Topography

OF PAKISTAN

TOPOGRAPHY OF Pakistan (Geography 2059/2)

PREPARED BY: Syed Abdul Basit Page |1
Q1. Describe the importance of Northern Mountains in Pakistan. [4]
KEY POINTS:
 Connect Pakistan and China via Kunjerab Pass and the Karakoram Highway.
 They act as a barrier to the cold Siberian winds, which put a negative effect on the
climate of Pakistan.
 They act as a barrier in defense from the foreign invasions.
 Their scenic beauty attracts tourists which promotes tourism industry.
 The glaciers present in these mountains provide water on melting.
 These mountains have forests with the trees having strong barks to provide wood for
furniture making and construction.

Q2. Name the passes of the Northern Mountains. [2]

KEY POINTS:
 Babusar Pass – Connecting Northern Mountains and China
 Khunjerab Pass – Connecting Northern Areas and China
 Shandur Pass – Connecting Gilgit and Chitral
 Lawarai Pass – Connecting Chitral and Dir

Q3. Describe the relief features of Northern Mountains. [4]

KEY POINTS:
 Snow – covered Glaciers and Peaks
 Conical shaped peaks
 Bare rocks
 Large Steep sides slopes
 High Passes
 Snow fields

Q4. Describe the main drainage features of the Northern Mountains. [3]
KEY POINTS:
 River Indus and its tributaries; at some places the rivers have formed deep gorges.
 Huge glaciers
 Snow fields in the areas which are 4000 m above.
 Streams and springs.

Q5. What is the difference between landslide and avalanche? [2]

KEY POINTS:
 A sudden falling of big or small rocks, land, earth or debris moving down the slope
due to force of gravity is called LAND SLIDING.
 An abrupt or rapid flow of snow, sometimes mixed with water down the slope due to
the force of gravity is called AVALANCHE.

TOPOGRAPHY OF Pakistan (Geography 2059/2)

PREPARED BY: Syed Abdul Basit Page |2
Q6. Describe some environmental issues in the Northern areas. [4]
KEY POINTS:
 Deforestation
 Water pollution
 Not access to portable water
 Water born diseases like cholera and typhoid etc.
 Earth quakes
 Land sliding

Q7. Give the importance of Glaciers to Pakistan. [3]

KEY POINTS:
 Glaciers are large reservoirs of fresh water and their melted water is an important
resource which feed the rivers
 Glaciers are prone to climatic changes and global warming and can affect agriculture,
supply of water, HEP and ecological habitat.
 Glaciers have breathtaking scenic beauty and thus attract a large number of tourists.

Q8. Name the passes present in the Western Mountains. [2]

KEY POINTS:
 Khyber Pass – Connecting Pakistan and Afghanistan
 Khurram Pass – Connecting Kohat and Afghanistan
 Tochi Pass – Leads to Ghazni in Afghanistan
 Gomal Pass – Widely used to trade between Pakistan & Afghanistan
 Bolan Pass – Connecting Jacobabad & Sibi with Quetta

Q9. Explain how topography and drainage affect the life style of the people in
Mountain areas. [4]
KEY POINTS:
 Farming is difficult because of thin and infertile soil and frozen water.
 Farming is only limited to some valleys where terraced field farming is practiced.
 Restricted movement due to blockage of roads due to land slide and avalanche.
 Lack of development because of inaccessibility.
 Skilled labours are unavailable due to low literacy.
 Transhumance herding is common throughout this region.
 Potential of Tourism is high in the northern mountains with a unique cultural heritage.
 Small scale and cottage industries provide benefit the economy and help in increasing
Tourism also.

TOPOGRAPHY OF Pakistan (Geography 2059/2)

PREPARED BY: Syed Abdul Basit Page |3
Q10. Describe the relief and drainage features of Western Mountains. [4]
KEY POINTS:

RELIEF FEATURES: DRAINAGE FEATURES:

 Except for Safed Koh Ranges,
located at East to West direction,
other mountain ranges run in the
North to South direction.
 Only Safed Koh Mountains have
snow capped peaks.
 Mountains present as bare rocks
and vegetation is in scarcity due to
lack of rainfall.
 These mountains have steeped
slope.
 Deep narrow valleys and gorges
have been formed in these
mountains.
 River Kabul runs in the West to
East direction
 River Kurram, Tochi and Gomal
run from West to East direction and
finally drain into the River Indus.
 The Sulaiman Range is drained by
the seasonal rivers like Bolan River
and Mulla River which flow only
when rain occurs.
 River Hub runs in North – South
direction and drains into the
Arabian Sea.

Q11. Describe the importance of Western Mountains. [4]

KEY POINTS:
 Due to these mountains cool winds and temperate cyclones from Iran cannot enter the
eastern part of Pakistan.
 The climate of Sindh and Punjab remains moderate due to these mountains which act
as a barrier from cool eastern winds.
 These mountains ranges have many passes that provides routes to Afghanistan for
trading.
 The passes present in these mountains promote culture sharing between Pakistan and
Afghanistan.
 These mountains are rich in minerals.

Q12. How topography and drainage affect the life of people living in the Western
Mountains. [4]
KEY POINTS:
 Bare rocks are found everywhere due to low rainfall.
 Use of machinery and irrigation is difficult due to rugged topography and terrain
 Low agriculture yield due to shortage of water resources.
 Lack of development due to inaccessibility. Moreover, the developmental cost is
higher as compared to other areas.
 Nomadic life is common in these mountains.
 These mountains are very rich in Minerals but unfortunately these minerals are still
unexplored.

TOPOGRAPHY OF Pakistan (Geography 2059/2)

PREPARED BY: Syed Abdul Basit Page |4
Q13. Describe the relief and drainage features of the Potowar plateau. [4]
KEY POINTS:

DRAINAGE FEATURES: RELIEF FEATURES:

 River Soan is an important drainage  Bad land topography
feature of the Potwar Plateau.  Height of 300 – 600 m
 Small rivers that flow only during  Steep slopes
the rainy seasons.  Barren rocks
 River has meanders because they  Gullies and gorges
have to flow around small hills.  Extensive flat areas
 Alluvial plains formed by the  Dry valleys
decomposition of large amount of
silt by river.
 Gullies by the action of rain water.

Q14. How Potowar Plateau is different from Balochistan Plateau? [4]

KEY POINTS:
 Potowar Plateau is located between River Indus and Jhelum near Islamabad while
Balochistan Plateau is located in Balochistan near Quetta.
 Potowar Plateau ranges from 300 – 3010 m while Balochistan Plateau ranges from
300 – 600 m.
 Potowar Plateau can be stated as a Doab while Balochistan Plateau does not possess
two rivers.
 Potowar Plateau has bad land topography but Balochistan Plateau has no bad land
topography.
 Potowar Plateau has more economical potential than Balochistan Plateau.
 Potowar Plateau has better water resources than Balochistan Plateau.
 Balochistan Plateau consists of coastal areas while Potowar Plateau doesn’t have any
coasts.
 Balochistan Plateau is rich in metallic minerals like copper and gold etc. while
Potowar Plateau is rich in non metallic minerals like lime stone etc.
 Potowar Plateau is more populated than Balochistan Plateau.

Q15. Name the Doabs in the Punjab Plain. [4]

KEY POINTS:
 Bari Doab – Between River Sutlej and River Ravi
 Rechna Doab – Between River Ravi and River Chenab
 Chaj Doab – Between River Chenab and River Jhelum
 Sindh Sagar Doab – Between Kirana Bar in the middle of Chaj Doab

TOPOGRAPHY OF Pakistan (Geography 2059/2)

PREPARED BY: Syed Abdul Basit Page |5
Q16. Explain why there is a high density of rural population in doabs? [3]
KEY POINTS:
 Presence of fertile Alluvial which promotes agriculture.
 Suitable climatic conditions for growing crops.
 Extensive network of canal irrigation.
 Bar Up Land are higher places and thus are safe so there is concentration of urban and
industrial population.
 Road and Railways provide connectivity to different areas.

Q17. Describe the natural drainage at Indus Delta. [4]

KEY POINTS:
 Indus Delta is a typical fan shaped delta built from the discharge of silt which is
washed down from upland and mountainous areas.
 Before entering Arabian Sea, the River Indus gets divided into a number of
distributaries or channels.
 Due to continuous distribution of these channels and silt deposits these beds gets
higher.
 Water overflows in between these channels and creates mud areas or swamps.

Q18. Describe the features of Cuestas in Sindh Plain. [4]

KEY POINTS:
 Steep cliff on one side and a gentle slope on the other side.
 The steep side exposes the edge of erosion resistant rock layers forming Cuestas.
 They are usually formed by erosion in plain areas.
 They tend to be cut off into rough, hilly country with numerous ravines and steep
valleys; because the short streams flowing down the steep scarp face erode with
greater speed.

Q19. Compare the natural topographical features of Upper Indus Plain with those of
Lower Indus Plain [4]
KEY POINTS:
 Both are flat regions.
 Upper Indus Plain are in the north (mainly Punjab) while Lower Indus Plains are in
the south (mainly Sindh).
 Fertile alluvial soil is present in both areas and thus both these plains have active
flood plains and old flood plains.
 Upper Indus Plain has Doab but Lower Indus Plain doesn’t possess any Doab.
 Low hills are present in both areas.
 Alluvial fans and Piedmont Plains are present in both areas.
 Cuestas are only found in the Lower Indus Plain.
 Rolling Sand dunes are present in both Upper and Lower Indus Plain.

TOPOGRAPHY OF Pakistan (Geography 2059/2)

PREPARED BY: Syed Abdul Basit Page |6
Q20. Compare the drainage feature of Upper Indus Plain with that of Lower Indus
Plains. [4]
KEY POINTS:
 Upper Indus Plain has river Indus along with the tributaries whereas Lower Indus
Plain mainly consist of Indus River only.
 Indus tributaries drain a large amount of water to Indus River in the Upper Indus
Plains
 Meanders, Braided Channels and Ox Bow Lakes are found in the both Upper and
Lower Indus Plains.
 River Indus is wider in the Lower Indus Plain and narrower in the Upper Indus Plains.
 River Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej meet at Panjnad (Mithan Kot) in the Upper
Indus Plain to finally form one River
 Indus Delta is at the southern end of Lower Indus Plain.

Q21. How topography and drainage affect the life of people in a desert. [4]
KEY POINTS:
 Farming is difficult because there is no source of permanent water supply. Rainfall is
scanty. Though some areas have been converted to farmlands by canal irrigation
system.
 Lack of water has not allowed permanent settlements of the local people and hence
they move from one place to another in search of food and water.
 Farms, road and railway lines are fewer due to sand.
 Lack of skilled labour for the development in the desert areas.
 These areas are considered uneconomical developed due to unfavourable topography
and climatic conditions.

TOPOGRAPHY OF Pakistan (Geography 2059/2)

PREPARED BY: Syed Abdul Basit Page |7
 GLOSSARY
Define the terms:
(a) Gully (f) Ox bow lake
(b) Ravine (g) Levees
(c) Gorge (h) Doab
(d) Glacier (i) Bar Upland
(e) Meander (j) Alluvial Fan

(a) A valley worn out by the river serving as a drainage way after a prolonged rain is
called GULLY.
(b) A narrow steep valley that is larger than gully and smaller than gorge usually worn
out by the river is called RAVINE.
(c) It is a deep ravine between mountains often carved from the landscape by the river is
called GORGE.
(d) A large persistent body of ice formed by excess snow ablation (melting and
sublimation) after many years or even centuries is called GLACIER.
(e) When the moving water erodes the outer banks of river or stream; a bend is occurred
which widens the valleys and is called MEANDER.
(f) OX BOW LAKE is a U – Shaped body of water which is formed when a wide
meander from the main river is cut off to create a lake.
(g) Natural embankments of silt along the river banks which are often several meters high
than the foot plain is called LEVEES.
(h) The land between two rivers is called a DOAB.
(i) The land in the centre of doab rises to an elevated land which is known as BAR UP
LAND
(j) A fan shaped alluvial deposit formed by a stream where its velocity is decreased
mainly at the foot of a hill is called ALLUVIAL FAN.

NAME OF MOUNTAINS AVERAGE HEIGHT HIGHEST PEAK

Karakoram 7000 m approx. K–2
Hindukush 6000 m approx. Trich Mir
Himalayas 5000 m approx. Nanga Parbat
Safed Koh 4500 m approx. Sikaram
Waziristan Hills 4000 m approx. Shoidar
Central Brohi Ranges 3500 m approx. Toba Kakkar
Suleman Ranges 3000 m approx. Takht – e – Sulaiman
Kirthar Ranges 3000 m approx. Gorakh

TOPOGRAPHY OF Pakistan (Geography 2059/2)

PREPARED BY: Syed Abdul Basit Page |8