THE LAND OF PAKISTAN

CAMBRIDEGE O LEVEL
PAKISTAN STUDIES 2059
 THE NATURAL TOPOGRAPHY: Including drainage

“ the study & description of surface features of land, which

includes both natural & artificial features.
 Pakistan can be divided into six major natural topographical

areas.
  THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS & NORTH-WESTERN
MOUNTAINS:
 Three ranges of mountains

(Himalayas – the roof of the world)

 Himalayas stretch continuously

for about 2500 km from east to west

 Bordered to the north-west by the

mountain ranges of the

Hindu Kush & to the north

by the Karakoram.
 THE THREE MAIN RANGES ARE:

a) The Karakoram Range

b) The Himalayas
i. The Siwaliks
ii. The Lesser or Outer Himalayas
iii. Central Himalayas
c) The Hindu Kush
 The Karakoram Range (Average altitude about 6000 m)
 The karakoram, meaning “black gravel”, is a mass of rock & ice,

extending for more than 400 km from Hunza to the Shyok River.
 K-2, the second highest peak in the world (8610 metres) is

located here.
 Precipitation (in the form of snow b/c of high altitude)
 Low population Density
 Mountain passes are open only for half of the year.
 Nomadic or Semi nomadic way of life is common.
 Agriculture is practiced in those valleys where water is plentiful.
 Apples, barely and millet are main products. Cattle breeding is
also common.
 KKH has opened a new era of cultural & economic progress of
the region.
 THE HIMALAYAS: (Average altitude about 4000 m)
 To the South of the Karakoram range (run from East to West)

(i) Siwaliks (low altitude 600-1200 metres) located near Attock

(ii) the Lesser or Lower Himalayas (1800-4500 metres)
Pir Panjal range (Murree, Nathia Gali, Ghora Gali)
(iii) the Central Himalayas (Kashmir)
snow-capped, steep-sided peaks, huge glaciers causing deep
erosion, & rich natural vegetation
The highest peak Nanga Parbat (8126)
 THE HINDU KUSH (Average altitude 5000 m)

 Lies where the borders of Afghanistan and China meet on Pakistan’s

north & north-west border. This range runs in a north-west border.
 With mountains like Tirich Mir (7690m) and large glaciers it
resemble the Karakorum Range.
 Passes across the Hindu kush have been of historic importance &
military significance.
 Shandur Pass (connects G-C), Shangla Pass (Swat to upper parts of
Indus valley), Lawari Pass (C-S & P)
 Mountains are bare of vegetation, Rice is cultivated on terraced fields
of the Hindu Kush mountains in areas of Swat, Chitral & Dir.
 IMPORTANCE OF NORTHERN MOUNTAINS: (people & Economy)
 Much of the Northern Mountains area is characterized by a low economic
growth rate combined with a high rate of population growth.
 Life in difficult in Northern Mountains due to lack of infrastructure facilities.

 Most of the population is dependent on agriculture (subsistence agriculture) &

cattle breeding. Terraced fields (wheat, rice, barely maize & vegetables)
 Cottage & small-scale industries (outputs are carpets, embroidered material,
rugs, handicraft items)
 Major industries ( processing of food grains, making vegetable oil, refining
sugar & fruit processing)
 The Northern Mountains have major hydro-electric potential

 Shortage of skilled labour, low literacy rate, shortage of safe drinking water &
malnutrition. Lack of transport limits regional trade.
 Tourism is also popular in the Northern Mountains but it has had an
adverse impact on regions where tourists numbers exceed the facilities.
 ENVIORNMENTAL ISSUES: (Economic changes & population increase)
 Deforestation & overgrazing have led to soil erosion
 Deforestation due to demand for firewood & tree trimming for fodder
 Construction work have destroyed forest & caused land slides.
 Population growth has accelerated pollution (pollution of streams)
 Drinking water causes dysentery, cholera & typhoid.
 Drainage Features of the Northern Mountains:
 Natural run off of water from an area in rivers & streams
 The River Indus & its tributaries (originate from Northern Mountains)
 dominate the drainage pattern of the Northern Mountains.
 The River Indus starts its journey from Manasarovar lake in karakoram

Range.
 THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS:
 SAFED KOH RANGE: (located in an east-west but south of kabul River)
 Called Safed koh because their peaks are often covered with snow
 River Kurram flows to the south of this range & the Kurram Pass
provides route into Afghanistan.
 The Kohat Valley is located at the other end of the Kurram Pass.
 Another valley in this region is the Vale of Peshawar, drained by the
Rivers Kabul & Swat. It is fertile, alluvial plain irrigated by canals
originating from the Warsak Dam on the River Kabul.
 WAZIRISTAN HILLS: (b/w kurram & the Gomal Rivers)
 The Bannu Valley is located to the east of the Waziristan hills

 Bannu (near Tochi) & Dera Ismail Khan (near the Gomal Pass) are

important towns & military centres.

 SULAIMAN & KIRTHAR RANGES:
 Sulaiman Range is located towards the west of the River Indus.
 It rises to an average height of 1500 metres
 Takht-i-Sulaiman at 3383 metres is the highest peak in the Sulaiman Range
 Further south it meets the Kirthar Range, which is backed by the Pab Range
 ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES & LIFESTYLE IN THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS

 The climate does not support farming. Canal irrigation is not possible
because of the mountainous terrain & rugged landscape.
 Transportation facilities are limited.
 Only a few areas are accessible through main (metalled) roads. Most of
the areas are accessible only by unmetalled roads.
 The cost of supplying infrastructure – water supply, transport facilities,
electricity, telephone lines is much higher than in the plains.
 Nomadic lifestyle is common & sheep & goat rearing is the main
occupation.
 The population density is lower than 100 persons per sq. km.
 Abundant mineral resources
 Mountain Building Process; Origin & Formation of Fold Mountains.
 PLATE TECTONIC THEORY:

 The “tectonics” comes from the Greek word “tekton”, meaning

‘builder’.
 The theory suggests that the surface of the Earth is made up of rigid

plates of lithosphere (Earth’s crust) which ‘float’ on the more mobile

asthenosphere (soft layer of mantle which is about 35km below the
Earth’s crust).
 Owing to the movement in the asthenosphere, the plates are in constant

motion.
 It explains many of the major processes of the Earth, such as drifting of
continents, mountain building, earthquakes and volcanic activity.
 To the north, north-west & west of Pakistan there lie three ranges

of mountains. They are fold mountains.

 Before the formation of these mountains, the area was occupied by a
long, narrow, shallow sea known as “Sea of Tethys”
 How Earthquakes are Caused?

 Northern Pakistan including Kashmir lies in the area of collision of the

Eurasian & Indian tectonic plates
 Effects of Earthquakes:
 Faults leading to landslides
 Climatic changes, rainfall,

snowfall, duststroms
 Soil contamination &

ground water pollution.

 Human Enviornment:
 massive loss of human life
 destruction of settlements & infrastructure
 wide scale migration to lowland areas
 social problems, spread of diseases
 Effects of Earthquakes on the Economy:
 emergency relief & rescue measures
 rehabilitation expenditures
 halted tourism
 inflow of foreign loans increasing debt burden of Pakistan
 THE BALOCHISTAN PLATEAU: (600-3010 metres) (347,190 sq. km)

(A) Basins of Northern Balochistan:

 The B.P has a number of irregular depressions such as the Zhob &

Loralai basins which are situated between the Toba kakar Ranges
& Sulaiman Range
 To the South-West of the Loralai basin is the Quetta valley
surrounded by mountain ranges
(B) Basins of Western Balochistan:
 B/w the Chagai Hills, Ras koh, Siahan & Central Makran
 Area is totally devoid of vegetation & little rainfall
 Inland drainage Basins
 The temporary lakes are called “hamuns”
 Salt lakes & Salt pan
 The largest of these temporary lakes is called the Hamum-i-
Mashkel (western part of kharan desert)
(C) Mountain Ranges:
 The B.P’s landscape is covered with a number of barren mountain
ranges with an altitude b/w (600-3010 meters)
 These barren ranges are highly mineralized

(1) Ras Koh (2) Central Brahui Range

(3) Hala Range (4) Toba Kakar Range
(5) Makran Coast Range (6) Siahan Range
(D) The Coastal Range: (divided into eastern & western parts)
 The eastern part comprises the Lasbela Plain & the western part
is known as the Makran Coast Range
 The important rivers are the Hab, Porali, Hingol & Dasht, which
flow into the Arabian Sea.
 BALOCHISTAN’s ECONOMIC POTENTIAL:

(i) Water Resources

(ii) Tansport & Communication
(iii) Economic Structure (per capita income Find)
ECONOMIC WEALTH OF BALOCHISTAN:
a) Mineral Resources:
 Saindak Copper-Gold project, the Pakistan Mineral Development
Corporation (PMDC) is also operating three coal mines.
 A survey has identified the geological conditions for the existence
of deposits of antimony & gold in Punjgore & Kharan.
 46% of the gas supply in the country is obtained from Sui

b) Agriculture:
i) Fruit Production:
 Dates, Grapes, Apples, Almonds, Apricots, Plums, Peaches,
Melons & Pomegranates. 75% of the total production of fruit.
ECONOMIC WEALTH OF BALOCHISTAN:
ii) Vegetable seed industry:
 The uplands having long & cold winters offer the best scope for
growing vegetable seeds that initially require some chilly weather
for transportation.
iii) Livestock and their products:
 Nomadic livestock farming is common in this region due to the
scarcity of rainfall & lack of irrigation facilities.
 The most important livestock products are wool, goat hair & skins

iv) Fishing: (Gwadar, Pasni, Ormara)

FUTURE PROSPECTS:

 Untapped mineral resources (employment of experts & consultants)

 Livestock raised on modern lines

 Gwadar port & Saindak Copper-Gold Project improved

 Development of Fishing industry on modern lines

THE POTWAR PLATEAU & THE SALT RANGE
 Located south of

Islamabad b/w Indus

& Jhelum.
 The height of the

Potwar plateau
varies from (300-600)
Residual hills such as
Kala Chitta & Khairi
Murat rise to just 1000 metres
 A large part of the plateau has been dissected & eroded by the
action of running water.
 This dissected land is termed as a badland topography & is a

landscape of ridges, ravines & troughs.

 The Soan River is the most dominant feature of the region.
 The Potwar Plateau is rich in minerals like rock salt, gypsum,

limestone, coal & oil.

 NATURAL TOPOGRAPHICAL & DRAINAGE FEATURES OF
POTWAR PLATEAU
 Fig 1.45
 THE ACTIVE FLOOD PLAIN:
 The narrow strip of land on both sides of the rivers
 It is locally known as “bet” or “Khaddar”
 It is inundated every year
 At the end of the rainy season, the land is marked with dry &
braided (intertwine) channels rich in alluvium
 Fig 1.54 (a) & Fig 1.54 (b)
 When the River Indus enters the Lower Indus Plain, the flood plain
is around 40 km wide which makes an important farming area.
 Meanders, oxbow lakes & levees are important features of the AFP.
 Through acts of erosion & deposition the river forms meanders &

& oxbow lakes

 Formation of levees is formed when the river deposits material on
its banks
 THE OLD FLOOD PLAIN:

 Meander & cover flood plains cover the area between the alluvial

terraces & active flood plain.

 They are only flooded when there is heavy monsoon rainfall.

 Features found on the old flood plain include abandoned

channels, meander scars, & remains of ox-bows.

 ALLUVIAL TERRACES or BARS:
 Areas of higher ground between rivers formed by erosion of old
alluvium
 They are formed in the Upper Indus Plain in Chaj, Rechna & Bari

doabs. (Scalloped Interfluves)

 Sandal Bar on Rechana Doab
 Ganji Bar on Bari Doab
 Nili Bar on Bari Doab
 Kirana Bar on Chaj Doab
 Doab: land located b/w two rivers at the confluence
 CROSS SECTION OF A DOAB:
 Fig 1.59
 Doabs are areas for a number of human activities (farming,
construction of settlements, building of transport links,
population)
 AFP (flooded yearly): ideal land for the crops which require plenty
of water (Rice & Sugar Cane)
 Meander flood plains & cover flood plains are good locations for
arable farming
 There is a well-developed link canal irrigation system in doab
 The bar uplands are safe from being flooded
 PIEDMONT PLAINS:

 P.Ps are located at the foothills of the Sulaiman, Kirthar &

Himalayan Mountains

 P.Ps are the alluvial fans or cones that developed eastward from

the Sulaiman & kirthar Mountains.

 Most of the rivers or streams coming from the Sulaiman &

Kirthar range have low water flows

 TIDAL DELTA:

 The Indus Delta is located to the South of Thatta.

 A delta is often triangular or fan shaped with the main

distributaries branching out from the main river like ribs of fan.

 Deposition of alluvium on the banks of the distributaries makes

the level of the levees higher than the adjacent areas.

 Sea water often fills up the troughs b/w the distributaries,

resulting in swamps.
 The Indus delta has “tidal flats” with mangroves swamps.
 The Indus Delta is located to the east of Karachi & includes
Thatta, Keti Bandar, Jati, Ladian
 Local communities are involved in fishing. Mangroves trees are
used as fuel wood & their leaves as fodder for animals.
 ROLLING SAND PALINS
 CUESTAS IN THE LOWER INDUS PLAIN
 Cuestas: a hill or ridge with a steep face on one side & a gentle
slope on the other
 These are ridges which, in Sindh, are made of limestone
 ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES IN INDUS PLAINS
 UPPER INDUS PLAIN VS LOWER INDUS PLAIN
 THE DESERT AREAS:

 The Sindh Sagar Doab or Thar Desert (b/w River Indus & Jhelum)

 The Thar Desert (South-Eastern Desert)

(i) Cholistan

(ii) Nara

(iii) Tharparkar

 The Kharan Desert

 FORMATION OF SAND DUNES:
 A mound or ridge of sand. It is dominant feature of desert.
 An obstacle occurs in the path of moving sand, thus forcing some
of the sand to be deposited behind the obstacle
 In the desert areas of Pakistan, the direction of sand dunes is
mainly longitudinal b/c of the direction of the winds. However,
some latitudinal sand dunes can also be observed.
 FIGs
 Topographical/Relief Features of the Thar Desert
 Lack of water & constant erosion (affects farming)
 Reclamation of Thar
 Minerals