Topography of Pakistan
The topography of Pakistan is divided into seven geographic areas: the northern highlands, the
Elevation extremes
Lowest point: Sea level
Highest point: K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611 m [1]
Mountains
In the north, northeast and north-west of Pakistan there are three ranges of mountains. Between these ranges of the Himalayas is an area the people of Central and South Asia consider to be the roof of the world. The Himalayas stretch continuously for about 2500 km from east to west. They are bounded to the north-west by the Hindu Kush mountain range and to the north by the Karakoram. Thus there are three mountain ranges in northern Pakistan: Karakoram, Himalayas and Hindu Kush. The contrast between these ranges is geologically interesting.
The Indus Plain
Land between two rivers is called DOAB in the local language.[
The upper Indus Basin includes Punjab; the lower Indus Basin begins at the Panjnad River (the confluence of the eastern tributaries of the Indus) and extends south to the coast. Punjab means the "land of five waters": the Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej rivers.[2] The Sutlej river, however, is mostly on the Indian side of the border.
In the southern part of the province of Punjab, the British attempted to harness the irrigation power of the water over 100 years ago when they established what came to be known as the Canal Colonies. The irrigation project, which facilitated the emergence of intensive cultivation despite semi-arid conditions, resulted in important social and political transformations.
Pakistan has two major river dams: the
The Desert areas
Cholistan Desert
The
Indus Valley Desert
The Indus Valley Desert is located in the northern area of Pakistan. The desert spans an area of 19500 square kilometers and is surrounded by northwestern scrub forests. The Indus Valley Desert lies between two major rivers in the region, the Chenab and the Indus.
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.
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.
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.
Potohar Plateau
Tilla Jogian, second highest peak in Potwar The Potwar Plateau (also Potowar or Potohar) is a plateau in the province of Punjab, Pakistan and the western parts of
Balochistan Plateau
The
Salt Range
The Salt Range is a hill system in the Punjab province of Pakistan, deriving its name from its extensive deposits of rock salt. The range extends from the Jhelum River to the Indus, across the northern portion of the Punjab province. The Salt Range contains the great mines of Mayo, Khewra Salt Mine, Warcha and Kalabagh, which yield vast supplies of salt. Coal of a medium quality is also found. It is believed that the Salt Range was founded by the horses of Alexander the Great's army.The average altitude of Potohar platue is 300m-600m
Sistan Basin
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 Pakistan's four provinces, at 347,190 km2 or 134,051 square miles, 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 as Makran. The central region is known as Kalat.[1] The Sulaiman Mountains dominate the northeast corner, and the Bolan Pass is a natural route into Afghanistan towards Kandahar. Much of the province south of the Quetta region is sparse desert terrain with pockets of inhabitable land, mostly near rivers and streams. The largest desert is the Kharan Desert which occupies the most of Kharan District.
This area is subject to frequent seismic disturbances because the tectonic plate under the
References
- ^ a b "Topography - Pakistan". www.nationsencyclopedia.com. Retrieved 15 Aug 2016.
- ^ a b http://countrystudies.us/pakistan/24.htm, Topography and Drainage of Pakistan on countrystudies.us/Pakistan website, Retrieved 15 Aug 2016