natural topography of Pak

Question 1

topography

Answer 1

the study and description of surface features of land, including both natural and artificial features

Question 2

northern and north western mountains

Answer 2

3 mountain ranges: (n, n-e, nw)
karakoram range
Himalayas
i) the siwaliks
ii) lesser or outer himalayas
iii) central himalayas
Hindu kush

Karakoram range:
Karakoram, meaning black gravel, is a mass of rock and ice
Extends more than 400 km from hunza to shyok river
Western end of this range lies in pakistan
Range runs east to west with deep narrow valleys and sharp peaks formin a rugger landscape
Avg height = 6000 metres
Second higest peak in the world (8611) located here

Precipitation in the form of snow bec of altitude
Upper regions of these valleys = glaciers instead of rivers
Low population density due to severe climate
Mountain passes open in only summer
Nomadic or semi-nomadic way of life is common
Main crops = apples, barley, millet
Cattle breeding is common

Karakoram highway = new era in cultural and economicprogress of the region

The Himalayas:
Avg altitude = 4000m
To the south of karakoram range
Run east to west for abt 2500km
Comprise siwaliks, lesser or lower himalayas & central himalayas
Siwaliks: Low altitude (600-1200 metres) hills near attock
Lesser or lower himalayas: medium altitude (1800-4500 metres), represented by Pir Panjal range. Popular w tourists, with hill stations such as Murree, Nathia Gali, Ghora Gali located there

Height of mountain increases northwards
Mountain range located between Pir Panjal range and Karakoram range = Central Himalayas
This part of the Himalayas mostly lies in Kashmir
Natural topography: steep, snow capped peaks, huge glaciers causing deep erosion and rich natural vegetation in the valleys
Highest peak of this range = nanga parbat (8126)(northern area)

Hindu Kush:
Avg altitude = 5000m
Lies where borderrs of afghanistan and china meet on paks north and north-western border
Runs in north-south direction
Resembles the karakoram range with mountains such as Tirich Mir (7690m) and large glaciers.

Swat river valley: typical of the relief and drainage in hindu kush & other parts of th Northern mountains
Through the centuries, passes across Hindu Kush have been of immense historical and military significance.
Alexander the great, Mughal king Babar, Mahmud of Ghazni etc crossed the Hindu Kush throigh these passes
These passes are still imp today
Shandur pass: connects Gilgit & Chitral
Shangla pass: Swat valley + upper part of Indus valley
Lawarai pass: chitral + swat valley & vale of peshawar
Mountains generally bare of vegetation but some rich forests are found in the extreme south east as well as in hills of Swat, Kohistan, Panjkora valley, and dir district
Rice cultivated on terraced fields in areas of swat, chitral and dir

Mountain valleys
In the mountainous north, a number of valleys attract many domestic and foreigner visitors. The larger more popular ones are:
Hindukush:
Swat
Chitral
Dir
Karakoram:
Gilgit
Hunza
Baltistan
Himalayas:
Murree & gallies
Kaghan

Question 3

importance of northern mountains

Answer 3

Snow capped peaks melt during summer to drain water into river indus and its tributaries which irrigate vast indus plains
The mountain peaks provide protection for Pakistan against the cold winds from Central Asia. The temperature does not go below the freezing point over the upper Indus plain and climate remains tolerable throughout the year.
Historical passed connect Pakistan to china and Afghanistan
A source of valuable minerals, timber and fruits. Provides raw materials for many industries e.g furniture, paper, chemical industry etc.
Natural border to china and central asia republics. Land route through karakoram highway opened for trade
Scenic beauty promotes tourist resorts which are a source of income for the local people during summer.

Question 4

people and economy in the northern mountains

Answer 4

Population, settlement, and economic activities have been greatly influenced by the variations in topography, which impose harsh living conditions and tend to restrict movement and communication.
The economy is developed on traditional lines
Low economic growth rate = high population rate → prevents growth in already low level of per capita income
Hard life due to lack of infrastructure (bridges, roads)

Most of the population dependent on agriculture, subsistence agriculture and cattle breeding
Winter: people work in cottage and small scale industries. They make handicrafts for sale to tourists during summer.
Major industries: processing food grains and fruit, making vegetable oil and refining sugar.

Mineral resources not explored yet
The northern mountains have major hydroelectric potential however the development of hydroelectric resources requires huge capital investments, which is not available
Skilled labor needed to organize and manage development of natural resources is also limited due to low literacy rates
Safe drinking water is scarce
Poor health is common
Food production has not kept up with population growth, so people also face malnutrition
Some towns in the northern mountains such as Mingora, Murree, Kaghan and Gilgit trade by road with cities such as Rawalpindi, Islamabad and abbottabad. However, due to difficult terrain and limited transport, it is hard to carry out regional trade on a large scale

Tourism is popular in the Northern mountains however, it has an adverse impact on regions where the number of tourists exceed the facilities available

During recent years, there have been developments in road transport to northern areas
These developments promote tourism as well as to explore and exploit untapped resources of the northern mountains
The infrastructure of northern Pakistan was badly devastated in the October 2005 earthquake
Reconstruction of twins such as balakot have been completed

Question 5

environmental issues

Answer 5

Economic changes and population growth are threatening the ecology of the northern mountains
Deforestation in foothills and overgrazing on pastures = soil erosion
Deforestation increased due to high demands of firewood and extensive trimming of trees to feed livestock
Construction of roads = increased deforestation and no. of landslides
Roads = economic benefits but threaten environment
Rapid population growth = increased pollution. Once clear streams are now polluted with sewage and refuse
Hill people who use the water for drinking suffer from dysentery, cholera, and typhoid. Other epidemics also common due to unhygienic conditions

Question 6

topographical/relief features of northern mountains

Answer 6

Parallel ranges which run mainly from west to east
Height of ranges increases (south to north)
High altitude (peaks rise to 8475 m)
High passes i.e Khunjerab pass, lawarai pass and shandur pass
snowfields/glaciers
Snow capped peaks/steep slopes

Question 7

natural drainage

Answer 7

natural run-off of water from an area in rivers and streams

Question 8

drainage features of the northern mountains

Answer 8

Natural drainage: natural run-off of water from an area in rivers and streams
River indus and its tributaries dominate the drainage pattern of the Northern mountains
Indus starts its journey when it leaves Mansarover lake (karakoram range)
While passing through Hindu Kush (to NW), at attock, river Kabul joins river Indus, which has already been joined by river Swat
After forming deeply dissected valleys and gorges, the Indus takes a southern turn to Kalabagh and enters an area of plains
During its journey, huge glaciers of Karakoram and Hindu kush feed the river

Eastern tributaries of Indus (Ravi, Jhelum, Chenab, Sutlej, Beas) originate in the Himalayas and, after passing through Kashmir, enter into the plain area where they join Indus

While crossing high altitude mountain ranges, river Indus and its tributaries form feature ie:
Gorges: when river erodes land and flows downhill, less resistant rocks are eroded leaving behind vertical hard rocks called gorges
Waterfall: steep fall of river water from a hard rock that resists erosion
Rapids: series of very short and fast waterfalls
Streams and spring: when snow melts from my the mountains, water flows down in the form of streams and springs, which flow out of the valleys side

Question 9

gorges

Answer 9

when river erodes land and flows downhill, less resistant rocks are eroded leaving behind vertical hard rocks called gorges

Question 9

rapids

Answer 9

series of very short and fast waterfalls

Question 9

waterfall

Answer 9

steep fall of river water from a hard rock that resists erosion

Question 10

streams and spring

Answer 10

when snow melts from my the mountains, water flows down in the form of streams and springs, which flow out of the valleys side

Question 11

western mountains

Answer 11

Consists of many parallel ranges and are not as high as the northern mountains
Include the following ranges:
Safed Koh range (4712 m)
Waziristan hills (3513 m)
Sulaiman range (3383 m)
Kirthar range (2174)

Safed Koh ranges:

Lies in east-west direction south of Kabul river
Called Safed Koh (white mountains) bec their peaks are often covered w snow
River Kurram flows to the south of this range
Kurram pass provides route into Afghanistan

Kohat valley located at the other end of Kurram pass
Dotted with springs and a number of limestone ridges
Valley farmed with the help of irrigation
Wheat, rice and sugarcane cultivated

Another valley in this region: vale of peshawar
Drained by rivers kabul and swat
Fertile, alluvial plain irrigated by canals originating from warsak dam on river kabul

Waziristan hills

Located between Kurram and Gomal rivers
Lie in mineralized zone
Form a rampart between Pak and Afghanistan along with Safed Koh ranges

Bannu valley: east of waziristan hills
bannu , near the Tochi pass, and dera Ismail Khan, near Gomal pass, are important towns and military centres
Bannu valley: low lying basin bordered by hills and mountains, drained by streams with braided channels
Deposition of clay and boulders brought down by streams
Kurram dam on Kurram pass = main source of irrigation water

Sulaiman and kirthar ranges

Sulaiman range lies to west of river Indus
Avg height 1500m
Takht-i-sulaiman (3379) highest peak in range
Main rocks in this area: limestone and sandstone
Further south, it meets Kirthar range, which is backed by Pab range

Question 12

passes of western mountains

Answer 12

Khyber: → wide enough to facilitate passage of troops
→ leads to fertile vale of Peshawar
→ historical link between afghanistan and Pakistan
Kurram: route to afghanistan
Tochi: connects Ghazni to Bannu
Gomal: connects afghanistan to derajats
Bolan: connects Kachhi sibi plain to quetta

Question 12

economic activities and lifestyle in western mountains

Answer 12

Western mountains mostly bare of vegetation
Climate and relief do not support farming
Canal irrigation not possible bec mountainous terrain and rugged landscape
Limited transportation facilities (except few urban centres ie Peshawar and Kohat)
Area not connected by air or rail networks
Only few areas accessible by metalled roads (most areas accessible only by unmetalled roads)

Life hard due to rugger landscape
Cost of supplying infrastructure— water supply, transport facilities, electricity and communication facilities is much higher than in plains
As a consequence, projects i.e mining, industries & educational facilities not established
Nomadic lifestyle is common
Sheep and goat rearing = main occupation
Population density lower than 100 ppl per sq.km
Abundant mineral resources but due to difficulty extracting them, they have not been explored or exploited

Question 13

Balochistan plateau

Answer 13

Located in southwest of Pak
Altitudes mainly range from 600-3010 m
Extensive area of 347,190 sq. km
Has a number of distinct natural topographical and drainage features

Basins of Northern Balochistan

Number of irregular depressions ie Zhob and Loralai basins, situated between Toba kakar ranges and sulaiman range
South west of Loralai basin: quetta valley surrounded by mountain ranges
Infrequent rain, but when it does rain the rivers form narrow channels and as they reach foothill of the mountains, they deposit gravel and boulders in addition to sand and silt
Deposition of material by river channels forms alluvial fans on piedmont plains

Basins of Western Balochistan

Number of basins between mountain ranges ie Chagai hills, Ras Koh, Siahan and central Makran
Area almost totally devoid of vegetation
Very little rainfall even in winters
These basins have no outlet to the sea, so when it rains it drains into temporary rivers and streams which flow into the basins and either soak into the ground or gather in temporary lakes
Thus these basins are known as inland drainage basins
Temporary lakes = hamuns in local language
They are salt lakes when the water evaporates, leaving a salty crust behind; it is then called a salt pan
Largest: hamun-i-Mashkel (western part of Kharan desert)

Mountain ranges

Plateau covered w number of barren mountain ranges
Altitude: 600-3010m
Highly mineralized esp chagai hills, which have copper, gold and sulphur deposits. Many in the process of exploration
Coastal areas

Coastal areas of Balochistan can be divided into eastern and western parts
Eastern: comprises Lasbela plain marked by gravel and sand dunes
Western: Makran coast where the Makran coastal range projects into the sea and forms narrow coastal plain
Imp rivers: Hab, poraly, Hingol and Dasht (flow into Arabian sea)

Question 13

economic wealth of balochistan

Answer 13

Mineral resources:
Rich in minerals
In addition to Saindak copper-gold project, there are many coal mines, employing 80% of population in some areas
A lot of coal produced is sold to factories in Punjab

Has appreciable deposits of crude oil and natural gas
46% of gas supply in country is from sui (not on baloch plateau but edge of lower Indus plain)

Agriculture:
i) fruit production
Main fruits grown = apples, peaches, melons, dates, pomegranates, apricots, almonds and plums
75% of total production moves to markets in other provinces according to demand and price
Karachi = largest markets for balochistan fruits
Also exported to gulf states

ii) vegetable seed industry
Uplands (long cold winters) = suited to growing vegetable seeds that initially require chilly weather for transplantation
Warm summers = conducive to superior and extensive flowering and for formation of high quality seeds

iii) livestock and production
Nomadic livestock farming common due to scarcity of rainfall and lack of irrigation
Imp livestock products: wool, goat hair and skins
After meeting domestic requirements, these ;products are exported abroad under a govt which ensures quality of exports

Fishing
Either for domestic use (subsistence) or commercial purposes ( to be sold in local and international markets)

Balochistan 3 main fishing ports:
Gwadar, Pasni and Ormara
Much catch consumed locally
Around 30% exported to european union countries
Export destination include: Japan, china, South korea, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Singapore

Question 13

Balochistan economic potential

Answer 13

Plateau surrounded and crossed by mountains
To the south: narrow coastal plain bordering arabian sea
Low rainfall = dry climate
Comparatively cool summers at high altitudes

Balochistan, despite being largest province in the area, with vast untapped resources, has been largely neglected
Lowest population density in Pak
South-western baloch: fewer that 10 ppl per sq.km

water resources
No major source of water
Scarcity of both irrigation and drinking water
Supplies dependant on small water schemes ie karez system, flood diversion channels & small number of tubewells

transport and communication:
Roads and railways were built with little thought for economic consideration however, since the 21st century, road network has been greatly expanded and improved
Makran coastal highway (links karachi w gwadar port), opened up new era in balochistan’s economic development

economic structure:
Crop farming & livestock raising = main activities in the province
67% labour force engaged in agriculture
2018: per capita income =US$4628, higher than Sindh and KPK but lower than Punjab

Question 13

future prospects

Answer 13

i) mineral resources are being explored (Saindak Copper Gold project)
ii) products from sheep and goat are exportable but need improvement both quality and quantity wise
ii) deep sea port at Gwadar is being developed as part of the new belt and road initiative. Plans include 100 berths for container ships, w capacity to handle 400 million tonnes of cargo per year. Transport plans include a new international airport, and a 6 lane expressway between the port and makran coastal highway
iv) new tech and higher fishing standards have opened up new export markets

Question 14

potwar plateau and salt range

Answer 14

South of isl bw river Indus and river Jhelum
Avg height: 300-600 m aboves sea lvl
Residual hills eg Kala Chitta and Khairi Murat rise j over 1000 m and are a result of resistant rocks being left behind after the erosion of less resistant rocks
Much of plateau = dissected and eroded by the action of running water
Badland topography ; ridges, ravines and troughs

Question 15

Natural topographical and drainage features of Potwar Plateau

Answer 15

Soam river = dominant feature of the region
=Gullies and large alluvial plains, mainly used for agriculture
Rich in minerals rock salt, gypsum, limestone, coal, oil)

Question 16

salt range

Answer 16

Mountain range: covers most of Jhelum, Chakwal, Kalabagh, Mianwali district
Known as salt range due to the salt mines at khewra (small town 160 km from isl)
Parallel ranges
Avg height 750-900m
Sakesar peak (1527m) =highest point
Ranges = badly faulted and eroded by rivers
Lakes eg Kallar Kahar and Khabeki add to scenic beauty
Rich in minerals (rock salt, gypsum, limestone)

Question 17

economic activity and lifestyle in Potwar Plateau

Answer 17

PP and SR = rich in non metallic minerals (limestone, marble, rocksalt, clays etc) which provide raw materials to the ceramic, cement and chemical industry
A number of oil & gas fields are also located in this region
Attock oil refinery set up to refine oils from oilfields of pp

Farming in pp: depends on rainfall as canal irrigation is not possible due to rugged landscape
Wheat, maize, barley and gram cultivated

Most of the pp is a pridcutive region and accessible by road rail and air
Some urban settlements eg Jhelum, chakwal, rawalpindi/isl have been developed, encouraging a high population density

Question 18

Indus Plain

Answer 18

River indus and its tributaries drain the Indus plain throughout most of punjab and central part of sindh

Northern part = upper Indus plain
By Panjdad, the 5 main tributries of Indus have all joined together
After sutlej joins chenab at panjnad the river itself is called panjnad
River panjnad → 75 km → Indus near mithankot

General slope of the Indus towards the sea is gentle, average slope of 1-5m
Below mithankot in sindh, the indus flows as a gigantic river till it meets the arabian sea
This part is known as the lower Indus plain

Question 19

active flood plain

Answer 19

Narrow strip of land on either side of the river = active flood plain
Locally known as ‘bet’ or ‘khaddar’ land
Inundated almost every year
At the end of rainy szn, the land is marked w dry and braided channels rich in alluvium
Active flood plain is found along all rivers except for southern half of ravi river due to low volume of water
Where the Indus enters the Lower Indus plain, the flood plain is around 40km wide, making it an imp farming area

Question 20

old flood plain

Answer 20

Meander and cover flood plains cover the area between alluvial terraces and active flood plain
Only flooded when heavy monsoon rain
Covered with ‘old alluvium’ alluvium deposited in the past
Features found on this plain: abandoned channels, meaner scars and remains of oxbows, sometimes containing water

Question 21

alluvial terraces

Answer 21

Alluvial terraces or bars are areas of higher ground between rivers formed by erosion of old alluvium
Formed in upper Indus plain in Chaj, Rechna, Bari doabs
Also called scalloped interfluves
Sandal bar on rachna doab, Ganji bar on Bari Doab, Nili bar on Bari doab and Kirana bar on chaj doab = prominent alluvial terraces

Surface of alluvial terraces = flat and has sw slope
Ideal for agriculture w the help of irrigation
Part of Bahawalpur Plain that has been reclaimed thru irrigation also falls within the boundary of the Indus plain
Height of Bahawalpur plain identical w bars of doab and is also an alluvial terrace

Question 22

cross section of a doab

Answer 22

Doab = land bw 2 rivers at their confluence
Rivers → mature valley = a number of topographical features are formed on a doab due to erosion and deposition
Doabs = favored areas for human activities eg farming, construction of settlements, building rail and roads and other industrial and business activities.
A number of topographical features contribute to high population density in doab areas eg:

Active flood plain = flooded every year = ideal land for crops which require lots of water eg rice and sugarcane
Meander flood plains & cover flood plains - good locations for arable farming in fertile areas. Poor soil areas can be used for human settlements
Well developed link canal irrigation system in doab areas → continuous supply of water all year
Bar uplands = free from flooding as they are higher = ideal location for farming and human settlements, transport links, industrial estates etc

Question 23

piedmont plains

Answer 23

Located at foothills of Sulaiman, kirthar and himalayan mountains
Most dominant features = alluvial fans or cones that develop eastward from the sulaiman and kirthar mountains

Most rives/streams coming from sulaiman and kirthar ranges = low water flow
=active only during rainy szn when they flow down the mountain swiftly
As they reacht the foothills they become slow and split into narro channels that fan out on the slopes
Material brought down by water is dropped within the narrow channels of the streams
Gravel, sand and alluvium deposited by rivers form alluvial fans
Extensive areas of alluvial fans on eastern side of sulaiman and kirthar ranges
Smaller areas formed on sourthern side of siwaliks bw the rivers jhelum and chenab and also bw rivers chenab and ravi
Sulaiman piedmont plain =derajat
Piedmont plains = mainly agricultural

Question 24

tidal delta

Answer 24

Indus delta = south of thatta
Deltas = often triangular or fan shaped w main distributaries branching off the main river like ribs of a fan
When a river flows into a sea, its speed is soon checked and it drops its load of alluvium to the sea floor
Deposition of alluvium on the banks of distributaries = levees higher than the adjacent areas
Sea water often fills troughs bw distributaies = swamps
Indus delta = “tidal flats” w mangrove swamps
Coastal area = generally low and flat

Indus delta =east of karachi and includes Thatta, Keti, bandar etc
Low population density bec it is exposed to waves and tides
Agriculture limiteds due to swampy land covered w sea water, saline soil and low annual rainfall (125-250mm)
Indus = worlds 5th biggest river delta and is home to 1M+ ppl
Changes upstream in the Indus Basin affect delta region particularly bec of water taken for irrigation and loss of sediment

Volume of Indus water reaching Indus delta reduced from 250M km cube to 100M km cube per year or less
= causes sea water to flow further into delta channels, replacing fertile rice farms w salt marshes , and villagers havve been forced to move
Global warming → sea levels rise → salt water will reach further inland

At one time, Indus carried 300M tonnes of sediment per year into the arabian sea
Over thousands of years this sediment created the delta
By 2000, river was bringing less than 100 million tonnes of sediment per year
Less sediment arriving to build up the delta → more easily eroded by sea

Question 25

cuestas in lower Indus Plain

Answer 25

Prominent features
These cuestas are ridges which in sindh are made of limestone
Cuesta = steep slode on one side and gentle slpe on the other

Rohri cuesta: height = 80m, 48 km long
Ganjo Takkr cuesta: stretches southwards from hyderabad for a distance of 24 km
These limestone ridges provide a firm foundation for the construction of barrages and add to scenic beauty of the area by varying the generally flat landscape

Question 26

economic activities of Indus plain

Answer 26

Indus plain = most productive region of Pak
Relief and drainage = encourage growth of settlements
Doabs of upper Indus plan, old and active flood plains of lower indus plain = excellent areas of farming
Since ancient times, more than 80% of paks total cultivated area has been located in the indus plain
Crops = grown all year round on fertile flat land w undulating slopes cotton, rice, sugarcane = summer, wheat = winter
Flat land = ideal for canal irrigation and an extensive system has been developed to irrigate the fields

Most developed region of Pak
Infrastructure facilities are ez to provide
Transport network of road rail and air is dense
Electricity supplied to all urban centes eg lahore faisalabad gujranwala etc
Many rural areas have also been supplied w electricity

Has industries that use local raw materials eg cotton sugar chemical industry
Industrial goods have large domestic and foreign market & population density varies from 50 to over 400 persons per sq km

Upper Indus Plain
Located in northern part of Indus plain
River Indus and its tributaries flow her
Nearly flat, undulating plain sloping towards southwest
Avg width 1.4 km till kalabagh and 1.6 km near sukkur
In its middle course in the north and enters its lower course towards south
Both deposition and erosion take place w deposition becoming more dominant towards the south
Alluvial terraces or bars formed bw rivers
Piedmont plain w alluvial fans to the north and west

Lower Indus Plain
Located in southern part
River indus flows here alone
“ “ towards south
Width = 1.6
In its lower course
Deposition = main function
‘ ‘ non existent as indus flows alone
‘ ‘ to the west

Question 27

desert areas ( i think it is incomplete not sure)

Answer 27

3 desert areas
Sindh sagar doab or Thal desert lies bw river Indus and river Jhelum
Thar desert/sourth-eastern desert is in south eastern pak and has 3 main areas
Cholistan
Nara
Tharparkar (Thar)
Kharan desert

Winds = most imp agent in shaping desert areas , and they change the landscape constantly
Sand dunes, erosion of rocks and lack of vegeation = Pak deserts main features
Rainfall = scanty, water table = v low

Life in desert areas is predominantly affected by environment
Lack of water and constant erosion of land by strong winds does not allow may productive human activities such as farming

Deserts can be made productive if irrigation facilities are provided
Major part of thair desert converted into farming land by canals from Sukkur barrage built on the indus
Deserts may have rich mineral deposits, esp oil which is shown by the discovery of many oil and gas fields in the south eastern part of thar desert