LOCATION OF PAKISTAN
INTRODUCTION
TO PAKISTAN
Pakistan is situated in
the continent of Asia. It is an important country of South Asia. The area of
Pakistan is 796096 square kilometers. It is 0.67 % of the total area of the
world. About 58 % of the total land of the Pakistan consists of mountains and
plateau, whereas about 42 % are plains and deserts. Pakistan stretches from the
coast of the Arabian Sea near the delta of the river Indus to far north of the
mountain ranges of Himalayas and Karakoram. The eastern and southern sides of
Pakistan are covered by the river plains. Whereas the western and the central
areas of Pakistan are covered by several mountain ranges.
LOCATION
OF PAKISTAN
Pakistan is located
between 23 to 37 degree North Latitude
and 61 to 77 degree East Longitude.
To the north of Pakistan is China, Afghanistan and Iran are in the West of it.
In the East is India and in the South spreads the Arabian Sea.
NEIGHBORING
COUNTRIES
·
Afghanistan.
·
China.
·
India.
·
Iran.
AFGAHANISTAN
§ To
the west of Pakistan.
§ Has
deep historical and geographical ties with Pakistan.
§ Linked
together in religious, racial and cultural bounds.
§ Bordered
is 2250 Km long, fixed in 1893 by British government, called Durand Line.
CHINA
§ To
the north of Pakistan.
§ Friendly
relationships.
§ Silk
road is constructed to strengthen the relation.
§ Border
is 510 Km was decided 3 March, 1963.
§ To
the west of china boundary meets with Afghanistan’s areas at “Wakhan’’ which
separates Pakistan and the Muslim republic of Tajikistan.
INDIA
§ To
the east of Pakistan.
§ The
relations between the two are not cordial.
§ Injustice
in partition creates tension about states of Jammu & Kashmir.
§ Boundary
is 2912 Km long and not straight and natural.
IRAN
§ To
the south west.
§ Brotherly
relations.
§ Both
country cooperate in defense and economic.
§ The
boundary with Iran id 912 Km fix in 1957.
ARABIAN
SEA
§ To
the south of Pakistan.
§ Coastline
is 1046 Km long.
§ Links
Pakistan with the Arab countries and international politics.
PROVINCES OF PAKISTAN
There are four provinces of Pakistan which
are given below:
§ Punjab
(largest province having largest population)
§ Sindh.
§ Balochistan.
§ Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa.
§ Azad
Kashmir.
PHYSICAL FEATURES OF PAKISTAN
Pakistan is blessed with
a long range of mountains that are an attraction for geologists and mountain
climber from all over the world. Pakistan has more than hundred peaks that are
above 7,000 meters. Out of the world’s 14 highest peaks, four in Pakistan.
these highest peaks are situated mainly in the Karakoram Range. Some of the
famous mountains are found in Pakistan are been discussed below:
§ Karakoram.
§ Himalaya.
§ Hindukush.
§ Hindu
Raj.
§ K2.
§ Koh-e-Sufaid.
§ Krithar.
§ Salt
Range.
§ Suleiman.
KARAKORAM RANGE IN
PAKISTAN
Karakoram means black stone, it is believed to
be the north western extension of greater Himalayan mountain system, covering
the borders between Pakistan, India and China, in the regions of
Gilgit-Baltistan (Pakistan), Ladakh (India), and Xinjiang region, (China). The
range is about 500 km (311 mile) in length, and is bounded on the northeast by
the edge of the Tibetan Plateau, and on the Karakoram Range north by the Pamir
Mountains. The southern boundary of the Karakoram is formed, west to east, by
the Gilgit, Indus, and Shyok Rivers, which separate the range from the
north-western end of the Himalaya range. Karakoram is also home to the most
dense collection of highest peaks to be found anywhere on earth, including the
K2, the second highest peak of the world (8,611 m/28,251 ft.). At one point,
within a short radius of 15 Kilometers, stand 41 peaks over 6500 meters,
including 04 peaks above 8000 M. The 360view offers a panorama of peaks nowhere
to be found on this Earth. It is also the most heavily glaciated part of the
world outside the polar regions. The Siachen Glacier at 70 km and the Biafo
Glacier at 63 km rank as the world's second and third longest glaciers outside the polar
regions. Other glaciers include Baltoro, 62 kms, Batura, 58 kms, Hisper, 53 kms,
Rimo, 45 kms, Chogo Lungma 47 kms, Panmah, 44 kms, Khurdopin, 41 kms and Saropo
Laggo, 33kms in length. The world highest passes such as Khunjrab, Lawari and
Shandoor are situated in this mountain range.
HIMALAYAN
RANGE IN PAKISTAN
The greater Himalaya
range runs west to east, from the Indus river valley in northern Pakistan to
the Brahmaputra river valley in northern India and Tibet, forming an arc 2,400
km long, which varies in width from 400 km in Northern Pakistan to 150 km in
the eastern Tibet. The name comes from the Sanskrit word, meaning "snow
land". The Western Himalayas are situated in Kashmir valley and Northern
Pakistan, to the south and east of Indus River, and is dominated by Nanga
Parbat massif with highest peak rising Map Himalaya Range 8125 meters above the
sea level, Pakistan’s 2nd and world’s 9th highest peak. Nanga Parbat peak is
also famous for its unique Rupal Face which rises 4,600 meters straight above
its base and the mountain is considered as one of the most difficult and
dangerous to climb, nick named as Killer Mountain. The Himalaya range occupies
in Pakistan the regions of Kashmir, Kaghan, Kohistan, Deosai and Chilas. Nanga
Parbat The western Himalaya is also dominated by Deosai plains situated at the
average height of about 4114 m and covering an area more than 3000 square kilometers.
The place can be accessed from Skardu and is so well known for its rich flora
and fauna including summer flowers and endangered wild life species like brown
bears. The Himalayas are among the youngest mountain ranges on the planet and
consist mostly of uplifted sedimentary and metamorphic rock. Deosai Plains
Pakistan According to the modern theory of plate tectonics their formation is a
result of a continental collision along the boundary between the
Indo-Australian Plate and the Eurasian Plate. The higher regions of the
Himalayas are snowbound throughout the year and are the most heavily glaciated
part of the world outside the Polar Regions. These glaciers form the sources
for several large perennial rivers, most of which combine into two large river
systems. The western rivers combine into Indus Basin, of which the Indus river
is the largest. The Indus river runs south west from Tibet through India and
then through full length of Pakistan to the Arabian Sea. Indus River also marks
the boundary line between Himalaya, Karakoram and Hindukush and at one point,
at the confluence of Indus and Gilgit rivers all three great ranges come face
to face, creating a unique geographical feature on earth. On its way the Indus
River is fed by the Jhelum, the Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas, and the Sutlej
rivers, which also trace their sources in the western Himalayan regions of
Kashmir. On the other hand, most of the eastern Himalayan Rivers drain the
Ganges- Brahmaputra Basin. The Ganges and the Brahmaputra meet in Bangladesh,
and drain into the Bay of Bengal.
HINDUKUSH RANGE IN
PAKISTAN
In Pakistan in the
north-west there is a mountain range called Hindu Kush. Most parts of the high
Hindu Kush range (Eastern Hindu Kush range), are located in northern Pakistan
and Afghanistan. This range is also present in Ghizar, Yasin Valley, and
Ishkoman in Pakistan’s Northern Areas. Tirich Mir, located in Chitral (25,289 ft.)
is the highest point in the Hindu Kush range.
HINDU RAJ MOUNTAIN
The
Hindu Raj is located in the northern region of Pakistan, between the Hindukush
and the Karakoram ranges. Koyo Zom (22,546 ft.) is its highest peak.
KOH-E-SUFAID
The
Koh-e-Sufaid lies to the south of river Kabul and spread to east-west
direction. The average height of this mountain range is 3600 Km. Khyber Pass
lies to the south of Koh-e-Sufaid. Khyber Pass is historical passage between
Pakistan and Afghanistan, which us about 53 Km long. River Kurram flows in the
south of the Koh-e-Sufaid.Kohat and Waziristan hills are situated in the south
of Koh-e-Sufaid. The Kurram, Tochi and Gomal are important passes of these
hills.
K2
This is the second
highest mountain in the world, and a part of the Karakoram Range extending from
the Himalayan range. It is located on the bordering parts of Northern areas of
Pakistan and China. Due to the difficult ascend of this mountain; K2 is also
called Savage Mountain. A European team first attempted to climb K2 in 1856. A
member of this team, Thomas Montgomerie, named this peak “K2” as it was the
second highest in the Karakoram Range. The other five peaks are named as K1
(Masherbrum), K3 (Broad Peak), K4 (Gasherbrum II) and K5 (Gasherbrum I).
KIRTHAR RANGE
Krithar Mountains are located in Sindh and
Balochistan. The range extends southward for nearly 300km from the Mula River
(Balochistan) to Cape Muari (west of Karachi) on the Arabian Sea. The maximum
altitude of the Krithar range that is present in Sindh is almost 7,056 feet
above sea-level, which makes it Sindh's highest peak. This range is present a
few miles north- west of the Gorakh Hill Station (5,688 feet.)
SALT RANGE
In Punjab there is a
hill system called 'The Salt Range'. It gets its name from the extensive rock
salt deposits that are present in the area. This range lies across the northern
province of Punjab, from the Jhelum River to the Indus. The famous salt mines
of Khewra, Mayo, Warcha and Kalabagh are present in 'The Salt Range'.
SULEIMAN RANGE
The
Suleiman Mountains are located in northern Balochistan and Zabul province of
Afghanistan. it is present at the border of the Indian subcontinent and the
Iranian Plateau and west of the Indus river, Takht-e-Suleiman, meaning
Soloman’s Throne with a height of 3,487 m in Balochistan is the highest peak of
Suleiman Mountain.
PLAINS IN PAKISTAN
INDUS PLAINS
River
Indus is the largest river of our country. After originating from Lake
Mansarowar in Tibet(China), it passes through Himalayas and enters Pakistan
near Gilgit. It’s main Eastern tributaries are Sutlej, Bias, Ravi, Chenab and
Jhelum. Indus plain is divided into following:
§ The
Upper Indus Plain.
§ The
Lower Indus Plain.
§ The
Indus Deltaic Plain.
THE UPPER INDUS PLAIN
It
is the region from Attock to Mithankot. The upper Indus plain has a height from
180m to 300m.Five big rivers of Punjab drain this plain and cover it with
alluvial soils but some dry hills known as “Kirana hills’’ appear near
Sargodha, Chiniot and Sangla. The general slope of the land is from northeast
to southwest. The northeastern part is flood plain and the piedmont area is
marked by numerous streams and torrents.
THE LOWER INDUS PLAIN
This
plain includes the area from Mithankot to Thatta .it is a level alluvial plain
and is very fertile but rainfall is scanty so agricultural activities are
limited. The northwest areas of the plain are suffering from water logging and
salinity.
The
Sindh plain forms the major part of the lower Indus plain and the Rohri ridge
of limestone is its most outstanding feature.
THE KACHHI-SIBI PLAIN
The
Kachhi-Sibi plain is bounded on the north by the Marri-Bugti ranges, and on the
west by Kalat ranges. This plain is arid waste, and most of its barren, and
cultivation is not possible without irrigation.
THE DELTAIC PLAIN
It
begins from northeast of Thatta and covers an area between 20 to 25 Sq. miles.
A coastal strip of 10-40km wide is flooded at high tide and contains mangrove swamps.
The Deltaic soils are formed of sub-recent alluvium and estuarine deposits. The
eastern region is the Rann of Kutch, a saline marshy land. Due to slow drainage
conditions, Stalinization is the most active process in deltaic area.
DOABS
AND BAR UPLANDS
Doabs
§ Bari
Doab.
§ Rachna
Doab.
§ Chaj
Doab.
§ Sindh-sagar
Doab.
Bar Uplands
§ Nilli
Bar.
§ Ganji
Bar.
§ Sandal
Bar & Kirana Bar.
PLATEAUS
IN PAKISTAN
§ The
Salt Range.
§ The
Potohar Plateau.
§ The
Balochistan Plateau.
THE SALT RANGE
The
areas of Salt Range begin in the east near Jhelum in the Joggi Tilla and the
Bakralla Ridges, and runs southwest to the north of river Jhelum for some
distance before turning northwest to cross the Indus near Kalabagh. The average
height of the range is about 2000ft.The Khwera Salt Mines are the biggest Salt
mines in the world and produce the best quality of salt.
THE POTHOHAR PLATEAU
North
of the salt range the area of Rawalpindi, Jhelum and Mianwali districts are
known as Potohar Plateau. It is an area of about 18000sq.kilometers with an
elevation of 300-600 meters. This plateau is drained by River Soan and has a
typical bad land topography. It is not suitable for agricultural activities but
most of our country’s minerals like mineral oil, coal, lime stone etc. are
found here.
THE BALOCHISTAN PLATEAU
This
plateau lies in the west of the Suleiman-Krithar mountains is covered with dry
hills which run from northeast to southwest. The Toba Kakar and Chaghai Ranges
in north separate it from Afghanistan. River Zhob and Gomal flow through it.
This area is rich in coal, iron and chromite deposits but is not suitable for
cultivation due to scarcity of water and uneven topography.
DESERTS IN PAKISTAN
There are five major deserts in Pakistan which
are as follows: -
§ Indus Valley Desert.
§ Cholistan Desert.
§ Kharan Desert.
§ Nara and Thar Desert.
§ Thal Desert.
Indus Valley Desert
(Punjab)
The Indus Valley
Desert is a desert ecoregion of northern Pakistan. The Indus Valley desert
covers an area of 19,500 square kilometers (7,500 square miles) in northwestern
Punjab Province, lying between the Chenab and Indus rivers. The Indus Valley
Desert is drier and less hospitable than the Northwestern thorn scrub forests
that surround it
Cholistan Desert
(Punjab)
The south border of
our Bahawalpur division is known as Cholistan. In fact, it is a part of
Rajhistan desert situated in India. The word Cholistan is derived from the Turkish
word Chol, which means Desert. Cholistan thus means Land of the Desert. The
people of Cholistan lead a semi-nomadic life, moving from one place to another
in search of water and fodder for their animals. The dry bed of the Hakra River
runs through the area, along which many settlements of the Indus Valley
Civilization have been found. Due to shortage of rainfall these areas have become dry barren
lands. This area is known for its rich desert culture of husk huts, camels,
festivals and the Rajasthani dresses.
Kharan Desert (Balochistan)
Kharan Desert is a desert located in Kharan
District, Balochistan, Pakistan. Pakistan's second nuclear test were performed
in the Kharan desert in 1998 May 30 of a miniaturized device yielding 60
percent of the Ras Koh Hills tests.
NARA AND Thar Desert (Sindh)
The southern border
areas of Khairpur districts in Sindh is known as Nara desert and border of
Mirpur Khas and Sanghar districts are called Thar deserts. These are the driest
arts of our country. Here rainfall is lowest except for the barren land with
huge sand dunes and some scattered, stunted, thorny bushes, nothing can be
seen. The Thar Desert (Hindi: also known as the Great Indian Desert is a large,
arid region in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent. With an area
of more than 200,000 sq. km (140,000 sq. mi.) It is world's seventeenth largest
desert. It lies mostly in the Indian state of Rajasthan, and extends into the
southern portion of Haryana. And Punjab states and into northern Gujarat state.
In Pakistan, the desert covers eastern Sind province and the southeastern
portion of Pakistan's Punjab province. The Cholistan Desert adjoins the Thar
Desert spreading into Pakistani Punjab province. The Thar Desert is bounded on
the northwest by the Sutlej River, on the east by the Aravalli Range, on the
south by the salt marsh known as the Rann of Kutch (parts of which are
sometimes included in the Thar), and on the west by the Indus River. Its
boundary to the large thorny steppe to the north is ill-defined. Depending on
what areas are included or excluded, the nominal size of the Thar can vary
significantly.
THAL DESERT(Punjab)
The area of Mianwali,
Sargodha, Muzaffar Garh and Dera Ghazi Khan districts in the province of Punjab
are called Thal desert. Here rainfall is very low and large number of sand
dunes are found. Although a large area has been irrigated by canals but still
many parts of the desert are barren. The Thal desert is situated in Punjab,
Pakistan. It is vast area mainly between the Jhelum and Sindh rivers near the
Potohar Plateau. Its total length from north to south is 190 miles, and its
maximum breadth is 70 miles while minimum breadth is 20 miles. This region is
divided into the districts of Bhakkar, Khushab, Mianwali, Jhang, Layyah, and
Muzaffargarh. Its part in Jhang is on the left bank of the river Jhelum.
Geographically, it resembles the deserts of Cholistan and Thar. Main town of
Thal are Mankera, Hyderabad Thal, Dullewala, Piplan, Kundiyan, Koat Aazam,
Sarauy Muhajir, Mehmood Shaheed Thal, Rang Pur, Jandan Wala, Mari Shah Sakhira,
Noor Pur Thal, and Muzaffar Garh. Very deprived area from all prospective.
Educational facilities are as low as one can expect. Villages having population
of 10 thousand people are more are striving for high schools. Situation becomes
worse in case of female education.
RIVERS IN PAKISTAN
The river system of Pakistan originates from the
snow-covered Himalayan and the Karakoram Range. The system comprises mainly
five rivers that pass mostly through the Punjab province; therefore, the name
‘Punjab’- ‘panj’ meaning five and ‘aab’ meaning water. There are Five rivers of
Pakistan which are as follows: -
§ Jhelum.
§ Chenab.
§ Ravi.
§ Sutlej.
§ Indus.
JHELUM
River Jhelum is nearly 774 kilometers long and is the tributary
of River Chenab. Jhelum originates from the south-eastern part of Kashmir
valley and flows through Srinagar before entering Pakistan. Along its journey,
it is joined by the largest tributary of the Neelam River near Muzaffarabad.
River Jhelum also has many dams and barrages constructed on it, with one of the
dams being Mangla which is the world's largest earth-fill dam and was constructed
in 1967. It has a storage capacity of nearly 5.9 million acre-feet. Rasul
Barrage is also built on Jhelum River as well as Trimmu Barrage.
CHENAB
The Chandra and Bhaga rivers in the
upper Himalayas join to form the Chenab River. Chenab flows through Jammu and
Kashmir. It is then joined by the Jhelum River at Trimmu, a flood control
mechanism near Jhang and on moving further it merges with the Sutlej near Uch
Sharif in Pakistan. Chenab River is nearly 960 kilometers long.
RAVI
River Ravi, like many other rivers
of the region, originates in the Himalayas. After it flows through southwest
region of the Indian Punjab, it moves along the Indo-Pak border and enters
Pakistan and merges with Chenab, River Ravi is nearly 720 kilometers long. It’s
also called ‘The river of Lahore’ since the city of Lahore is located at Ravi’s
eastern bank.
SUTLEJ
Sutlej flows through
the historic crossroad region of Punjab in northern India and Pakistan. It is
located north of the Vindhya Range, south of the Hindu Kush segment of the
Himalayas, and east of the Central Suleiman Range in Pakistan. Some 550
kilometers long, Sutlej is also called as the Red River.
INDUS
The Indus River is the longest river in
Pakistan, originating from the Himalayan region. It is also the world's 21st
largest river in terms of annual water flow. With a total length of 3,180 kilometers,
it is also Pakistan's lifeline. Indus River originates from the Tibetan plateau
near Lake Mansarowar in China. It then runs through Jammu and Kashmir, enters
the Gilgit-Baltistan (formerly Northern Areas of Pakistan) region and flows
through the entire length of the country and merges with the Arabian Sea. The
Indus River fulfils the water requirements of Pakistan and is the main support
for agriculture. The main tributaries of Indus are Astor River, Balram River,
Gilgit River, Kabul River, Tanubal River and the Zanskar River.
CLIMATE OF PAKISTAN
Pakistan lies in the temperate zone, immediately above the tropic
of cancer. The climate varies from tropical to temperate. Arid conditions exist in the
coastal south, characterized by a monsoon season with adequate rainfall and a dry
season with lesser rainfall, while abundant rainfall is experienced by the
province of Punjab, 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 Arabian Sea is usually warm, whereas the frozen snow-covered ridges
of the Karakoram Range 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 of Islamabad varies from an average daily low of 5 °C
(41.0 °F) in January to an average daily high of 40 °C (104 °F)
in June. Half of the annual rainfall occurs in July and August, averaging about
300 millimeters (11.81 in) in each of those two months. The remainder of
the year has significantly less rain, amounting to about 100 millimeters
(3.94 in) per month. Hailstorms are common in early spring.
Pakistan's largest city, Karachi, which is also the country's industrial center, is more humid than Islamabad but gets
significantly lesser rainfall. Only July and August average more than 50
millimeters (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.
FORESTS IN PAKISTAN
Overall Pakistan
forest resources are limited, covering only 4.8 percent of total land area,
which is far below the optimal standard of 25 %, forest cover for a country.
Forest of Pakistan are very rich in terms of biodiversity and present a unique
blend of tree, shrub, grass and animal species, living across various
ecological zones from sea level in the south, to high altitude alpine pastures
of the north. Forests cover the Himalaya, Hindukush and Karakoram ranges, where
more than 60 % of the country natural forest resources are found. The rest of
forestry is distributed among the south-western mountains of Baluchistan,
plains of Punjab and Sindh and the coastal areas of Arabian Sea in the south.
Forests types can be clustered into five broader groups which are given below:
-
§ Alpine Forests.
§ Temperate Forests.
§ Sub-Tropical Forests.
§ Dry-Tropical Forests.
§ Coastal Forests.
ALPINE FORESTS
Alpine forest of
Pakistan are found at very high elevations in the mountainous regions of
Himalaya, Karakoram and Hindukush. The timberline is exceptionally high in
these mountains, rising up to 4000m above sea level. These forests are
subdivided into Alpine scrub and Alpine pasture.
Alpine scrubs include shrub formations 1 m to 2 m high
extending 150 m or more above the sub-alpine forests.
Alpine pasture is situated above the tree line of 4000
meters, where growing season is very short and vegetation mainly consists of
perennial, herbaceous plants. They are found in northern districts of Gilgit,
Diamer, Chitral and skardu.
TEMPERATE FORESTS
These are mostly
evergreen natural forests of conifers, growing between elevation of 1500-4000
meters above sea level in the northern mountainous regions of Pakistan and Kashmir.
Coniferous forests are important as they are Pakistan’s major sources of
commercial timber. Temperate forests are sub-divided into Moist temperate
forest and Dry temperate forests.
Moist temperate forests in this zone high summer rainfall occurs where
mountain masses and exposed to the moist southwest winds. Moist temperate
forest of Pakistan are concentrated in the northern district of Murree and
Gilgit hills, Kaghan valley, Kashmir region, Allai valley and Swat valley.
Dry temperate forests grow at same altitude, as the moist temperate,
but receive little of no summer rains. These forests are found in northern
district of Dir, Chitral, Kohistan, Diamer and Gilgit. Also found in the Suleiman
range of Baluchistan where Chilghoza pine and Juniper grow in the extreme dry
environment.
SUB-TROPICAL FORESTS
These forests are
found in the lower reaches of Himalaya, Hindukush and Suleiman range between
600-1700 m above sea level. These forests are subdivided into sub-tropical
broad leaved forest and sub-tropical pine forests.
Broad leaved forests grow in the lower most reaches between
600-1000 m, and consist of drought resistant species. They cover fairly large
area about 1,191,000 ha.
Pine forests are found little higher altitude, from
1000-17000 m, and meet the temperate forests at the upper end. Chir pine is the
document specie.
DRY-TROPICAL FORESTS
Fairly large area
(2/3) of Pakistan fall under the dry tropical zone consisting of Indus plain in
Punjab and Sindh and low hills in the southern and western Balochistan. The
climatic conditions vary from semi-arid (250-750 mm rainfall) to arid.
COASTAL FORESTS
These are also known
as Mangrove forests and are found in the Indus delta and coastal areas of
Arabian sea around the coast of Karachi and Pasni in Balochistan. The main
species found is Avicenna marina, which grows in low height. There are two
additional categories of forests in Pakistan are Riverain forests and Irrigated
forests.
Riverain forests grow on the banks and dry bed of Indus river
and are mostly found in Sindh and to some extend in the Punjab.
Irrigated forests were raised by than colonial regime in 19th
century to meet demand for fuel wood. Mostly found in the Punjab these
irrigated plantations cover about 226,000 ha.
In plain areas some of
the forests are found. Important trees are mulberry, sumbal, dhrek, sheesham,
kikar and eucalyptus. These forests are found in Changa Manga, Chichwatni,
Khaniwal, Toba Tek Singh, Burewala, Rakh Ghulam Thal, Shorkot, Bahawalpur,
Taunsa, Sukkar, Kotri an and Guddu.
NATURAL DIVERSITY
LAKES
§ Ansoo Jheel.
§ Hanna Lake.
§ Saif-ul-Malook.
§ Dudipatsar Lake.
§ Attabad Lake.
ANSOO JHEEL
The name “Ansoo’’
comes from its tear-like shape. Ansoo lake is a high altitude (elevation 16,492 feet or 5,027
meters) in the Kaghan valley (Himalaya mountain range) in the Mansehra District
of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
HANNA LAKE
It is beautiful and
attractive lake near Quetta city in Baluchistan.
SAIF-UL-MALOOK
It is quoted as
“Heaven on Earth’’ by the people who visit this magical place. It is located in
the Kaghan valley near the city of Naran.It is known to be one of the highest
situated lakes in Pakistan. Tourists attracts for:
§ Malika Parbat.
§ Physical features.
§ Camping and boating.
The impact of the
lake’s beauty is of such extend that people believe that fairies come down to
the lake in the full moon.
DUDIPATSAR LAKE
Lake is encircled by
snow clads peaks in Lulusar-Dudipatsar National Park. The lake lies in the
extreme north of Kaghan valley, in the Mansehra district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The
word ‘Dudi’ means white and ‘sar’ means lake. This name has been given to the
lake because of the white colour of snow at surrounding peaks. In summer the
water of lake reflects like a mirror. It is the crown of all lakes of Kaghan
valley.
ATTABAD LAKE
This lake was found in
January 2010 due to massive landslide. This lake is located at Attabad village
in Gilgit-Baltistan,14 km from Karinabad. This lake is in Hunza valley.
VALLEYS
§ Swat Kalam Valley.
§ Chitral Valley.
§ Kaghan Valley.
§ Kalash Valley. (valley
of flowers & festivals)
§ Hunza Valley.
§ Skardu.
SWAT VALLEY
Swat valley is known
as Switzerland of Pakistan. The river swat is a clear water river starts from
the Ushu range of mountains to the spread of the valley of swat. It is one of
the greenest valley of the Northern Pakistan.
KAGHAN VALLEY
The best place to enjoy
cool weather in summer. Worth seeing places are:
§ Lake Saif-ul- Malook.
§ Plateaus of Shogran
and Lalazar.
§ Naran, Kaghan.
§ Mansehra and Balakot.
SKARDU
In the extreme north
of Pakistan, Skardu the central valley of Gilgit-Baltistan. The world’s highest
mountains that includes K2, K3 and Gasherbrum; all are connected through this
valley.
NATURAL RESOURCES OF PAKISTAN
Pakistan is rich in
mineral resources. Important minerals of Pakistan are given below:
§ Coal.
§ Mineral oil.
§ Natural Gas.
§ Iron Ore.
§ Copper.
§ Chromite.
§ Rock Salt.
§ Lime Stone.
§ Gypsum.
§ Marble.
§ Sulphur.
§ China Clay and Fire
Clay.
COAL
In Pakistan the coal
is used for thermal electric power, domestic and as fuel in brick kilns.
§ In Salt range, the
main coal mines are at Dandot, Pidh and Makarwal.
§ In KPK, only Hungo
coal mine.
§ In Balochistan, Khost,
Sharag, Daigari, Mach Bolan and Harnai are important coal mines.
§ In Sindh, coal mines
are at Thar, Jhimpir, Sarang and Lakhra.
MINERAL OIL
It is an important
source of energy in Pakistan. The oil producing areas are khaur, Kot Sarang,
Mial, Dhulian and Joyamir. These oil field are located in districts of Attock
and Jhelum. Also oil fields are discovered in district of Rawalpindi (Adhai, Qazian),
Dodhak (Dera Ghazi Khan), Khaskhali (district Badin) and Tando Allah
Yar(Hyderabad).
NATURAL GAS
It was discovered in
1952 at Sui, district Sibbi in Balochistan. This gas field is considered one of
the biggest reserves not only in Pakistan but also in of the world. A number of
gas fields are located in:
§ In Punjab, Dodhak,
Pirkoh, Dhulian and Mial.
§ In Sindh, Khairpur,
Mazrani, Sarri, Hinddi, Kangkot and Sarang.
§ In Balochistan, Uch
and Zin.
IRON ORE
The production of iron
ore was started in 1957.Deposits of iron ore were discovered in:
§ Kalabagh (district
Mianwali) has the biggest deposit.
§ Dammel-Nissar
(Chitral).
§ Langrial (district
Haripur).
§ Chilghazi (district
Chaghi).
COPPPER
It is used in
production of electric goods. The deposit of copper has been discovered in:
§ Balochistan (district
Chaghi, Saindak)
§ KPK.
CHROMITE
Pakistan has rich
deposit of chromite. Chromite is discovered in:
§ Muslim Bagh, Chaghi
and Kharan(Balochistan).
§ Mala Kand and Mehmend
agencies of KPK.
ROCK SALT
Pakistan has a vast
reserve of food salt in the Salt range. Deposit of rock salt in:
§ Khewra (district
Jhelum).
§ Warchha (district
Khushab).
§ Kalabagh (district
Mianwali).
LIME STONE
It is
found in northern and western mountainous areas of Pakistan. It is used in cement
industry and their deposits are located in Daudkhali, Wah, Rohri, Hyderabad and
Sibbi.
GYPSUM
It is mostly found in
salt range. The important mines are Khewra, Dandot, Daudkhali, Rohri and
Kohat.
MARBLE
It is found in Mulla
Ghori, Mardan, Swat, Noshara, Hazara, Chaghi and Gilgit. white and black marble
is found in Kalla-Chitta hills.
DAMS IN PAKISTAN
§ Tarbela Dam.
§ Mangla Dam.
§ Warsak Dam.
§ Ghazi Brothra Project.
TARBELA DAM
Tarbela dam is
Pakistan’s greatest hydroelectricity production project installed on river
Indus. Its installed generation capacity is 3478 MW. It is a multipurpose
project primarily constructed to supply water for irrigation, but it also
produces electricity.
MANGLA DAM
Mangla dam is
multipurpose project on the river Jhelum. This is the third biggest dam in
Pakistan for hydroelectricity production. The installed generation capacity of
power is 1000MW.It is not only used for hydroelectricity but also used for
irrigation purpose.
WARSAK DAM
The Warsak dam was constructed
on the Kabul river. The installed generation capacity of dam is 240 MW.
GHAZI BROTHRA PROJECT
This is the second largest
project of Pakistan. Its production is 1450 MW
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