Geography of Pakistan
Geography is a field of science devoted to the study of the land features and the inhabitants. It is the study of diverse places and spaces of Earth and their interactions. Geographers explore both the physical properties of Earth’s surface and the human societies living on it. Physical geography deals with the study of processes and patterns in the natural environment like the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and geosphere Pakistan’s geography is an interesting landscapes varying from plains to deserts, forests, hills, and plateaus. It ranges from the coastal areas of the Arabian Sea in the south to the mountains of the Karakoram range in the north. Pakistan geologically overlaps both with the Indian and the Eurasian tectonic plates.
Basic statistics: Pakistan
Total area: 796,095 km2(35th rank) Population: 5th most populous country exceeding 210 million people. Highest Point: K2, 8611 m high. Lowest Point: Arabian Sea 0 m high. Geographic Center: 238 km southwest of Multan.
Location of Pakistan
Asia is a large continent and is divided in six sub-regions. Pakistan is located in South Asia and on junction of West Asia, Central Asia and East Asia. Pakistan is bordered by India to the east, Afghanistan to the west, Iran to the southwest, and China in the far northeast, respectively.
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| Location of Pakistan |
Latitude and Longitude of Pakistan
A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system used in geography that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. Geographic coordinate systems are based on a spheroid and utilize angular units (degrees). Pakistan is located on a great landmass north of the Tropic of Cancer (between latitudes 24° & 36° N and longitude 61° & 76° E).
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| Longitude and Latitude |
Land borders of Pakistan
Pakistan's total land border is 6,774 km. About 2,430 km with Afghanistan to the northwest, 523 km with China to the north, 2,912 km with India to the south and east, and 909 km with Iran to the southwest.
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| Land borders of Pakistan |
Geographic areas of Pakistan:
Topography is the study of the shape and physical features of the surface of the Earth. Pakistan is divided into several distinct geographic areas depending on elevation and climate.
Pakistan’s major geographic areas;
1. Northern highlands
2. Plains and basins
3. Desert areas
4.Plateaus
5. Coast
Topography of Pakistan: Northern highlands Highland
Northern highlands Highland is an area of high or mountainous land. Northern highlands of Pakistan include one the highest mountain ranges in the world. The term highland is used to denote any ranges of hills and mountainous region.
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| Northern Highlands of pakistan |
Topography of Pakistan: Plains/Basins
A plain is a flat area that generally does not change much in elevation. A basin is a large low-lying area. Basins are common places inland (e.g. river, lake) which collect sediment.
Main basins/plians in Pakistan are:
- Indus Plain/basin
- Deosai Plain
- Sistan basin
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Topography of Pakistan: Deserts
A desert is a barren area where little precipitation occurs and consequently living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. Pakistan is host to several major deserts (Thall, Cholistan, Thar, Kharan & Katpana ) which were historic forests in the past. Katpana is a cold desert in GB.
Topography of Pakistan: Plateaus
Plateau is an area of fairly level high ground consisting of relatively flat terrain that is raised significantly above the surrounding. Following areas are plateaus:
- Pothohar
- Balochistan
Mountain Ranges of Pakistan
A mountain range is a series of hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. There are at least 109 mountains on Earth with elevations greater than 7,000 metres above sea level. Pakistan is home to 108 peaks above 7,000 m and five of the 14 highest peaks in the world (the eight-thousanders).
- Karakorum Range
- Himalayan Range
- Hindukush Range
- Pir Panjal Range
- Suleiman Range
- Salt Range
- Safed Koh Range
- Toba Kakar Range
- Ras Koh Range
- Brahui Range
- Chagai Hills
- Kirthar Range
- Pab Range
- Makran Range
Junction point: 3 Mountain Ranges
Along Karakoram Highway in Pakistan the three highest mountain ranges of the world, Hindukush, Karakoram and Himalaya meet. The place where the three mountains meet is called Jaglot, a town in Gilgit District. It is also the confluence of Indus river and Gilgit river.
Mountain Passes of Pakistan
A pass is a path for crossing a mountain. A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range. Passes played a key role in trade, war, and migration.
Many mountain passes cross Pakistan’s borders with Afghanistan and China which include the
Khyber
Bolan
Khojak
Kurram
Tochi
Gomal
Kunjirab
Karakorum pass.
Topography of Pakistan: Coast
A coast is an area where land meets the sea or ocean. It is a line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean. To the south of Pakistan is the Arabian Sea, with 1,046 km of Pakistani coastline.
Offshore area of Pakistan
Offshore is an area that is situated at sea some distance from the coast. The offshore Indus Basin is one of the two basins in offshore Pakistan, the other one being the offshore Makran Basin. The Murray Ridge separates the two basins. Pakistan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) extends up to 370km from the baseline (coast line). Territorialwaters limit is 22 km from the coast.
Wetlands of Pakistan
A wetland is a land area that is saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, such that it takes on the characteristics of a distinct ecosystem. There are several complexes of wetlands such as northern, salt range and lower indus. Pakistan has around 225 natural or man-made wetlands.
- Central Indus Wetlands Complex
- Salt Range Wetlands Complex
- Northern wetlands complex
Mining in Pakistan
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth that is of economic interest. Mining is an important industry in Pakistan consisting of several minerals including coal, copper, gold, chromite, mineral salt, bauxite and other minerals.
There are also a variety of precious and semi-precious minerals that are also mined. These include topaz, ruby, emerald, tourmaline, quartz and rare-earth minerals.
Climate of Pakistan: Snow
Regions where snow falls in Pakistan include Azad Kashmir, Gilgit–Baltistan, Extreme northern Punjab, Northern half of Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa province and Northern Balochistan.
Rainfall in Pakistan:
There is a large variation in rainfall in Pakistan from less than 125 to above 750 mm per year on average. In much of Pakistan the climate is subtropical or semi-arid, but in the north there is also an area which is quite rainy, a cold mountainous area, and a frigid area on the peaks of the Himalayas.
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