The western mountains

Western mountains consist of :

Safed Koh Hills
Waziristan Hills
Suleiman Range
Kirthar Range

Safed koh hills

Location:
The Kabul River forms the boundary between the mountains north and the Safed
Koh and Kurram River in the south covers the province of KPK and FATA.
Relief Features:
Average height is 3600m
Highest peak Sikaram 4760m
These ranges merge into Kohat hills in the east their average height is 1600m
Rugged topography and steep slopes, Bare rocks, sharp ridges, snow capped
peaks.
Khyber pass
Land slides are common
Rivers are fast flowing fed by snow in summer, have rocky bed and form deep
narrow valleys. Rivers meanders between mountains.
Water falls and rapids can be found.
Coniferous and sub tropical forest can be found
Limestone hills can be found.
 Waziristan hills
Location:
South of Safed koh between Kurram River and Gomal River
Relief Features:
Average height is 3000m t 1500m
Runs parallel with border of Pakistan and Afghanistan
Passes include Kurram pass and Gomal pass
Soil is thin and poor
Valleys have alluvial soil
Main vegetation is dry sub-tropical scrub forest
Many rivers are seasonal
The streams become active in rainy active in rainy season in winters and have
developed braided channels filling the valley with deposits of clay and boulders
Area is extremely barren and rugged
Landslides are common.

Climate of Safed koh and Waziristan hills

High land climate
Cool to cold winters and mild summers in Safed Koh
Cold winters and warm summers in Waziristan.
These regions receive most of its rainfall from western depression in winters.
Safed koh is humid rainfall more than 750mm per year
Waziristan hills are semi arid and receives rainfall between 250=750 per year.
From south of Kohat and from Waziristan rainfall decreases.
 Sulaiman range
Location:
It is located towards the west of river Indus. They are between Balochistan and
Punjab Plains.
Relief features:
Its height in the north is 3440m and in the south its 1600m.
Highest peak is Takht-i-Sulaimani 3383m
The area is rugged rocky with bare rocks steep slopes and sharp ridges.
Limestone and sandstone are the main minerals here.
It has cool winters and mild to warm summers.
They block the western depressions from reaching central Pakistan.

Kirthar range
Location:
South of the Sulaiman range and natural border between Balochistan and Sindh
Plains
Relief Features:
Its height is 2174m
Its drained by Hub and Lyari river.
South of Kirthar ranges sandstone cliffs are found.
These ranges are Arid (less then 250mm per year) due to which they are bare of
vegetation.
Dry subtropical scrub vegetation can be found here.
It has cold to mild winters and warm summers
Western part of these ranges receives maximum rain in winters and Eastern part
in summers.

Passes of the western mountains

Khyber
Khurram
Tochi
Gomal
Bolan

People and economy of the western

mountains
The arid climate and extreme evapotranspiration and rugged terrain do not
support agriculture.
Canal irrigation is difficult because of rugged landscape.
Transportation facilities are limited.
Only few areas connected by metalled roads.
Cost of supplying infrastructure water supply, transport facilities, electricity, and
telephone lines is much higher in the plains. As a consequence, developmental
projects have not been fully developed.
Nomadic life style is common.
Population density is lower than 100 persons per sq. km.