Location of Pakistan
Position
- Pakistan lies in South Asia, between about 24°N and 37°N and 61°E and 77°E. It covers about 796,000 km².
- The Tropic of Cancer (23½°N) lies just south of Pakistan's southern tip.
- Key lines to find on a map: 30°N (near Multan and Quetta), 36°N (north, near Gilgit and Chitral), and 64°E, 70°E, 76°E.
Neighbours
| Direction | Neighbour |
|---|---|
| east | India |
| north-east | China (the Xinjiang region, via the Karakoram) |
| north and west | Afghanistan (the Durand Line); the narrow Wakhan Corridor separates Pakistan from Tajikistan |
| south-west | Iran |
| south | the Arabian Sea |
Pakistan connects South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East, so it has strategic importance and could be a trade route between them.
Administrative areas
Provinces: Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly NWFP), Balochistan. Other areas: Gilgit–Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and the Islamabad Capital Territory. (The former FATA merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2018.)
Main cities to locate
| Province or area | Cities |
|---|---|
| Capital Territory | Islamabad (the capital); Rawalpindi and Murree nearby |
| Punjab | Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Gujranwala, Sialkot |
| Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | Peshawar, Chitral |
| Gilgit–Baltistan | Gilgit |
| Sindh | Karachi (the largest city and main port), Hyderabad |
| Balochistan | Quetta, Gwadar (a deep-sea port on the Arabian Sea coast) |
The natural topography, including drainage
Landform regions
| Region | Features |
|---|---|
| Northern and western mountains | the Himalayas, Karakoram and Hindu Kush ranges. The Karakoram includes K2 (8,611 m, the second-highest mountain in the world). Safed Koh is on the border with Afghanistan, with the Khyber Pass. Steep slopes, deep valleys, glaciers and snow |
| Sulaiman Range | mountains on the west of the Indus plain (between the plain and the Balochistan Plateau), including Takht-e-Sulaiman |
| Potwar Plateau and Salt Range | a plateau (about 300–600 m) between the Indus and Jhelum, cut by gullies (a badland landscape); the Salt Range is a line of hills on its southern edge, with rock salt |
| Balochistan Plateau | a dry, rocky, high plateau (1,000–2,000 m), with scattered mountains and deserts |
| The Indus Plain (the floodplain) | a flat, fertile lowland made of alluvium laid by the Indus and its tributaries. The most densely populated area |
| Deserts | the Thar (south-east Sindh, a sandy desert reaching into India), the Thal (between the Indus and Jhelum in the Punjab), and the Kharan (a desert in Balochistan) |
The northern mountains: key facts
| Range | Key facts |
|---|---|
| Karakoram | the highest concentration of big peaks and glaciers: K2 (8,611 m), and the glaciers Siachen, Baltoro, Biafo, Batura and Hispar. Passes: Khunjerab and Karakoram (to China) |
| Himalaya | Nanga Parbat (about 8,126 m) is the main peak in Pakistan; the lower ranges (Siwaliks, Pir Panjal) include Murree and Nathia Gali |
| Hindu Kush | Tirich Mir (about 7,700 m), near Chitral; passes include Lowari and Shandur |
| Safed Koh | on the Afghan border south of the Kabul River; the Khyber and Kurram passes; peaks usually snow-covered |
| Sulaiman range | west of the Indus plain, with Takht-e-Sulaiman (about 3,500 m); the Bolan Pass leads to Quetta |
Importance of the northern mountains: they are the source of the glacier and snow-melt that feeds the Indus; they hold timber, minerals and fruit; they act as a barrier against the cold winds of Central Asia; they give tourism; and the passes link Pakistan to China and Afghanistan.
Rivers
- The Indus (about 2,900 km) rises in Tibet, flows through Kashmir, Gilgit and the Punjab and Sindh, and enters the Arabian Sea near Karachi (at its delta).
- Tributaries on the east: the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej (the name Punjab means "land of five rivers"). On the west: the Kabul River joins the Indus near Attock.
- The Hab (on the Sindh–Balochistan border, flows into the Arabian Sea near Karachi) and the Dasht (in Makran, Balochistan) are small, seasonal rivers in the south-west that flow only after rain.
Describing landforms
| Landform | Description |
|---|---|
| mountain | high, steep land, a peak or ridge, thin soil, glaciers and snow at the top |
| plateau | high, flat-topped land with steep sides, often cut by rivers |
| floodplain | a flat area on both sides of a river, formed by flooding and deposition of silt, fertile |
| desert | an arid area with little rain (under 250 mm), sparse vegetation, sand dunes or stony ground |
The influence of topography on human activities
- Steep slopes are hard to farm and to build on: used for grazing, forestry and terrace farming; flat land (the Indus plain) is used for crops and settlement and is easy to irrigate.
- Mountains and deserts make roads and railways expensive and difficult to build, and keep populations isolated (the Karakoram Highway needed extreme engineering and is often blocked by landslides). The plains have a dense network of roads and rail.
Climate
Seasons
| Season | Months | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Cool, dry winter | December–March | cold in the north and mountains (snow); mild in the south; western depressions bring some rain and snow to the north and Punjab |
| Hot, dry summer | April–June | very hot (over 45–50 °C in Sindh and southern Punjab); dust storms; thunderstorms before the monsoon |
| Monsoon | July–September | heavy rain in the north-east (Murree, Sialkot, Lahore), less in the west and south; floods can occur |
| Post-monsoon (retreating monsoon) | October–November | dry and warm, a transition |
The causes of the monsoon
In summer the land of South Asia heats up much more than the sea, creating an area of low pressure over the land. Moist south-west winds from the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea (where the pressure is higher) are drawn in, bringing heavy rain as the air rises over the land and the mountains. In winter the pattern reverses: cold, dry air flows from the land (the north-east) out to sea.
Why monsoon rainfall in Pakistan is small and unreliable. The monsoon winds first cross India and Bangladesh and lose most of their moisture, so only the tail end reaches Pakistan. The rain therefore varies a lot from year to year and is heaviest in the north-east, close to the mountains.
Other weather
- Depressions (low-pressure systems from the west, in winter) bring rain and snow to the north, the Potwar and Balochistan.
- Thunderstorms and convectional rain occur in summer after intense heating.
- Cyclones (typhoons) form over the Arabian Sea, mostly in May–June and October–November, and may strike the Sindh and Balochistan coast with high winds, storm surges and heavy rain.
Climate regions
| Region | Where | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Arid | most of Sindh and Balochistan, the Thar, Kharan and south Punjab | hot summers, cool winters, very little rain (under about 250 mm), big temperature range; Jacobabad is among the hottest places on earth |
| Semi-arid | much of the Punjab plains and the Potwar | hot summers, cool winters, moderate rain (about 250–500 mm, mostly in the monsoon); irrigation is needed |
| Humid | the sub-mountain areas and the north-east (Murree, Sialkot, Rawalpindi, Islamabad) | the highest rainfall (over 750 mm, up to 1,500 mm), cooler and wetter |
| Highland | the mountains of the north and west | cold, snow in winter, cool summers, temperature falls with altitude; permanent snow and glaciers on the highest peaks |
The influence of latitude and longitude
- Latitude: Pakistan is in the sub-tropics, so summers are hot and winters mild in the south; day length varies more in the north (longer summer days and shorter winter days) than in the south. Temperature falls from south to north.
- Longitude: it decides local solar time: places further east see the sun earlier. All of Pakistan uses one standard time (UTC+5). Climate depends more on distance from the sea: the interior has a continental climate (hotter summers, colder winters, a bigger range) than the coast, which is moderated by the sea.
The effects of climate on the economy and people
| Climate factor | Benefits | Problems |
|---|---|---|
| rain and monsoon | water for crops and rivers; hydroelectric power | floods damage farmland, roads, homes and industry (for example 2010 and 2022); stop transport |
| heat and sunshine | long growing season; solar power | heat waves; high evaporation raises salinity |
| low temperature, ice and snow | glaciers feed the rivers; tourism (skiing, Murree, Swat) | in the mountains the cold limits farming; roads blocked, villages isolated; avalanches; people need shelter and fuel |
| drought and water shortage | crop failure, less hydroelectric power, shortage for industry (textiles), and the migration of people from dry areas |
Causes of floods: heavy monsoon rain; fast snow and glacier melt; deforestation in the foothills (more run-off); weak or low embankments. Causes of drought: the unreliable monsoon; low rainfall in the arid south and west; deforestation and overgrazing; poor water management and disputes over the sharing of water. The coast is about 1,000 km long (about 770 km in Balochistan and 270 km in Sindh), and the sea keeps the coastal climate milder and more humid.