Topography of Pakistan

Topographically, Pakistan can be divided into 6 major parts:

1. The northern Mountains
2. Western Mountains
3. The Baluchistan Plateau
4. Potwar Plateau and Salt Rang
5. The Indus Plain
6. Desert Areas
1.The Northern Mountains
Starting from the most beautiful part of Pakistan in terms of scenic beauty, Northern Mountains. These
mountains are divided into three main mountain ranges;
- Karakorum
- Himalayas
- Hindu Kush
KARAKORAM RANGE:
Karakoram is situated in the north of Himalaya in which Northern Kashmir and the regions of Gilgit
are situated. This range runs from Tibet in east to the Hindukhush in west.
 Average altitude (height) about 6000 meters.
 Highest peak of Pakistan –K2 (8610) meters.
 Lifestyle :Nomadic agriculture and lifestock is practiced
 Products: Apples Barly millets
 Valleys: Gilgit Hunza Baltistan.

HIMALAYAS RANGE
 Average altitude:4000m lesser or lower Himalyas
 Highest peak :Naanga parbat (8126m)
 Lifestyle :Nomadic
 Economic activity : Tourism/ agriculture and lifestock is practiced ➢
 Important locations :Murree Nathya Gali Ghora Gali ➢
 VALLEYS : Murri gullies and Naran Kaghan
The Hindu Kush.
 Average Altitude: (5000m)
 Highest peak :TirichMir (7690m)
 Historical Importance: Alexander Timurlane Mughals Ghazni and Ghauris passed it to attack India.
 Important locations :Sawat Kohistan Chitral Dir
 Products: Rice apples apricots tobacco
 Valleys:sawat chitrAL DIR

Natural and Physical Features of Northern Mountains.

 These mountain ranges have deep narrow valleys such as Gilgit and Chitral.
 Mountains are snow capped (like K2) and have steep sided slopes
 The peaks are conically shaped;
 Their altitude increases as we move from South towards the North. 6000m upto 8500m
 These ranges have fast flowing rivers like the River Gilgit, which has formed alluvial fans and deep narrow
gorges
 Massive glaciers like Baltoro Batura and Siachen
 These rocks usually undergo the process of weathering (by wind, water and lichens etc.), which gradually
break down the rock into small soil particles over a long time.
Drainage features of Northern Mountains

 Indus starts from Manasarover lake in karakoram range moving towards south joins river Kabul at Attock
and enters plain of Punjab at kalabagh
 The Southern slopes of the Himalayas are drained by Eastern tributaries of the River Indus; Jhelum,
Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej and Beas.
 All of these Rivers run in North-East to South West direction

Vegetation and Economic activities of Northern Mountains

Most of the population is dependent on agriculture and cattle breeding. Farming is practiced on terraced
fields where wheat, rice barley and maize are grown. During winter people work in small scale industries.
The major industries include the processing of food grains, making vegetable oil and refining sugar.
 2. Western Mountains
Western Mountains comprises of 04 mountain systems. These mountains system covers the areas of FATA,
WANA and comparatively barren landscape like Dadu, D.I. Khan etc. The details are as follows:
• Koh-e-Safed 4500m. Near Peshawer, East to west in direction
• Waziristan 3700m WANA North to South in direction
• Sulaiman 2500m Border of Punjab & Balochtn North to South in direction
• Kirther 1700m Border of Sindh & Balochtn North to South in direction

Natural and Physical Features of Western Mountains.

These mountains are the low altitude as compare to northern mountains i-e 4500 – 1700m. Snowy peak
mainly exist in Safed Koh. These mountains have difficult Landscape and tough terrains. Major Passes are
Khyber, Kurrum, Tochi, Gomal, and Bolan. The area has limited amount of cultivation in Valleys of Kohat,
Bannu and Vales of Peshawer.

The drainage features of western mountains are:

 Fast flowing rivers…Kabul, Tochi, Kohat, Kurrum
 Streams
 Melting of snow from peaks…mainly in Koh-e-Safed
 Waterfalls may only be in Koh-e-Safed
Vegetation and Economic activities of Western Mountains
The condition and style of life in this area is difficult as infrastructure (roads, utilities) is poor and unavailability
of safe drinking water. Mostly houses are of variety i-e concrete to mud with steel sheets roof. There is also
scarcity of food, the main diet content is meat, milk and vegetables. The population density is low as people
live in tribes and agencies. Overall life is difficult in Western Mountains.
 3. The Baluchistan Plateau
The Balochistan Plateau Located in south-west. It has an Altitude ranging from 600- 3010 meters. The hills
and ranges in the south of Balochistan plateau are lower than the North ones.

Natural and Physical Features of Baluchistan Plateau.

 Balochistan Plateau has a height varying from around 600m to around 3000m●
 Total covered area of 347190 sq. km
 It has deep narrow valleys like Quetta
 They have bare rocks due to lack of rainfall
 The mountains have steep slopes and none are snow capped
 There are parallel ranges running in an East to West direction for example the Chagai Hills, Raskoh
Range, and Makran Coastal Range are all parallel ranges
 Parallel ranges running North-South direction are Central Brahui and the Hala range

Drainage
In the Southern part of the Balochistan Plateau, the River Dasht and River Porali flow from north to South,
thus eventually draining into the Arabian Sea. Both are seasonal rivers; they flow only during the rainy
season. In Central Balochistan, water either drains into inland lakes known as Hamuns or is absorbed into
the ground, if not, it evaporates these basins are known as INLAND DRAINAGE BASINS. Dry lakes known
as Hamun exist (like Hamun-i-Mashkel). They are formed when seasonal rivers flow into them during the
rainy season and when the water evaporates it forms SALT LAKES or SALT PAN leaving a salty crust behind.
A Hamun is a sort of depression on the Earth’s surface. In Northern Balochistan, River Zhob flows from
southwest towards northeast. It eventually meets the River Gomal, which is a western tributary of the
River Indus

Vegetation
The climate of the plateau is hot and dry, with little rainfall and high temperatures during much of the
year. The landscape is largely barren, with only scrub vegetation and desert plants growing in most areas.
However, there are some oases where date palms and other crops are grown.
 4. Potwar plateau
This plateau covers the northern parts of Punjab and some of the western part of Azad Kashmir. To the North of
the plateau we find the Margalla Hills, in the South the Salt range, in the East River Jhelum and on the West the
River Indus.

Natural and Physical Features of Potwar Plateau

Balochistan Plateau has a height varying from around 600m to around 3000m

 Total covered area of 347190 sq. km

 It has deep narrow valleys like Quetta
 They have bare rocks due to lack of rainfall
 The mountains have steep slopes and none are snowcapped.
 There are parallel ranges running in an East to West direction for example the Chagai Hills, Raskoh Range, and
Makran Coastal Range are all parallel ranges
 Parallel ranges running North-South direction are Central Brahui and the Hala range

Drainage
The plateau has a limited drainage as it is located in a doab itself. Rivers Soan, Khewra, Makrachi streams are the
prominent here. The famous is Lake Kallar kahar while others are Khabeki and Uchchali. The area mainly
depends on the rainfall for agriculture, barani farming.

Vegetation
The plateau has a limited drainage as it is located in a doab itself. Rivers Soan, Khewra, Makrachi streams are the
prominent here. The famous is Lake Kallar kahar while others are Khabeki and Uchchali. The area mainly
depends on the rainfall for agriculture, barani farming.
 5. The Indus Plain
The Indus Plains are the open wide and flat land (undulating land) that has rivers and related features onto it. Plains
of Pakistan are divided in two:

 Upper Indus Plain… Whole of Punjab

 Lower Indus Plain… Whole of Sindh
Features of Upper Indus Plain

From the point of junction eastern tributaries of river Indus is known as the upper Indus Plain . It
includes most of the areas of Punjab Province. The upper Indus Plain has a height from 600 feet to
1000 feet. The northeastern part is comparatively higher. Although most of the plain area has existed
by the alluvial soil brought by the rivers, but near Sargodha, Chiniot and Sangal, some old dry hiss
appear above the plain. These are known as [Kinara hills]. The five big rivers of Punjab drain this plain.
The land that lies between the two rivers if known as [DOAB]. Thus the area of Punjab plain can be
divided into following Doabs:
Features Lower Indus Plain
Mithankot is known as junction of Indus River and its eastern tributaries. Beyond Mithankot River
Indus flows alone and carries not only its own water, but also that of its eastern and western
tributaries, while flowing \from the Province of Sindh, if becomes several miles wide especially during
the flood season. The river Indus flows very slowly and the silt carried by if is largely deposited on its
bed, thereby raising it above the level of the sandy plain. The land on either side is, therefore,
protected by the construction of embankments of bunds a number of difficulties has to be faced during
floods season.

Drainage of Indus Plain The Lower Indus plain is drained by the River Indus mainly flowing in the North-South
direction. Meanders and oxbow lakes also exist. Piedmont plains exist in-between the river Indus and Sulaiman
and Kirthar Mountain ranges. In the Upper Indus plain, River Indus and its Eastern tributaries flow in North- South
direction. Tributaries are Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej. Meanders and oxbow lakes also exist.

Vegetation
 6. Desert Areas

1. Thal Desert
The Thal Desert is located in northeastern Pakistan between the Indus and Jhelum rivers. A large canal-building
project is currently underway to irrigate the land. Irrigation will make most of the desert suitable for farming.

2. Thar Desert
The Thar Desert spans a stammering 446 square kilometers and covers large areas of both Pakistan and India. It
is the seventeenth largest desert on the planet and the third largest in Asia. It can further be divided into:

(a) Cholistan: The Cholistan Desert is locally known as "Rohi 'and covers the area of Bahawalpur, Punjab.
It adjoins the Thar Desert, extending over to Sindh and into India. Cholistan desert hosts an annual Jeep
rally, known as Cholistan

(b) The Nara desert is a division of the Thar Desert of Sindh situated in the Sindh province of Pakistan.
Nara is the northeastern part of the Thar Desert in Sindh. It primarily occupies the Khairpur district and a
few parts of Sanghar District.[1] It covers an area of approximately 23,000 km2.

(c) Tharparkar also known as Thar, is a district in Sindh province in Pakistan, headquartered at Mithi. The
district is the largest in Sindh and has the largest Hindu population in Pakistan. It has the lowest Human
Development Index rating of all the districts in Sindh. Currently the Sindh government is planning to divide
the Tharparkar district into Tharparkar and Chhachro district.

3. Kharan Desert
The Kharan Desert is located in Northeast Balochistan (a Pakistani state). The desert was used for nuclear testing
by the Pakistan military, making it the most famous of the five deserts. The desert is in the center of a large empty
basin.

Drainage Many deserts have no drainage to a river, lake, or ocean. Rainwater, including water from flash floods,
collects in large depressions called basins. The shallow lakes that form in basins eventually evaporate, leaving
playas, or salt-surfaced lake beds.

Vegetation: Desert vegetation is mainly found in locations with little rain, high humidity, and high
temperatures. Deep roots, tough bark, and long thorns characterise desert plants, which assist trees in
obtaining moisture from large depths. The leaves are tiny in order to reduce evaporation.