Geography of Pakistan

Geography of Pakistan

Continent	Asia
Region	South Asia,Indian subcontinent
Coordinates	30.00°N 70.00°E/30.00; 70.00
Area	Ranked 33rd
• Total	881,913 km2(340,509 sq mi)
• Land	97.14%
• Water	2.86%
Coastline	1,046 km (650 mi)
Borders	Total: 7,307 km (4,540.4 mi) Afghanistan: 2,670 km (1,659.1 mi) China: 559 km (347.3 mi) India: 3,320 km (2,063.0 mi) Iran: 959 km (595.9 mi)
Highest point	K2 8,611 m (28,251 ft)
Lowest point	Indian Ocean 0 m (0.0 ft)
Longest river	Indus River
Largest lake	Manchhar Lake
Exclusive economic zone	290,000 km2(110,000 sq mi)

TheGeography of Pakistan(Urdu:جغرافیۂ پاکِستان) encompasses a wide variety of landscapes varying from plains to deserts, forests, and plateaus ranging from the coastal areas of theIndian Oceanin the south to the mountains of theKarakoram,Hindukush,Himalayasranges in the north.Pakistangeologically overlaps both with theIndianand theEurasiantectonic plateswhere itsSindhandPunjabprovinces lie on the north-western corner of the Indian plate whileBalochistanand most ofKhyber Pakhtunkhwalie within the Eurasian plate which mainly comprises theIranian Plateau.

Pakistan is bordered byIndiato the east,Afghanistanto the northwest andIranto the west whileChinaborders the country in the northeast. The nation is geopolitically situated within some of the most hostile regional boundaries which share disputes and have many times escalated military tensions between the nations i.e., that ofKashmirwith India. Its western borders include theKhyber PassandBolan Passthat have served as traditional migration routes between CentralEurasiaandSouth Asia.

Area and boundaries

Area

• total: 882,363 km²(340,682 sq mi)
  • country rank in the world:33rd
• land: 857,143 km²(330,945 sq mi)
• water: 25,220 km²(9,740 sq mi)

Area—comparative

• Australia comparative: approximately half the size ofQueensland
• Canada comparative: approximately⁠1+1/3⁠times the size ofAlberta
• United Kingdom comparative: approximately⁠3+3/5⁠times the size of the United Kingdom
• United States comparative: approximately four times the size ofUtah
• EUcomparative: slightly less than three times the size ofItaly

International boundaries

Pakistan shares its borders with four neighboring countries—People's Republic of China,Afghanistan,India,andIranwhileTajikistanis separated by the thinWakhan Corridor—adding up to about 7,307 km (4,540.4 mi) in length (excluding the coastal area).

Afghanistan–Pakistan border

Theborder with Afghanistanwhich is known as theDurand Line,2,640 km (1,640.4 mi), which runs from theHindu Kushand thePamir Mountains.A narrow strip of Afghanistan territory called theWakhan Corridorextends between Pakistan andTajikistan.

China–Pakistan border

The eastern tip of theWahanCorridor starts theSino-Pak borderbetween thePeople's Republic of Chinaand Pakistan spanning about 559 km (347.3 mi). It carries on south-eastward and ends near theKarakoram Pass.This line was determined from 1961 to 1965 in a series of agreements between China and Pakistan and finally on 2 March 1963 both the governments, ofKarachiandBeijing,formally agreed. It is understood that if the dispute over Kashmir is resolved, the border would need to be discussed again.

India–Pakistan border

TheNorthern Areashas five of the world's seventeen highestpeaksalong with highest range of mountains theKarakoramandHimalayas.It also has such extensiveglaciersthat it has sometimes been called the "Third Pole".Theinternational border-linehas been a matter of pivotal dispute between Pakistan and India ever since 1947, and the Siachen Glacier in northern Kashmir has been an important arena for fighting between the two sides since 1984, although far more soldiers have died of exposure to the cold than from any skirmishes in the conflict between their National Armies facing each other.

The Pakistan–Indiaceasefirelineruns from the Karakoram Pass west-southwest to a point about 130 kilometres northwest of Lahore. This line, about 740 kilometres long, was arranged withUnited Nations(UNO) assistance at the end of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–48. The ceasefire line came into effect on 1 January 1949, after eighteen months of fighting between Indian forces and Pakistani forces and was last adjusted and agreed upon by the two countries according to theShimla Agreementof 2 July 1972 betweenIndira GandhiandZulfikar Ali Bhutto.Since then, it has been generally known as the Line of Control or the (LoC).

The India–Pakistan border continues irregularly southward for about 1,280 kilometers, following theRadcliffe line,named for SirCyril Radcliffe,the head of the British Boundary Commission on the division of thePunjabandBengalprovinces ofBritish Indiaon 13 August 1947.

The southern borders are far less contentious than those in northern Pakistan (Kashmir). The Thar Desert in the province ofSindhis separated in the south from the salt flats of the Rann of Kachchh (Kutch) by a boundary that was first delineated in 1923–1924. After independence and dissolution of Empire, Independent and free Pakistan contested the southern boundary of Sindh, and a succession of border incidents resulted. They were less dangerous and less widespread, however, than the conflict that erupted in Kashmir in the Indo-Pakistani War of August 1965, which started with this decisive core of issues. These southern hostilities were ended by British mediation during Harold Wilson's era, and both sides accepted the award of the Indo-Pakistan Western Boundary Case Tribunal designated by the UN secretary general himself. The tribunal made its award on 19 February 1968; delimiting a line of 403 kilometres that was later demarcated by joint survey teams, of its original claim of some 9,100 square kilometres, Pakistan was awarded only about 780 square kilometers. Beyond the western terminus of the tribunal's award, the final stretch of Pakistan's border with India is about 80 kilometres long, running east and southeast of Sindh to an inlet of theIndian Ocean.The village ofPunjwarianis one of the villages close to the border of Indo-Pakistan.

Iran–Pakistan border

Theboundary with Iran,959 km (595.9 mi), was first delimited by a British commission in the same year as the Durand Line was demarcated, separatingIranfrom what was then British India'sBaluchistanprovince.Modern Iran has a province namedSistan va Baluchistanthat borders Pakistan and hasBaluchisin an ethnic majority. In 1957 Pakistan signed a frontier agreement with Iran inRawalpindiaccording to which the border was officially declared and the two countries have not had this border as a subject of serious dispute at all.

Maritime border

Contiguous zone

12 nautical miles (22 km; 14 mi)

Continental shelf

350nautical miles (650 km; 400 mi), or to the edge of thecontinental margin

Exclusive Economic Zone

290,000 km²(110,000 sq mi)

Territorial sea

12 nautical miles (22 km; 14 mi)

Geographical regions

Topography of Pakistan

Pakistan is divided into three major geographic areas: the northern highlands; theIndus Riverplain, with two major subdivisions corresponding roughly to the provinces ofPunjabandSindh;and the BalochistanPlateau.Some geographers designate additional major regions. For example, the mountain ranges along the western border withAfghanistanare sometimes described separately from the Balochistan Plateau, and on the eastern border with India, south of theSutlej River,theThar Desertmay be considered separately from the Indus Plain. Nevertheless, the country may conveniently be visualized in general terms as divided in three by an imaginary line drawn eastward from theKhyber Passand another drawn southwest fromIslamabaddown the middle of the country. Roughly, then, the northern highlands are north of the imaginary east–west line; the Balochistan Plateau is to the west of the imaginary southwest line; and the Indus Plain lies to the east of that line.

The Northern Highlands

See also:Northern Pakistan

The northern highlands include parts of theHindu Kush,theKarakoramRange, and theHimalayas.This area includes such famous peaks asK2(Mount Godwin Austen, at 8,611 meters the second highest peak in the world). More than one-half of the summits are over 4,500 meters, and more than fifty peaks reach above 6,500 meters. Travel through the area is difficult and dangerous, although the government is attempting to develop certain areas into tourist and trekking sites. Because of their rugged topography and the rigors of the climate, the northern highlands and theHimalayasto the east have been formidable barriers to movement into Pakistan throughout history.

K2,at 8,611 metres (28,251 feet), is the world's second highest peak

South of the northern highlands and west of theIndus Riverplain are the Safed Koh Range along the Afghanistan border and the Suleiman Range and Kirthar Range, which define the western extent of the province of Sindh and reach almost to the southern coast. The lower reaches are far more arid than those in the north, and they branch into ranges that run generally to the southwest across the province Balochistan. North-south valleys in Balochistan and Sindh have restricted the migration of peoples along the Makran Coast on the Indian Ocean east toward the plains.

Several large passes cut the ranges along the border withAfghanistan.Among them are theKhojak Pass,about eighty kilometres northwest of Quetta in Balochistan; the Khyber Pass, forty kilometres west ofPeshawarand leading toKabul;and theBrogholPass in the far north, providing access to theWakhan Corridor.

Less than one-fifth of Pakistan's land area has the potential for intensiveagriculturaluse. Nearly all of the arable land is actively cultivated, but outputs are low by world standards. Cultivation is sparse in the northern mountains, the southern deserts, and the westernplateaus,but theIndus Riverbasin in Punjab and northern Sindh hasfertilesoil that enables Pakistan to feed its population under usual climatic conditions.

The Indus plain

Main article:Indus River Valley

See also:India (Herodotus)

The name Indus comes from the Sanskrit word सिंधु (Sindhu), as mentioned, one of theRigvedic rivers,from which also come the words Sindh, Hindu, and India.The Indus, one of the great rivers of the world, rises in southwesternTibetonly about 160 kilometres west of the source of theSutlej River,which first flows throughPunjab, Indiaand joins theIndusinPakistani Punjab,and theBrahmaputra,which runs eastward before turning southwest and flowing throughIndiaand,Bangladesh.The catchment area of the Indus is estimated at almost 1 million square kilometres, and all of Pakistan's major rivers—the Kabul, Jhelum, and Chenab—flow into it. The Indus River basin is a large, fertile alluvial plain formed by silt from the Indus. This area has been inhabited by agricultural civilizations for at least 5,000 years.

Balochistan

Satellite image of the Sulaiman Range

Main article:Balochistan, Pakistan

Balochistan is located at the eastern edge of the Iranian plateau and in the border region between Southwest, Central, and South Asia. It is geographically the largest of the four provinces at 347,190 km²(134,050 sq mi) of Pakistani territory; and composes 48% of the total land area of Pakistan. The population density is very low due to the mountainous terrain and scarcity of water. The southern region is known asMakran.The central region is known asKalat.

TheSulaiman Mountainsdominate the northeast corner and the Bolan Pass is a natural route into Afghanistan towards Kandahar. Much of the province south of theQuettaregion is sparse desert terrain with pockets of inhabitable towns mostly near rivers and streams. The largest desert is theKharan Desertwhich occupies the most ofKharan District.

This area is subject to frequentseismicdisturbances because thetectonic plateunder the Indian plate hits the plate under Eurasia as it continues to move northward and to push the Himalayas ever higher. The region surrounding Quetta is highly prone toearthquakes.A severe quake in 1931 was followed by one of more destructive force in 1935. The small city ofQuettawas almost completely destroyed, and the adjacent military cantonment was heavily damaged. At least 20,000 people were killed. Tremors continue in the vicinity ofQuetta.The most recent major earthquakes include the October2005 Kashmir earthquakein which nearly 10,000 people diedand the2008 Balochistan earthquakeoccurred in October 2008 in which 215 people were killed. In January 1991 a severe earthquake destroyed entire villages in theKhyber-Pakhtunkhwa,but far fewer people were killed in the quake than died in 1935. A major earthquake centered in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's Kohistan District in 1965 also caused heavy damage.

Climate

Main article:Climate of Pakistan

Pakistan map of climate classification zones

Dust storm over Pakistan and surrounding countries, 7 April 2005

Pakistan lies in thetemperatezone, immediately above thetropic of cancer.The climate varies fromtropicalto temperate.Aridconditions exist in the coastal south, characterized by amonsoonseason with adequate rainfall and a dry season with lesser rainfall, while abundant rainfall is experienced by the province ofPunjab,and wide variations between extremes of temperature at given locations. Rainfall varies from as little as less than 10 inches a year to over 150 inches a year, in various parts of the nation. These generalizations should not, however, obscure the distinct differences existing among particular locations. For example, the coastal area along the Indian Ocean is usually warm, whereas the frozen snow-covered ridges of theKarakoramRange and of other mountains of the far north are so cold year round that they are only accessible by world-class climbers for a few weeks in May and June of each year.

Pakistan has four seasons: a cool, dry winter marked by mild temperatures from December through February; a hot, dry spring from March through May; the summer rainy season, or southwest monsoon period, from June through September; and the retreating monsoon period of October and November. The onset and duration of these seasons vary somewhat according to location.

The climate in the capital city ofIslamabadvaries from an average daily low of 2 °C (35.6 °F) in January to an average daily high of 38 °C (100 °F) in June. Half of the annual rainfall occurs in July and August, averaging about 300 millimetres (11.81 in) in each of those two months. The remainder of the year has significantly less rain, amounting to about 100 millimetres (3.94 in) per month.Hailstormsare common in early spring.

Pakistan's largest city,Karachi,which is also the country'sindustrialcenter, is more humid than Islamabad but gets significantly lesser rainfall. Only July and August average more than 50 millimetres (1.97 in) of rainfall in the Karachi area; the remaining months are exceedingly dry with little rainfall. The temperature is also more uniform in Karachi than in Islamabad, ranging from an average daily low of 13 °C (55.4 °F) during winter evenings to an average daily high of 34 °C (93.2 °F) on summer days. Although the summer temperatures do not get as high as those in Punjab, the high humidity causes the residents a great deal of discomfort.

Water resources

Main articles:Water resources management in PakistanandWater supply and sanitation in Pakistan

Pakistan is the fifteenth most water stressed country in the world.

Hydrological power is a renewable resource which benefits Pakistan a lot. After the Indus Water Treaty in 1960 World Bank decided that River Sutlej, Ravi and Beas water will be used by India and River Indus, Jhelum and Chenab water will be used by Pakistan. Pakistan was told to build two dams, one tarbela and second Mangla, five barrages, eight link canals, and one gated siphon. For this, India was told to participate 60%, whereas Pakistan, 40%. Pakistan is considering to develop wind turbines to fulfill the demand for electricity. Solar power is now slowly flourishing but it is still installed on a small scale.

Pakistan largest river is known as the Indus River which flows from Tibet/China and enters Pakistan through Gilgit Baltistan. The Indus River system is divided into two plains. The Upper Indus Plain starts from northern Pakistan and ends up at Mithankot. The Indus has tributaries on both western and eastern side. The Indus' eastern tributaries are the Jhelum, Chenab, Sutlej, Ravi and Beas. These four rivers flow in Punjab and meet at Panjnad where they are known as Panjnad river. The Indus' western tributaries are the Swat, Kabul, Kurrram, Tochi, Gomal, Zhob rivers. These rivers join the Indus at KPK. At Mithankot these rivers finally meet with the River Indus. After this the Indus flows alone through the Lower Indus Plain. Lower Indus Plain starts from Mithankot up to Thatta where the Indus meets with the Indian Ocean. This place is also known as Indus Delta.

Fuel resources

Main article:Fuel extraction in Pakistan

Pakistan has extensive energy resources, including fairly sizablenatural gasreserves,petroleumoil reserves,coalfields and largehydropowerpotential.

Agriculture

Main article:Agriculture in Pakistan

About 26% of Pakistan's total land area is under cultivation and is watered by one of the largest irrigation systems in the world. The most important crops arecotton,wheat,rice,sugarcane,maize,sorghum,millets,pulses,oil seeds,barley,fruitsandvegetables,which together account for more than 75% of the value of total crop output.

Fishery

Main article:Fishing in Pakistan

Fisheryandfishing industryplays an important role in the national economy ofPakistan.With a coastline of about 1046 km, Pakistan has enough fishery resources that remain to be fully developed. It is also a major source of export earning.

Forestry

Main article:Forestry in Pakistan

About only 4.1% of land in Pakistan is covered with forests. The forests of Pakistan are a main source of food,lumber,paper,fuel wood,latex,medicineas well as used for purposes ofwildlifeconservation andEco tourism.

Mining

Main article:Mining in Pakistan

The Salt Range in thePotwar Plateauhas large deposits ofrock salt.Pakistan has extensive mineral resources, including fairly sizable reserves ofgypsum,limestone,chromites,iron ore,rock salt,silver,gold,precious stones,gems,marbles,tiles,copper,sulfur,fire clayand silica sand.

Environment and conservation

Main article:Environmental issues in Pakistan

The environmental issues is a great problem for the nature and nation of Pakistan and has been disturbing the balance between economic development and environmental protection. As Pakistan is a large importer of both exhaustible and renewable natural resources and a large consumer offossil fuels,the Ministry of Environment ofGovernment of Pakistantakes responsibility to conserve andprotect the environment.

Current issues:water pollution from raw sewage, industrial wastes, and agricultural runoff; limited natural fresh water resources; a majority of the population does not have access to potable water;deforestation;soil erosion;desertification.

Natural disasters

Main article:List of natural disasters in Pakistan

Pakistan is subject to frequentearthquakeswhich are often severe (especially in north and west) and severefloodingalong the Indus after heavy rains (July and August).Landslidesare common in the northern mountains.

Protected areas

Main article:Protected areas of Pakistan

There are 35national parks,135wildlife sanctuaries,160game reserves,9 marine and littoral protected areas, 19 protectedwetlandsand a number of other protectedgrasslands,shrublands,woodlandsandnatural monuments.

Tidal Flats

A recent globalremote sensinganalysis suggested that there were 1,575 km²of tidal flats in Pakistan, making it the 20th ranked country in terms of how much tidal flat occurs there.

International agreements

Pakistan is a party to several international agreements related to environment and climate, the most prominent among them are:

Treaties and Agreements
Specific Regions andSeas	Law of the Sea,Ship Pollution (MARPOL 73/78)
AtmosphereandClimate	Climate Change,Ozone Layer Protection,Nuclear Test Ban
Biodiversity,Environment,andForests	Desertification,Endangered Species,Environmental Modification,Wetlands,Marine Life Conservation
Wastes	Hazardous Wastes
Rivers	Indus Waters Treaty

Suffix of regions and towns

Parts of region and settlement names:

• -abad(Urdu:ـ آباد) means settled place. Example:Islamabad,Faisalabad.
• -dera (Urdu:ڈیره ـ) means meeting place. Example:Dera Ismail Khan,Dera Ghazai Khan.
• -garh (Urdu:ـ گڑھ) means fort or settlement. Example:Islamgarh,Muzaffargarh.
• -goth(Urdu:ـ گوٹھ) means settlement or town. Example:Yousuf Goth.
• -istan(Urdu:ـستان) means land. Example:Baltistan,Balochistan.
• Khelor -khel (Urdu:خیل) denotes a Pashtun sub-tribe. Example:Darra Adam Khel(Urdu:درہ آدم خیل).
• -kot(Urdu:ـکوٹ) means settlement or town. Example:Islamkot,Sialkot,Kot Aduu.
• -nagar(Urdu:ـ نگر) means house. Example:Islamnagar.
• -pur(Urdu:ـ پُور) means settlement or town. Example:Nasarpur,Khanpur.
• -wal (Urdu:ـوال) means settlement or town. Example:Khanewal.
• -wala(Urdu:ـوالا) means settlement or town. Example:Gujranwala.
• -tando(Urdu:ٹنڈو ـ) means settlement or town. Example:Tando Allahyar.

See also

• Climate of Pakistan
• Extreme points of Pakistan
• Fisheries Research and Training Institute,Lahore Pakistan
• Geology of Pakistan
• Land border crossings of Pakistan
• Zomia (geography)

External links

• Wikimedia Atlas of Pakistan
• Pakistan Geographic
• Shogran Valley