unit 1 Pakistan:The Natural Topography

Pakistan;The Natural Topography

including drainage

The Northern Mountains and North-Western Mountains

Introduction;

The Himalayas run across 2500 km from east to west, and form a significant part of the mountain range in Pakistan. The comprise of the Siwaliks (600-1800m), the Pir Panjal Range/The Lesser or Outer Himalayas (1800-4500m), and the Central Himalayas (over 4500m). The Pir Panjal Range is where some of the more popular hill stations like Murree and Bhurban are located.

The topography of the Himalayas consists of snowcapped, and steep-sided peaks with valleys rich in natural vegetation. The highest peak of this range in Pakistan is the Nanga Parbat (8,126m).

The Karakoram mountain range has an average height of 6000m, and it is located above the Central Himalayas. The highest peak of the Karakoram range in Pakistan is the Godwin Austin (K-2) which stands at 8,610m. The Karakoram mountains are very inhospitable, and the population in these mountains is very sporadic, and a nomadic lifestyle is seen. Some agriculture takes place in the valleys, but mostly, the Karakoram range comprises of steep peaks, and narrow valleys often with a fast flowing river taking up most of the space. The Karakoram Highway that links Pakistan with China has been a major development in the Karakoram range.

The Hindu Kush mountain range runs from north to south, and is located in the region where the border of Pakistan meets the borders of Afghanistan and China. The topography of the area is very similar to the Karakoram range. Hindu Kush is famous for mountain peaks like Tirich Mir. The Hindu Kush is also popular in culture because many of the greatest invaders in history (Alexander the Great, Mahmud of Ghazni etc) crossed the mountain passes of the Hindu Kush.

Detail

The Karakoram Range

The Karakoram Range

The Karakoram is a large mountain range spanning the borders between Pakistan, India and China, located in the regions of Gilgit-Baltistan (Pakistan), Ladakh (India), and Xinjiang (China). It is actually the northwestern extension of the Himalaya.This range is home to many peaks over five miles in height, including K2 (Mount Godwin Austen), the second highest peak in the world (8,611 m/28,251 ft), and three other of the Earth's fourteen 8,000-meter peaks — Gasherbrum I at 8,068 m. (26,471 ft), Broad Peak at 8,047 m. (26,402 ft), and Gasherbrum II at 8,035 m. (26,363 ft).The range is about 311 miles in length, and is the most heavily glaciated part of the world outside the polar regions. The Siachen Glacier at 44 miles long and the Biafo Glacier at 39 miles long are the world's second and third longest glaciers outside the Arctic and Antarctic areas. About 28-50% of these mountains are glaciated, much more than the Himalayan average of only 8-12%.

The Himalayas

                                                                               

 The Himalayas stretch across the northeastern portion of India. They cover approximately 1,500 mi (2,400 km) and pass through the nations of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Bhutan and Nepal. The Himalayan range is made up of three parallel ranges often referred to as the Greater Himalayas, the Lesser Himalayas, and the Outer Himalayas.

Highest peak: Mount Everest at 29,029 ft (8,848 m) is not only the highest peak in the Himalayas, but the highest peak on the entire planet.Other famous peaks include Karakora (K2), Kailash, Kanchenjunga, Nanga Parbat, Annapurna, and Manasklu.Rivers: The Himalayas are the source for the Indus, the Yangtze and the Ganga-Brahmaputra. All three are major river systems for the continent of Asia.The main rivers sourced in Himalayas are the Ganges, Indus, Yarlung, Yangtze, Yellow, Mekong, and Nujiang.Glaciers: The Himalayas are the third largest deposit of ice and snow in the world, after Antarctica and the Arctic. There are approximately 15,000 glaciers located throughout the range. At 48 miles (72 km) in length, the Himalayan Siachen glacier is the largest glacier outside the poles.Other notable glaciers located in the Himalayas include the Baltoro, Biafo, Nubra, and Hispur.

The Hindu Kush

                                                           

             

The Hindu Kush is a mountain system nearly 1000 miles long and 200 miles wide, running northeast to southwest, and dividing the Amu Darya River Valley and Indus River Valley. It stretches from the Pamir Plateau near Gilgit, to Iran. The Hindu Kush ranges mainly run thru Afganistan and Pakistan. It has over two dozen summits of more than 23,000 ft in height. Below the snowy peaks the mountains of Hindu Kush appear bare, stony and poor in vegetation. Historically, the passes across the Hindu Kush have been of great military significance, providing access to the northern plains of India. The Khyber Pass constitutes an important strategic gateway and offers a comparatively easy route to the plains of Punjab. Most foreign invaders, starting from Alexander the Great in 327 BC, to Timur Lane in 1398 AD, and from Mahmud of Ghazni, in 1001 AD, to Nader Shah in 1739 AD attacked Hindustan via the Khyber Pass and other passes in the Hindu Kush (1,2,3). The Greek chroniclers of Alexander the Great called Hindu Kush as Parapamisos or Paropanisos (4). The Hindu name of the Hindu Kush mountains was 'Paariyaatra Parvat'(5).