Topography: the study and description of the surface features of land, which

includes both natural and artificial features.

Landforms?
Landforms are the natural shapes or features There are many different types of landforms found on the earth. Mountains, Valleys, Canyons, Plains,

Plateaus, Islands, Lakes, Oceans, Coast, Rivers and Deserts

Six Major Natural Topography of Pakistan

The northern Mountains and North Western Mountains Of Pakistan The western Mountains The Balochistan Plateau Potwar Plateau and salt Range The Indus plains Desert areas

Review

The northern Mountains and North Western Mountains Of Pakistan

Explain

The northern mountains compromise three main mountain ranges:

The Karakoram

The Himalaya

The Hindu Kush

The Karakoram Range (black gravel)

The Karakoram is bounded on the northeast by the edge of the Tibetan Plateau, and on the north by the Wakhan Corridor and the Pamir Mountains. The southern boundary of the Karakoram is formed by the Gilgit, Indus, and Shyok Rivers, Average altitude (height) 6000 m Extended 400 Km from Hunza to the Shyok River. Wester end lies in Pakistan. K-2 located here (2nd highest peak in the world) 8610 m. Precipitation mainly in the form of snow because of high altitude. The most heavily glaciated part of the world outside of the polar regions. The Siachen Glacier at 78km long and Biafo Glacier at 63 km. Baltoro 62 kmand batura 58km (Skardu Dist, Hunza Valley) Glacier causes erosion as it moves down a valley.

Most of the highest of Karakoram peaks are in northern Pakistan;

principally Chitral and the Northern Areas.

Life : nomadic and semi nomadic Agriculture is practiced in those valleys where water is plentiful. Cattle breeding is common.
Crops: Apple Barley Millet

Attracted scientist and mountaineers because of its

geography and attractive beauty. Karakoram Highway links Pakistan and China.

Himalaya means home of snow because the tallest peaks of the Himalayas are always capped with snow. Location: It is Asia Himalayan Mountain stretches from India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Afghanistan & Pakistan. North east are the highest mountains of the world known as Himalayas. Length of Himalaya 2500 Km from east to west. North west border by the mountain Hindu Kush and north by the Karakoram. Average altitude 4000m.

They are compromises of three ranges :

1. Siwaliks Hills located near Attock
Also called Churia or Margalla Hills Average altitude (600-1200 metres)

2. The Lesser or Lower Himalayas:

average altitude 1800-4500 m In Pakistan these mountains lie just north of Rawalpindi district covering the districts of Batagram, Mansehra and Abbottabad as well as Pakistan Administered Kashmir. These mountains are also home to Pakistan's important hill stations like Murree, Ghora Gali and Nathia Gali.

3. The Central Himalaya Located between Pir Panjal Range & the Karakoram Range. Mostly lies in Kashmir. Average altitude 6000m Mostly peaks are covered with snow throughout the year. Nanga Parbat lies in Kashmir and has a height of about 8126m.

Lies between the borders of Afghanistan and China meet on Pakistans north and north-west border. The highest point in Hindu kush mountain region is the Tirich Mir (7690m). Mostly covered with snow The average altitude of the Hindu Kush is 4,500 meters Rivers that flow from the mountain system include the Helmand River, the Hari River and the Kabul River, watersheds for the Sistan Basin.

Helmand River: longest river in Afghanistan. Hari River is a river flowing 1100 kilometers from the

mountains of central Afghanistan to Turkmenistan. Kabul River: It is the main river in the eastern part of Afghanistan. It flows 700 km before joining the Indus River near Attock.
Historical importance of passes
Many invaders cross the hindu kush Alexander the Great Mahmud of Ghazni The Ghauris Timurlane Babar

The Shandur Pass: Gilgit & Chitral

The Shangla Pass: Swat valley and the upper parts of the Indus valley

The Lawari Pass: Chitral to the Swat valley and the vale of Peshawar

Vegetation are found in extreme south east and in the hills of Swat Kohistan Pajokara valley Dir District Rice is cultivated in the areas of Swat, Chitral & Dir.

Important northern valleys:

Swat (Hindu Kush) Chitral Gilgit (Karakoram) Hunza Baltistan Murree & Gallies (Himalayas) Kaghan

Glaciers:
Is a tongue shaped mass of ice moving slowly down a valley. Important Glaciers: Baltoro: 58 km long, Karakorum range Batura: 58km long, hunza Valley Siachen 78 km long, Karakorum range

Economic importance:
A permanent reservoir of water which irrigate vast Indus plain. Karakorum highway has been connected to carry out trade. A source of valuable minerals, timbers and fruits. Provide raw material to several industries e.g. furniture, paper, chipboard and chemical industries. Scientific beauty promotes tourist resorts which are a source of income to local people during summer.

Physical Importance:
High mountain peaks protect Pakistan from cold winds from Central Asia. Due to this the climate remains tolerable throughout the year. It also protects the country from being invaded.

People and economy :

The population, settlements and economic activities greatly influenced by the variation in topography. Most of the population is dependent on agriculture and cattle breeding.

Products:
Wheat, rice, barley, maize, apricot, walnut & mulberry.

Small scale industries:

Carpets, embroidered material, rugs and other handicrafts items.

Major Industries:
Food grains processing, making vegetable oil, refining of sugar and fruit processing industry.

Disadvantages:
Hydro-electric potential but requires huge investment. Modern industries but mineral resources have not been explored. Low literacy rate. Shortage of safe drinking water and poor health.

Food production is not equal to the required amount due to which they face malnutrition.
Towns of northern areas like Mingora, Murree, Kaghan & Gilgit have regional trade by road with cities like Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Peshawar & Abbotabad. However, due to difficult terrain and limited transport facilities it is difficult to carry out regional trade on a large scale. Tourism is also popular in the northern mountains but it has had an adverse impact on regions where tourist numbers exceed the facilities available. Low economic growth rate combined with high rate of population due to which prevents low level of per capita income (average income per person). Infrastructure is not good. Most of the population is dependent on agriculture and cattle breeding.

Environmental Issues:
Deforestation and overgrazing have led to soil erosion. Deforestation increased due to increase in demand of firewood and extensive tree trimming in order to feed live stock. The construction in the border regions have increased the rate of deforestation. Rapid population growth rate has accelerated the pollution. It also polluted the water which causes many diseases like typhoid, cholera and dysentery .

Drainage Features Of The Northern Mountains:

Originating in the Tibetan plateau in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar in China, the National River runs a course through the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir and then enters Northern Areas (Gilgit-Baltistan), flowing through the North in a southerly direction along the entire length of the country, to merge into the Arabian Sea near Pakistan's port city of Karachi in Sindh. The total length of the river is 3,180 kilometers (1,976 miles). The river has a total drainage area exceeding 1,165,000 square kilometers (450,000 square miles).

Gorge: when the river flows down hill the less resistant rocks are eroded
leaving behind verical hard rocks.

Water falls: a step fall of river water from a resistant rock. Rapid: series of very short and fast waterfalls. Streams & Springs: when the snow melts from mountain tops water
flows down in form of stream springs.