Pakistan
PAKISTAN - the land, the climate, people & popuulation
NWFP (North West Frontier Province)
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Official Name |
Islamic Republic of Pakistan |
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Father of the Nation |
Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah |
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Head of the State |
General Pervez Musharraf |
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Chief Executive Head of
Government |
General Pervez
Musharraf ( Prime Minister:
Mir Zafar-ullah Jamali) |
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Capital |
Islamabad |
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Area |
796,095 Sq. km. |
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Population |
135.28 million |
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Ethnic composition |
95% Muslims, 5% others |
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Per capita income |
US$ 460 |
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Currency |
Pak Rupee |
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Exports |
Cotton, textile goods, rice,
leather items carpets, sports goods, fruits, handicrafts Sea Food
(Fisheries) |
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Imports |
Industrial equipment, vehicles,
iron ore, petroleum, edible oil |
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Languages |
Urdu (National language) |
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Literacy rate |
38.9% |
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Government |
Parliamentary form |
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Parliament |
It consists of two Houses i.e.,
the Senate (Upper House) and the National Assembly (Lower House).
The Senate is a permanent legislative body and symbolizes a process of continuity in the national affairs. It consists of 87 members. The four Provincial Assemblies, Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Federal Capital form its electoral college. The National Assembly has a total membership of 217 elected through adult suffrage (Muslim 207 and Minorities 10). |
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Pakistan National Flag |
Dark green with a white vertical
bar, a white crescent and a five-pointed star in the middle. The Flag
symbolizes Pakistan's profound commitment to Islam and Islamic world. |
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National Anthem |
Approved in June, 1954 |
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State Emblem |
The State Emblem consists
of: |
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National Flower |
Jasmine |
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Flora |
Pine, Oak, Poplar, Deodar,
Maple, Mulberry |
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Fauna |
The Pheasant, Leopard, Deer,
Ibex, Chinkara, Black buk, Neelgai, Markhor, Marcopolo sheep, Green turtles,
River & Sea fish, Crocodile, Water Fowls |
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Popular games |
Cricket, Hockey, Football |
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Tourist's resorts |
Murree, Quetta, Hunza, Ziarat,
Swat, Kaghan, Chitral and Gilgit |
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Archaeological sites |
Moenjo Daro, Harappa, Taxila,
Kot Diji, Mehr Garh |
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Major Cities |
Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore,
Peshawar, Quetta, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, Multan, Sialkot and Faisalabad |
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Agriculture |
Major crops are cotton, wheat,
rice and sugarcane |
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Total cropped area |
22.14 million hectares |
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Industry |
Textiles, cement, fertiliser,
steel, sugar, electric goods, shipbuilding |
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Energy |
Major sources: WAPDA's total installed power generating capacity: 11,246 MW |
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Health |
Hospitals: 830 |
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Education |
Primary schools: 150,963 |
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Transport & Communication |
Total length of roads: 228,206
km |
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Seaports |
International : 2 - Karachi and
Bin Qasim |
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Communications |
Post Offices: 13,419 |
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Employment |
Total Labour force: 37.15
million |
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Media |
a. Print Media b. News Agencies c. Electronic Media Radio stations: Total 23, Home services in 20 languages. External services cover 70 countries in 15 languages Private TV/Radio: Radio stations 3, TV transmitter channels 2, Private News Agencies 2 |
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Banks |
Central Bank: State Bank of
Pakistan Other Banks: National Bank of Pakistan, Habib Bank Ltd., Muslim Commercial Bank Ltd., Allied Bank of Pakistan Ltd., First Woman Bank, Mehran Bank and the Bank of Punjab Specialised Banks: Agricultural Development Bank of Pakistan, Federal Bank for Co-operatives, Industrial Development Bank of Pakistan, The Punjab Provincial Co-operative Bank, Banker's Equity and National Development Finance Corporation |
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Famous Mountain Peaks |
K-2 (Mt. Godwin Austin): 28,250
ft./8611 m (2nd in World) |
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Famous Mountain Passes |
The Khyber Pass |
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Rivers |
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The Indus |
2896 km |
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Jhelum |
825 km |
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Chenab |
1242 km |
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Ravi |
901 km |
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Sutlej |
1551 km |
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Beas (tributary of Sutlej) |
398 km |
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Famous Glaciers |
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Siachin |
75 km |
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Batura |
55 km |
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Baltoro |
62 km |
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Deserts |
Thar: Sindh |
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Lakes |
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Manchar |
Sindh |
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Keenjar |
Sindh |
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Hanna |
Balochistan |
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Saif-ul-Maluk |
NWFP |
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Satpara |
Northern Areas |
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Kachura |
Northern Areas |
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Major Dams |
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Mangla Dam |
Punjab |
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Tarbela Dam |
North West Frontier Province |
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Warsak Dam |
North West Frontier Province |
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The Punjab plain comprises mainly the province of
Punjab. It is the gift of River Indus and its five eastern tributaries- Jhelum,
Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej and Beas. The plain spreads from the south of Potohar
plateau up to Mithankot, where Sulaiman Range approaches river Indus. The
Punjab plain is almost a featureless plain with a gentle slope southward
averaging one foot to the mile. The only break in the alluvial monotony is the
little group of broken hills(100 ft-1,600ft.) near Sangla and Irana on either side
of the Chenab. The entire plain is extensively irrigated by a network of
canals. This system has been greatly expanded and improved in recent years by
the construction of link-canals, dams and barrages as a result of the Indus
Water Treaty with India, which awarded the three western rivers (Indus, Jhelum
and Chenab) to Pakistan, and the three eastern rivers (Ravi, Sutlej and Beas)
to India. Tarbela Dam on river Indus and Mangla Dam on River Jhelum, which have
water storage capacities of 11.1 million acre ft. and 5.55 million acre ft.
respectively, need a special mention. Irrigation water is supplemented by
summer and winter rains(15-20 inches) so that a variety of crops is raised, the
major one being wheat, rice, cotton and sugarcane. The region has earned the
name of granary of Pakistan. However, the blessings of canal irrigation have
not been without a curse, which render about 100,000 acres of land unproductive
every year through water-logging and salinity. The menace has been greatly
controlled through salinity control and reclamation projects. Agricultural
development boosted urbanization and industrialization so that the region has
emerged as the most important economically developed area of Pakistan,
containing over 56 per cent of the population and most of the commercial and
industrial centers of the country, such as Lahore (2,922,000), Faisalabad
(1,092.000). Multan (730,000), Gujranwala (596,000), Sialkot (297,000) and
Gujrat (154,000).
The south eastern section of the region known as Cholistan is under-developed.
This tract is parched and thirsty. The summer temperature average 51.7oC and
the area remains under the grip of extremely hot winds. The surface of this
desert consists of a succession of sand dunes rising in places to a height of
500 ft. with vegetation peculiar to sandy tracts. There is no soil down to the
lowest depth except sand; bitter water is, however, sometimes found at depth of
about 80-100 ft.
The Potohar Upland, commonly called the Potohar Plateau, lies to the south of
northern mountains and is flanked in the west by River Indus and in the east by
River Jhelum. This 1,000-2,000 ft.(305-610 m) upland is a typical arid
landscape with denuded and broken terrain characterized by undulations and
irregularities. These are a few outlying spurs of Salt Range in the south, and
those of Khair Murad and Kala Chitta Range in the north. Two seasonal
streams-Rivers Haro and River Soan-flow from east to the west and after
crossing the region in the north and in the middle respectively, fall in the
Indus. River Kanshi traverses the eastern part of the plateau from north to
south and drains into River Jhelum. These rivers and other hill torrents have
cut deep valleys and are of little use for irrigation. Agriculture is thus
almost entirely dependent on rainfall of 15-20 inches and on the small dams
built in the catchment areas of the streams.
Fields of wheat, barley, jowar, bajra and pulses are found in valley bottoms
and on the terraced slopes along river banks. A new economic factor has been
introduced by the establishment of a few factories in Rawalpindi and Islamabad
and a large industrial area in the Taxila-Wah-Hassanabdal triangle, where a
large cement factory was already in existence. The region is particularly known
for its oilfields in Khaur-Dhulian neighborhood, the ancient civilization sites
in Soan valley, the ruins and the Buddhist University at Taxila and the new
capital, Islamabad, which stands north of the old city of Rawalpindi (806,000)
at the southern slops of Murree hills, the popular Holiday resort of the
country. Salt Range The ramparts of the Salt Range stretching from east to west
in the south separate Potohar upland from the Punjab plain. The average height
of the Salt Range is about 700 meters, but near Sakesar in Sargodha district,
it rises to 1,500 meters, making summer pleasant. The southern face is
remarkably steep, dissected and intensely arid. But, the northern slope is
gentle and has sparse vegetation of oleanders and wild olives. The top of the
range is a narrow belt of isolated plateaus and basins, where, sparse stunted
trees and fields of wheat and maize are found. However, the real importance of
the salt mines lies in the large deposits of pure salt at Khewra and Kalabagh
and the large seams of coal at Dandot and Makerwal.
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The Sindh plain comprises mainly the province of
Sindh and stretches between the Punjab plain and the Arabian Sea. River Indus
flows here as a single river and the plain comprises a vast fertile tract
stretching westward from the narrow strip of flood plain on the right bank of
River Indus, and a vast expanse of desert stretching eastward from the left
bank. The desert area is dry and desolate like Cholistan in the Punjab plain.
But, the plain area right of River Indus is green with a vast stretches of vegetation
lined everywhere with avenues of trees.
It is the heart of the Indus Valley Civilization dating back to 3rd millennium
B.C. Thousands of tourists from all over the world are attracted every year to
visit the ruins of Moenjodaro near Larkana. An elaborate canal system taken
from Sukkur Barrage at Sukkur, Upper Sindh Barrage north of Sukkur at Guddu,
and Lower Sindh Barrage (Ghulam Muhammad Barrage) at Hyderabad, irrigate
together in this area over 10,000,0000 acres and account for about 40 per cent
of Pakistan's irrigated land. The fertile area yields abundant crops of rice,
wheat and cotton and contains the bulk of the population and most of the major
commercial and industrial centers of Sindh such as Hyderabad(795,000), Sukkur
(193,000), Larkana (123,000), Nawabshah (102,000), Shikarpur (88,000) and Dadu
(39,000).
However, its southern part is one of the worst areas of Pakistan for water
logging and salinity. There are many lakes in Sindh, which attract thousands of
migratory birds during the winter season from Central Asia. Manchhar lake with
its highly pulsating expanse of about 200 sq. miles of area is the largest
lake. With its foliage of towering grasses, its meadows of floating lotus, its
inhabitants in their floating habitations, the lake presents an attractive
look. Further south, stretches the Indus Delta, which is a savage waste. An
important feature is the Kinjhar Lake near Thatta, which acts as a great
reservoir for feeding canals in the adjacent areas. During winter, it is an
ideal spot for fishing and duck shooting. South of the Kinjhar Lake, the
surface is broken and littered with abandoned channels of distributaries, sandy
beaches, ridges and mangrove swamps, all merging into the dead creeks, grate
and salt water of the coast of Rann of Kutch. At the extreme north-western end
of the delta stands Karachi, the largest city and the industrial and commercial
hub of Pakistan. It is also the port for Pakistan and terminal of Pakistan's
railway system and the site of the country's principal international airport.
Climate and Seasons As Pakistan is located on a great landmass north of Tropic
of Cancer, between latitudes 24 and 37 N, it has a continental type of climate,
characterized by extreme variations of temperature.
The areas closer to the snow-covered northern mountains are cold. Temperatures
on the Balochistan Plateau are comparatively high. Along the coastal strop, the
climate is modified by sea breezes. In the rest of the country, temperature
rises steeply in the summer and hot winds, called "loo", blow across
the plains during the day, dust storms and thunder storms occasionally lower
the temperature. The diurnal variation in temperature may be as much as 11 to
17oC. Winters are cold with minimum temperature of about 4oC in January. Rainfall
Pakistan experiences a general deficiency of rainfall.
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Balochistan Plateau East of the Sulaiman and
Kirthar ranges lies the Balochistan Plateau with an average altitude of 2,000
ft.(610 m). The physical features of the plateau are very varied, but
mountains, plateaus and basins predominate the scene. The Mountains spread in
various directions, attaining height 6,000- 11,000 ft. (1,830-3,335 m).
In the north are the Toba Kakar Range and Chagai hills which form the border of
Pakistan with Afghanistan for some distance. In the west-central part is the
Siahan Range and in the east-southern corner the Mekran Range. Except for the
Toba Kakar Range, which is dotted here and there with juniper, tamarisk and
pistachio trees, all other ranges are naked and bleak. The mountains are carved
off by innumerable channels and hill torrents which contain water only after
rains. Very little water, however, reaches the basins lying on their foot.
Comparatively more important rivers are Zhob, Bolan and Mulla, located in the
north-eastern portion of Balochistan.
The valleys of the main streams and their tributaries exhibit similar feature
and consist of flat plains of alluvial soil in the center, with a pebbly slope
of varying length rising on either sides of the mountains. It is from these
pebbly beds that the supply of water for irrigation is chiefly obtained through
Karezes. Zhob, Bolan and their tributaries have formed two important alluvial
basins of Balochistan, namely, the Lorlai basin and Quetta basin, which
together produce a major portion of Balochistan's crops and fruits: wheat,
barley, maize, Lucerne, potato, apple, apricot, peach, almond, grape and
pomegranate. Kalat Plateau at 7,000-8,000 ft. (2,135-2,440 m), in the center of
Balochistan is the most important plateau.
The largest desert is found in western Balochistan. This is an area of inland
drainage and dry lakes (hamuns), the largest of which is Hamun-i-Mashkhel,
which is 54 miles long and 22 miles wide. The surface is littered with
sun-cracked clay, oxidized pebbles, salty marshes and crescent-shaped moving
sand dunes. The area is known particularly for its constant mirage and sudden
severe sand-storms. Being outside the sphere of monsoon current, Balochistan
receives scanty and irregular rainfall (4 inches); the temperature is very high
in summer and very low in winter.
Owing to continuous draught, there is very little vegetation. Most of the
people, therefore, lead nomadic life, raising camels, sheep and goats.
Balochistan is, however, fortunate to have considerable mineral wealth of
natural gas, coal, chromate, lead, sulphur and marble. The reserves of natural
gas at Sui are among the largest in the world. The gas is piped to Karachi,
Hyderabad, Sukkur, Multan, Faisalabad, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Quetta for use as
industrial power.
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Introduction
Located on both banks of the river Indus, NWFP stretches from the Himalayas in the north to the deserts in the south where it is bordered by the Baluchistan and Punjab provinces. On its western flank is the rugged terrain of neighboring country Afghanistan, which is accessed via the historic Khyber Pass through the mountains of the Sulaiman Range. The capital of the province is the city of Peshawar.
NWFP known as Frontier Province or Sarhad in the local languages has a climate ranging from the benign in winters (-10ºC to 20ºC) when the sun shines and the breeze blows sharp and clean from the snows of the mountains onto the plains, to the sweltering heat of the summers in the plains when the only refuge can be found in the mountain resorts and villages.
A variety of languages are spoken. Pashtu and Urdu being the most common. English is widely understood. Other languages include Hazara, Punjabi, Hindko, Siraiki, Chitrali and Kohistani. The prevalent religion is Islam.
A number of universities and institutes provide education in the field of software development and general computer literacy. Amongst these are the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute (GIKI), University of Peshawar and Gomal University. The graduates of these institutions obtain employment within the province and outside. Various software companies have cropped up throughout the province, and Information Technology plays an important role in the economy and advancement of the people.
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Climate The diversity in geographical conditions cause likewise climatic conditions in NWFP. The Division of Dera Ismail Khan in the south is one of the hottest in Pakistan, with maximum temperatures of between 46 and 50 C, while summers are temperate and winters often extremely cold in the mountainous region of the north. The air is generally dry, therefore daily and annual temperatures may differ considerably. There is wide variation in precipitation, both in amounts and in distribution over the year. Rainfall over NWFP mainly occurs in two distinct crop-growing seasons. viz:Rabi (winter, December to March) and Kharif (summer, June to September). Almost no rainfall occurs in lower NWFP and relatively very little in the hills of upper NWFP in the intermediate periods, i.e. April to May and October to November. Geography and Terrain Land-forms in the northern parts of NWFP reach their greatest altitude with elevations averaging 3000 metres above sea level and peaks of more than 7000 metres, including the mighty Tirich Mir (7750 metres) near Chitral City. Dividing Chitral from the Wakhan corridor of Afghanistan is the Hindu Kush range with its equally impressive southern extension, the Hindu Raj or Shandur Range. Coming down from the hills are a series of very productive agricultural basins; Peshawar, Kohat-Bannu and the Derajat. Most are fringed by hills which are steep on the northern sides and with gentle slopes towards the southern side. Basins and plains comprise roughly one quarter of the Frontier's total surface area. All the dense forests are located in the moist north and northwestern mountainous regions. Some of the most rugged terrain in the world can be found here starting with the plains and valleys along the Indus river and culminating in the mighty ranges of the Hindu Kush and Karakoram where ice water streams flow in the summers to provide life to grassy meadows and forests which are still untainted by the vagaries of mankind. In winters these are covered by a blanket of snow which also softens the harshness of the high mountain peaks, thus enhancing the beauty and peace of a land which might have been taken straight out of a story book setting. In other regions, the sheer desolation of the landscape at the foothills towards the south amazes the eye of the wanderer and it is difficult to decide whether such a land can be inhabited. It has been written that the land was made for the people in it, not the people for the land. FATA The tribal area, comprising the territories lying between the administered districts of NWFP and the 'Durand Line' is spread over an area of10,510 square miles. In this mountainous tract live over 3millionself-reliant Pathans, who prefer to be calledPukhtoons. The tribal area is part land of dry ravines and rocky hills and the other part green plateaus. Enchanting valleys and picturesque landscape full of natural beauty cover the area. At places the rugged hills, gushing stream, green fields and clusters of fortified hamlets among the glens and dales present a fine and particularly attractive scenery. The lush green valleys of the Kurram Agency; the smiling dales of Bajaur Agency; the picturesque valleys of North and South Wiziristan Agencies and heart-captivating scenery, lofty pine trees, groves and patches of green fields of Tirah and Orakzai Agency present, happily, a scene unrivalled anywhere. Tirah, the queen of the Khyber Agency, described as "Garden of Eden" can be compared to Switzerland and Kurram Agency can favorably compete with Kashmir. In short, a romantic halo surrounds this much-talked about, but little understood area. These lovely hills and dales as a source of tourist attraction have not yet been fully opened up to the public.
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