Bahawalpur is one of the largest districts of the Punjab, covering an area of 24,830 km2. It has peculiar demographic, topographic and geographical characteristics. The district is situated almost in the center of the country at an elevation of 152 meters from the sea levels. The population of Bahawalpur district increased from 1.453 million in 1981 to 2.411 million in 1998, showing a growth rate of 3.88% per year as compared with 3.3% for the entire Punjab. Population density has increased from 59 in 1981 to 97 in 1998, as compared with 353 for the Punjab. The majority of Bahawalpur's residents speak Riyasti, a dialect of Saraiki, while Urdu, Punjabi and English are common languages used in various educational and government institutions. The principal inhabitants of the region surrounding Bahawalpur are Jat and Baluchi people