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Geography of Pakistan

Pakistan, established in 1947 after the partition of British India, is strategically located in South Asia, bordered by Iran, Afghanistan, China, India, and the Arabian Sea. The country has a diverse geography, including the Northern Highlands, Indus River Plain, and Balochistan Plateau, with significant rivers like the Indus and its tributaries supporting agriculture. Pakistan faces various boundary disputes, particularly with India over Jammu and Kashmir, and is prone to seismic activity due to tectonic movements.

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10 views

Geography of Pakistan

Pakistan, established in 1947 after the partition of British India, is strategically located in South Asia, bordered by Iran, Afghanistan, China, India, and the Arabian Sea. The country has a diverse geography, including the Northern Highlands, Indus River Plain, and Balochistan Plateau, with significant rivers like the Indus and its tributaries supporting agriculture. Pakistan faces various boundary disputes, particularly with India over Jammu and Kashmir, and is prone to seismic activity due to tectonic movements.

Uploaded by

ayeshaimtiaz067
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Geography of Pakistan

Located in the Northwestern Part of South Asia

Pakistan became a state as a result of the partition of British India on


August 14, 1947. Pakistan annexed Azad (Free) Kashmir after the Indo-
Pakistani War of 1947-48. Initially, Pakistan also included the
northeastern sector of the subcontinent, where Muslims are in the
majority. The East Wing and West Wing of Pakistan were separated by
1,600 kilometers of hostile Indian territory. The country's East Wing
(East Pakistan) became the independent state of Bangladesh in
December 1971.

Geo-strategic Importance of Pakistan

Pakistan occupies a position of great geostrategic importance, bordered


by:

 Iran (west)
 Afghanistan (northwest)
 China (northeast)
 India (east)
 Arabian Sea (south)

The total land area is estimated at 803,940 square kilometers.

Boundary with Iran

 Length: 800 kilometers


 Established: First delimited by a British commission in 1893,
separating Iran from British Indian Balochistan.
 Agreement: Pakistan signed a frontier agreement with Iran in
1957.
 Current Status: Border disputes have not occurred since then.

Boundary with Afghanistan

 Length: 2,250 kilometers


 Geography: Includes the Hindu Kush mountains and Wakhan
Corridor (a strip of Afghan territory connecting Afghanistan to
Tajikistan).
 Historical Context: The boundary was drawn in 1893 by Sir
Mortimer Durand, known as the Durand Line, acceded by the
amir of Afghanistan.
 Disputes:
o Afghanistan claims the Durand Line was imposed unfairly
by a stronger power.
o Advocates for the creation of Pashtunistan or
Pakhtunistan.
o Pakistan insists on the legality and permanence of the
Durand Line.

Jammu and Kashmir

 Area Controlled by Pakistan: 84,159 square kilometers

o Azad Kashmir: 11,639 square kilometers.


o Northern Areas (Gilgit-Baltistan): 72,520 square
kilometers.

 Notable Features:

o Home to five of the world's seventeen highest mountains.


o Contains extensive glaciers, often called the "third pole".

 Conflict:
o The boundary remains disputed between Pakistan and
India.
o The Siachen Glacier has been a site of skirmishes since
1984, with harsh weather claiming more lives than combat.

Boundary with China

 Length: 520 kilometers


 Geography: Runs southeast from the Afghanistan-Pakistan border
to the Karakoram Pass.
 Agreements: Determined through a series of agreements between
China and Pakistan (1961-1965).
 Future Negotiations: Dependent on the resolution of the Kashmir
dispute between Pakistan and India.

Cease-Fire Line with India (Line of Control)

 Length: 770 kilometers


 History:

o Established after the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947-48, with


UN assistance.
o Came into effect on January 1, 1949, after 18 months of
fighting.
o Adjusted in July 1972 under the Simla Agreement,
becoming the Line of Control (LoC).

Radcliffe Line

 Length: 1,280 kilometers


 Context:

o Created in 1947 during the partition of British India, under


the Radcliffe Award, led by Sir Cyril Radcliffe.
o Divided Punjab and Bengal.

 Disputes:
o Indians expected Lahore to fall under Indian territory.
o Pakistanis believed the line would grant them Delhi, the
Mughal Empire's capital.

Southern Borders with India

 Geography: Thar Desert in Sindh and the Rann of Kutch salt


flats.
 History:
o Boundary first delineated in 1923-24.
o Post-partition: Southern boundary of Sindh contested by
Pakistan.
o Conflict:

 Escalated during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.


 Resolved by British mediation and a UN-designated
tribunal in 1968.

o Final Award: Pakistan gained 780 square kilometers out of


its original claim of 9,100 square kilometers.

Arabian Sea Coastline

 Pakistan’s border ends at an inlet of the Arabian Sea, with


approximately 1,046 kilometers of coastline, offering critical
maritime trade access.
Topography and Drainage

Geographic Areas of Pakistan

Pakistan is divided into three major geographic areas:

1. The Northern Highlands


2. The Indus River Plain (with subdivisions in Punjab and Sindh
provinces)
3. The Balochistan Plateau

 Additional Regions:

o The mountain ranges along the Afghanistan border are


sometimes treated separately from the Balochistan Plateau.
o The Thar Desert, located south of the Sutlej River, may also
be considered distinct from the Indus Plain.

Pakistan can be visualized as divided into three areas by two imaginary


lines:

 An east-west line from the Khyber Pass.


 A southwest line from Islamabad.

The Northern Highlands

 Includes parts of the Hindu Kush, Karakoram Range, and the


Himalayas.
 Notable Peaks:

o K2 (Mount Godwin Austen): 8,611 meters (2nd highest in


the world).
o Nanga Parbat: 8,126 meters (12th highest).
o Over 50 peaks exceed 6,500 meters, with more than half
over 4,500 meters.

 Characteristics:

o Travel is difficult due to rugged terrain and harsh climate.


o Historically acted as a barrier to movement into Pakistan.
o Efforts are underway to develop tourist and trekking sites.

Western Mountain Ranges and Balochistan Plateau


 Includes the Safed Koh Range, Sulaiman Range, and Kirthar
Range.

o These define the western boundary of Sindh province,


extending nearly to the southern coast.
o Lower regions are arid, branching into ranges that run
southwest across Balochistan.

 Valleys:
o North-south valleys in Balochistan and Sindh restrict
migration along the Makran Coast.

Passes along the Afghanistan Border

 Khojak Pass: Northwest of Quetta in Balochistan.


 Khyber Pass: West of Peshawar, leading to Kabul.
 Baroghil Pass: In the far north, providing access to the Wakhan
Corridor.

Indus River Basin and Agriculture

 Less than one-fifth of Pakistan’s land is suitable for intensive


agriculture.

o Cultivation is sparse in northern mountains, southern deserts,


and western plateaus.
o The Indus River basin in Punjab and Sindh has fertile soil,
supporting the population under normal climatic conditions.

 Origin of the Name:


o "Indus" derives from the Sanskrit word "Sindhu", meaning
ocean.
o Related terms: Sindh, Hindu, and India.

Major Rivers:

 Indus River: Rises in Tibet, with a catchment area of nearly 1


million square kilometers.
 Tributaries: Kabul, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej (all flow
into the Indus).

Indus Basin Regions

1. Upper Indus Basin: Includes Punjab.


2. Lower Indus Basin: Starts at the Panjnad River and extends to the
Arabian Sea.

o The Panjnad River is the confluence of the eastern tributaries


of the Indus.
o Punjab ("Land of Five Waters"): Rivers include Indus,
Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej (Sutlej mainly flows in
India).

Canal Colonies:

 Established by the British in southern Punjab over 100 years ago.


 Enabled intensive cultivation in arid areas.
 Resulted in significant social and political changes.

Major Dams of Pakistan

1. Tarbela Dam: On the Indus, near Taxila (an early Buddhist site).
2. Mangla Dam: On the Jhelum, near Azad Kashmir.
3. Warsak Dam: On the Kabul River, near Peshawar.

 Importance:

o Vital for agriculture and the national economy.


o Helped manage floods, like the devastating floods of 1992.

Seismic Activity in Pakistan

 Pakistan is prone to earthquakes due to tectonic activity.

o The Indian plate pushes against the Asian plate, raising the
Himalayas.

 Earthquake-Prone Areas:

o Region around Quetta.


o Historical Earthquakes:

 1931: Significant damage.


 1935: Quetta was almost completely destroyed; over
20,000 killed.
 1965: Major earthquake in Kohistan District.
 1991: Villages destroyed in North-West Frontier
Province (NWFP).

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