency Map Showing its Geographical Location and Major Settlements