Editing Geography of Pakistan

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{{use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{more citations needed|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox country geography
| name = Pakistan
| map = Pakistan 65.80715E 26.54314N Small.png
| continent = [[Asia]]
| region = [[South Asia]]
| coordinates = {{coord|30.00|70.00|display=inline,title}}
| area ranking = 33rd
| km area = 881,913
| percent land = 97.14
| km coastline = 1046
| exclusive economic zone = {{convert|290,000|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}
| borders = Total:<br />{{convert|7,545|km|mi|1|abbr=on}}<br /> [[Afghanistan]]:<br />{{convert|2,670|km|mi|1|abbr=on}}<br /> [[China]]:<br />{{convert|596|km|mi|1|abbr=on}}<br /> [[India]]:<br />{{convert|3,320|km|mi|1|abbr=on}}<br /> [[Iran]]:<br />{{convert|959|km|mi|1|abbr=on}}
| highest point = [[K2]] <br />{{convert|8611|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| lowest point = [[Indian Ocean]]<br />{{convert|0|m|ft|1|abbr=on}}
| longest river = [[Indus River]]
| largest lake = [[Lake Manchar|Manchhar Lake]]
}}

The '''Geography of Pakistan ''' ({{langx|ur|{{nastaliq|جغرافیۂ پاکِستان}}|Juġarāfiyā-Pākistāna}}) encompasses a wide variety of landscapes varying from plains to deserts, forests, and plateaus ranging from the coastal areas of the [[Arabian Sea]] in the south to the mountains of the [[Karakoram]], [[Hindukush]], [[Himalayas]] ranges in the north. [[Pakistan]] geologically overlaps both with the [[Indian Plate|Indian]] and the [[Eurasian Plate|Eurasian]] [[plate tectonics|tectonic plates]] where its [[Sindh]] and [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]] provinces lie on the north-western corner of the Indian plate while [[Balochistan, Pakistan|Balochistan]], most of [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]], and [[Gilgit-Baltistan]] lie within the Eurasian plate which mainly comprises the [[Iranian Plateau]] and the [[Tibetan Plateau]] in the north.

Pakistan is bordered by [[Iran]] to the west, [[Afghanistan]] to the northwest, [[China]] to the northeast, [[India]] to the east, and the [[Arabian Sea|Arabian sea]] to the south. Geopoltically, the nation is situated within some of the most hostile regional boundaries, characterized by [[Territorial dispute|territorial disputes]] and historical tensions, particularly the [[Kashmir conflict]] with [[India]], which has led to multiple military confrontations between the two countries. 

Pakistan's western borders include the [[Khyber Pass]] and [[Bolan Pass]] that have served as traditional migration and trade routes between Central [[Eurasia]] and [[South Asia]], serving as conduits for cultural exchanges, military invasions, and commercial activity for centuries.

==Area and boundaries==
; Area
:* total: {{convert|882,363|km2|abbr=on}}
:**''country rank in the world:'' 33rd
:* land: {{convert|857,143|km2|abbr=on}}
:* water: {{convert|25,220|km2|abbr=on}}

; Area—comparative
:* Australia comparative: approximately half the size of [[Queensland]]
:* Canada comparative: approximately {{sfrac|1|1|3}} times the size of [[Alberta]]
:* United Kingdom comparative: approximately {{sfrac|3|3|5}} times the size of the United Kingdom
:* United States comparative: approximately four times the size of [[Utah]]
:* [[European Union|EU]] comparative: slightly less than three times the size of [[Italy]]

===International boundaries===
{{Map of Pakistan}}

Pakistan shares its borders with four neighboring countries—[[People's Republic of China]], [[Afghanistan]], [[India]], and [[Iran]]—while [[Tajikistan]] is separated by the narrow [[Wakhan Corridor]]. Additionally, Pakistan shares [[Maritime boundary|maritime boundaries]] with India and Iran and has close maritime proximity with [[Oman]] across the [[Arabian Sea]], which plays a crucial role in its trade and maritime connectivity. In total, Pakistan's land borders span approximately 7,307 km (4,540.4 mi), excluding its coastline along the Arabian Sea.

====Afghanistan–Pakistan border====
The [[Afghanistan–Pakistan border|border with Afghanistan]] which is known as the [[Durand Line]], {{Convert|2640|km|mi|1|abbr=on}}, which runs from the [[Hindu Kush]] and the [[Pamir Mountains]]. A narrow strip of Afghanistan territory called the [[Wakhan Corridor]] extends between Pakistan and [[Tajikistan]].

====China–Pakistan border====
The eastern tip of the [[Wahan Ke Log|Wahan]] Corridor starts the [[China–Pakistan border|Sino-Pak border]] between the [[People's Republic of China]] and Pakistan spanning about {{Convert|559|km|mi|1|abbr=on}}. It carries on south-eastward and ends near the [[Karakoram Pass]]. This line was determined from 1961 to 1965 in a series of agreements between China and Pakistan and finally on 2 March 1963 both the governments, of [[Karachi]] and [[Beijing]], formally agreed. It is understood that if the dispute over Kashmir is resolved, the border would need to be discussed again.<ref name="CITEREFPakistanGeography">{{cite web
|url=http://countrystudies.us/pakistan/23.htm
|title=Pakistan: Geography
|publisher=US Country Studies
|access-date=2008-05-05}}</ref>

====India–Pakistan border====
The [[Northern Areas]] has five of the world's seventeen highest [[mountain|peaks]] along with highest range of mountains the [[Karakoram]] and [[Himalayas]]. It also has such extensive [[glacier]]s that it has sometimes been called the "[[Siachen Glacier|Third Pole]]". The [[India–Pakistan border|international border-line]] has been a matter of pivotal dispute between Pakistan and India ever since 1947, and the Siachen Glacier in northern Kashmir has been an important arena for fighting between the two sides since 1984, although far more soldiers have died of exposure to the cold than from any skirmishes in the conflict between their National Armies facing each other.

The Pakistan–India [[ceasefire]] [[border|line]] runs from the Karakoram Pass west-southwest to a point about 130 kilometres northwest of Lahore. This line, about 740 kilometres long, was arranged with [[United Nations]] (UNO) assistance at the end of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–48. The ceasefire line came into effect on 1 January 1949, after eighteen months of fighting between Indian forces and Pakistani forces and was last adjusted and agreed upon by the two countries according to the [[Shimla Agreement]] of 2 July 1972 between [[Indira Gandhi]] and [[Zulfikar Ali Bhutto]]. Since then, it has been generally known as the Line of Control or the (LoC).

The India–Pakistan border continues irregularly southward for about 1,280 kilometers, following the [[Radcliffe line]], named for Sir [[Cyril Radcliffe, 1st Viscount Radcliffe|Cyril Radcliffe]], the head of the British Boundary Commission on the division of the [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab]] and [[Bengal]] provinces of [[British India]] on 13 August 1947.

The southern borders are far less contentious than those in northern Pakistan (Kashmir). The Thar Desert in the province of [[Sindh]] is separated in the south from the salt flats of the Rann of Kachchh (Kutch) by a boundary that was first delineated in 1923–1924. After independence and dissolution of Empire, Independent and free Pakistan contested the southern boundary of Sindh, and a succession of border incidents resulted. They were less dangerous and less widespread, however, than the conflict that erupted in Kashmir in the Indo-Pakistani War of August 1965, which started with this decisive core of issues. These southern hostilities were ended by British mediation during Harold Wilson's era, and both sides accepted the award of the Indo-Pakistan Western Boundary Case Tribunal designated by the UN secretary general himself. The tribunal made its award on 19 February 1968; delimiting a line of 403 kilometres that was later demarcated by joint survey teams, of its original claim of some 9,100 square kilometres, Pakistan was awarded only about 780 square kilometers. Beyond the western terminus of the tribunal's award, the final stretch of Pakistan's border with India is about 80 kilometres long, running east and southeast of Sindh to an inlet of the [[Arabian Sea|Indian Ocean]]. The village of [[Punjwarian]] is one of the villages close to the border of Indo-Pakistan.

====Iran–Pakistan border====
The [[Iran–Pakistan border|boundary with Iran]], {{convert|959|km|mi|1|abbr=on}}, was first delimited by a British commission in the same year as the Durand Line was demarcated, separating [[Iran]] from what was then British India's [[Baluchistan (Chief Commissioners Province)|Baluchistan]] province.<ref name="CITEREFPakistanGeography"/> Modern Iran has a province named [[Sistan va Baluchistan]] that borders Pakistan and has [[Baloch people|Baluchis]] in an ethnic majority. In 1957 Pakistan signed a frontier agreement with Iran in [[Rawalpindi]] according to which the border was officially declared and the two countries have not had this border as a subject of serious dispute at all.
<!--[[File:Earthquake Information for Pakistan.gif|thumb|Map depicting tectonic plates shows Indian and Eurasian tectonic plate divide throughout Pakistan and Kashmir where earthquake activity is common.]]-->

=== Maritime border ===
; Contiguous zone
: {{Convert|12|nmi}}
; Continental shelf
: {{Convert|350<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8aCGEh0gds|title = Extension of Continental Shelf Pakistan|website = [[YouTube]]}}</ref>|nmi}}, or to the edge of the [[continental margin]]
; [[Exclusive Economic Zone]]
: {{Convert|290,000|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}
; Territorial sea
: {{Convert|12|nmi}}

{{Borders of Pakistan}}

== Regional classification ==
{{See also|South Asia#Northwestern boundary (Afghanistan and Pakistan)}}
The classification of [[Pakistan]] as a [[Northwestern South Asia|South Asian]] country remains a subject of debate and controversy due to its historical, geographical, ethnic, and cultural ties to [[Central Asia]] and the [[Middle East]], in addition to its connections to South Asia.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Jalal |first=Syed Umair |date=2023-11-19 |title=Pakistan's Geostrategic Importance in Regional Stability and Global Politics |url=https://stratheia.com/pakistans-geostrategic-importance-in-regional-stability-and-global-politics/?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date=2025-01-13 |website=Stratheia |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite journal |last=Zaidi |first=S. Akbar |date=2009 |title=South Asia? West Asia? Pakistan: Location, Identity |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40278776 |journal=Economic and Political Weekly |volume=44 |issue=10 |pages=36–39 |issn=0012-9976 |jstor=40278776}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |title=Pakistan and the Middle East {{!}} Encyclopedia.com |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/pakistan-and-middle-east |access-date=2025-01-13 |website=www.encyclopedia.com}}</ref><ref name=":9">{{Cite journal |last=Khetran |first=Mir Sherbaz |date=2016 |title=Economic Connectivity: Pakistan, China, West Asia and Central Asia |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/48535974 |journal=Strategic Studies |volume=36 |issue=4 |pages=61–76 |issn=1029-0990 |jstor=48535974}}</ref><ref name=":10">{{Cite web |title=Pakistan's Policy Towards Central Asia: An Evaluation Since 1991 |url=https://asc-centralasia.edu.pk/old_site/Issue_65/06_Pakistan_Policy_Towards_Central_Asia.html |access-date=2025-01-13 |website=asc-centralasia.edu.pk}}</ref><ref name=":11">{{Cite web |title=The Complex Geopolitical Fabric Of Pakistan, Iran, And Afghanistan: A Tripartite Nexus In Asia {{!}} ShunCulture |url=https://shunculture.com/article/are-pakistan-iran-and-afghanistan-asia |access-date=2025-01-13 |website=shunculture.com}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite web |last=Admin |date=2020-05-05 |title=Cultural Integration and Regional Trade Prospects: A Case Study of Pakistan and Central Asia |url=https://pakistanintheworld.pk/live/cultural-integration-and-regional-trade-prospects-a-case-study-of-pakistan-and-central-asia/ |access-date=2025-01-13 |language=en-US}}</ref> Many in Pakistan consider their country to be an amalgamation of [[North Indian culture|South Asian]], [[Turco-Persian tradition|Central Asian]], and [[Greater Iran|Middle Eastern]] cultures, and view their strict classification as solely South Asian as a denial of their Central Asian and Middle Eastern heritage. Moreover, such rigid classifications are often perceived as sources of ethnic tensions between communities.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-14 |title=Afghanistan's Necessary Shift in Ethnic Narratives: From Dominance to Dialogue {{!}} Wilson Center |url=https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/afghanistans-necessary-shift-ethnic-narratives-dominance-dialogue |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=www.wilsoncenter.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Irgengioro |first=John |date=2018-12-01 |title=China's National Identity and the Root Causes of China's Ethnic Tensions |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12140-018-9297-2 |journal=East Asia |language=en |volume=35 |issue=4 |pages=317–346 |doi=10.1007/s12140-018-9297-2 |issn=1874-6284}}</ref><ref name=":13">{{Cite journal |last=S. Khan |first=Maryam |date=2024-04-01 |title=Ethnic Federalism in Pakistan: Federal Design, Construction of Ethno-Linguistic Identity, and Group Conflict |url=https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Maryam-Khan-4 |journal=SSRN Electronic Journal}}</ref><ref name=":14">{{Cite web |title=Federal Solutions to Ethnic Problems: Accommodating Diversity |url=https://www.routledge.com/Federal-Solutions-to-Ethnic-Problems-Accommodating-Diversity/Anderson/p/book/9781138108554?srsltid=AfmBOoqjdpSTN0qQaQ1FcBa_tSYD0ZCjtKX5wPICqbUsAS9YL5nsnt1f |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=Routledge & CRC Press |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Adeney |first=K. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TgJfCwAAQBAJ |title=Federalism and Ethnic Conflict Regulation in India and Pakistan |date=2016-01-12 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-0-230-60194-9 |language=en}}</ref>

A notable example of this dynamic is the designation of [[Urdu]] as Pakistan's official language.<ref name=":15">{{Cite web |title=Language Log: Language in Pakistan |url=https://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/005262.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240723121835/http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/005262.html |archive-date=23 July 2024 |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=itre.cis.upenn.edu |url-status=live }}</ref> Urdu was the native language of the [[Muhajir culture|Muhajirs]], a community that migrated from India to Pakistan after the [[1947 Partition of India|1947 Partition]] and today constitutes approximately 7-9% of the country's population.<ref name=":15" /><ref name=":13" /> By choosing Urdu as the official language, the government reinforced Pakistan's connection to Indian linguistic traditions, leading to grievances among other ethnic groups who felt that their languages and cultural heritage were sidelined.<ref name=":16">{{Cite book |last1=Brown |first1=Michael Edward |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fcoDezu1ABoC |title=Fighting Words: Language Policy and Ethnic Relations in Asia |last2=Ganguly |first2=Sumit |date=2003 |publisher=MIT Press |isbn=978-0-262-52333-2 |language=en}}</ref> Over time, this linguistic dominance became a source of ethnic tensions, with some communities perceiving [[Muhajir culture|Muhajirs]] as disproportionately shaping Pakistan's national identity, while Muhajirs themselves have faced discrimination and violence due to these perceptions.<ref name=":15" /><ref name=":16" /> To address such ethnic tensions, many advocate for a more inclusive characterization of Pakistan's identity—one that equally respects and integrates the diverse cultures of Pakistan's various ethnic groups.<ref name=":14" />

Beyond cultural and ethnic factors, Pakistan also shares geographical connections with multiple regions, including the [[Himalayas]] in the north, the [[Iranian plateau|Iranian Plateau]] in the west, the [[Thar Desert of Sindh|Thar Desert]] in the east, and a coastline along the [[Arabian Sea]] in the south.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hays |first=Jeffrey |title=LAND AND GEOGRAPHY OF PAKISTAN: BIG MOUNTAINS, GLACIERS AND DISPUTED TERRITORY {{!}} Facts and Details |url=https://factsanddetails.com/south-asia/Pakistan/Nature_Environment_Animals/entry-8145.html |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=factsanddetails.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Pakistan geography, maps, climate, environment and terrain from Pakistan {{!}} - CountryReports |url=https://www.countryreports.org/country/Pakistan/geography.htm |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=www.countryreports.org}}</ref> These connections create natural geographical ties with neighboring countries such as Iran, Afghanistan, the [[Arab states of the Persian Gulf]], and India.

Pakistan also shares historical connections to Central Asia and the Middle East. It has been included in multiple Central Asian and Middle Eastern cultural and imperial spheres, such as the [[Achaemenid Empire|Persian Empire]], [[Caliphate|Arab Caliphates]], [[Durrani Empire]], and various [[Ghaznavids|Turko-Persian Dynasties]]. It is also a [[Muslim world|Muslim-majority state]], similar to the nations of Central Asia and the Middle East (with the exception of [[Israel]]). It is part of the [[Greater Middle East]]—a geopolitical term introduced during the [[George W. Bush]] administration—encompassing not only the [[Middle East|core Middle Eastern states]] but also regions with historical, cultural, geopolitical, and geographical links to the Middle East, such as [[Morocco]], [[Libya]], [[Algeria]], Pakistan, and Afghanistan.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Perthes |first=Volker |title=America's 'Greater Middle East' and Europe |url=https://www.swp-berlin.org/en/publication/transatlantic-dialogue-on-americas-greater-middle-east |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) |language=en}}</ref> Additionally, it belongs to the socio-cultural sphere of [[Greater Iran]] as well as [[Greater Central Asia]],<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Menon |first=Rajan |date=2003-01-01 |title=The New Great Game in Central Asia |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00396338.2003.9688581 |journal=Survival: Global Politics and Strategy |volume=45 |issue=2 |doi=10.1080/00396338.2003.9688581 |issn=0039-6338 |via=Taylor & Francis}}</ref> further underscoring its historical and civilizational connections to Persianate traditions of Central Asia and the Middle East. Recognizing these historical and cultural connections, [[UNESCO]] in 1978 defined Central Asia to include both Afghanistan and Pakistan.<ref>{{Cite web |title=UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity |url=https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000148165 |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=unesdoc.unesco.org}}</ref>

Further to the effect of Pakistan having connections to Central Asia and the Middle East is its membership in organizations that represent these regions. For example, it is a member of [[Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program|Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program]], and the [[Economic Cooperation Organization]] (ECO), which includes Iran, [[Turkey]], Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Central Asian republics. Additionally, Pakistan has a free trade agreement with the [[Gulf Cooperation Council]] (GCC) countries,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-29 |title=Pakistan and Gulf Cooperation Council sign 'preliminary' free trade agreement |url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/2382501/pakistan |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=Arab News |language=en}}</ref> with which it shares naval borders, and it is an active participant in the [[Shanghai Cooperation Organisation]] (SCO), a group that includes Iran and four of the five Central Asian republics.

Recently, the classification of Pakistan and Afghanistan within South Asia has come under additional scrutiny due to the rise of [[Hindu nationalism|Hindu nationalist]] movements in India<ref>{{Cite web |last=Anil |first=Pratinav |date=2024-08-09 |title=The New India by Rahul Bhatia review — how Hindu nationalism is eating India |url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/books/article/new-india-unmaking-worlds-largest-democracy-rahul-bhatia-book-review-fshtrnd59?utm_source=chatgpt.com&region=global |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=www.thetimes.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Reader |first=The MIT Press |date=2022-02-28 |title=The Rise of Hindu Nationalism |url=https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/the-rise-of-hindu-nationalism/ |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=The MIT Press Reader |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Anand |first1=Kusha |last2=Lall |first2=Marie |date=2022-01-01 |title=The debate between secularism and Hindu nationalism – how India's textbooks have become the government's medium for political communication |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14736489.2021.2018203 |journal=India Review |volume=21 |pages=77–107 |doi=10.1080/14736489.2021.2018203 |issn=1473-6489}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-05 |title=Modi loses ground in parliament, but his Hindu nationalist policies are here to stay |url=https://apnews.com/article/india-modi-hindu-nationalist-policies-433558be67e00c125805167cf1d82817 |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref> that promote the idea of [[Akhand Bharat]]—a vision advocating for the annexation of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and other neighboring regions into India.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-28 |title=Akhand Bharat and India's Civilizational Claims in South Asia |url=https://casi.sas.upenn.edu/iit/udayandas |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=Center for the Advanced Study of India (CASI) |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-06-08 |title=Akhand Bharat Idea, a Menace to India and Neighbourhood {{!}} NewsClick |url=https://www.newsclick.in/akhand-bharat-idea-menace-india-and-neighbourhood |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231004131523/https://www.newsclick.in/akhand-bharat-idea-menace-india-and-neighbourhood |archive-date=4 October 2023 |access-date=2025-01-14 |work=NewsClick |language=en |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dash |first=Nivedita |date=2023-09-07 |title=What is 'Akhand Bharat' and which countries are part of it? Know its significance and origin |url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/explainers/what-is-akhand-bharat-and-which-countries-are-part-of-it-know-its-significance-and-origin-2023-09-07-891249 |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=www.indiatvnews.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Midha |first=Nachiket |date=2023-05-02 |title="From Attock to Cuttack and from Kashmir to Kanyakumari:" Understanding Akhand Bharat in terms of Ontological Security |url=https://journals.library.columbia.edu/index.php/cja/article/view/11113 |journal=The Columbia Journal of Asia |language=en |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=15–24 |doi=10.52214/cja.v2i1.11113 |issn=2832-8558 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Pakistanis and Afghans argue that an exclusive classification of their countries as South Asian could be misinterpreted as an implicit validation of such [[Expansionism|expansionist ideologies]], threatening the national and cultural identity of their homelands. As a result, they contend that Pakistan and Afghanistan's connections to Central Asia and the Middle East must be acknowledged and emphasized to counter any expansionist narratives that challenge the countries' sovereignty.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}

==Geographical regions==
[[File:Pakistan relief location map.jpg|thumb|Topography of Pakistan]]
Pakistan is divided into three major geographic areas: the northern highlands; the [[Indus River]] plain, with two major subdivisions corresponding roughly to the provinces of [[Punjab (Pakistan)|Punjab]] and [[Sindh]]; and the Balochistan [[Plateau]]. Some geographers designate additional major regions. For example, the mountain ranges along the western border with [[Afghanistan]] are sometimes described separately from the Balochistan Plateau, and on the eastern border with India, south of the [[Sutlej River]], the [[Thar Desert]] may be considered separately from the Indus Plain. Nevertheless, the country may conveniently be visualized in general terms as divided in three by an imaginary line drawn eastward from the [[Khyber Pass]] and another drawn southwest from [[Islamabad]] down the middle of the country. Roughly, then, the northern highlands are north of the imaginary east–west line; the Balochistan Plateau is to the west of the imaginary southwest line; and the Indus Plain lies to the east of that line.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pakistan - Environment |url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/pakistan/enviro.htm |access-date=2023-07-04 |website=www.globalsecurity.org}}</ref> 

===The Northern Highlands===
{{see also|Northern Pakistan}}
The northern highlands include parts of the [[Hindu Kush]], the [[Karakoram]] Range, and the [[Himalayas]]. This area includes such famous peaks as [[K2]]<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic-art/312055/69374/K2-in-the-Karakoram-Range-northern-Baltistan-Northern-Areas-Pak K2] – Britannica.com</ref> (Mount Godwin Austen, at 8,611 meters the second highest peak in the world). More than one-half of the summits are over 4,500 meters, and more than fifty peaks reach above 6,500 meters. Travel through the area is difficult and dangerous, although the government is attempting to develop certain areas into tourist and trekking sites. Because of their rugged topography and the rigors of the climate, the northern highlands and the [[Himalayas]] to the east have been formidable barriers to movement into Pakistan throughout history.
[[File:K2 8611.jpg|thumb|[[K2]], at {{convert|8,611|m|ft|abbr=off}}, is the world's second highest peak]]

South of the northern highlands and west of the [[Indus River]] plain are the Safed Koh Range along the Afghanistan border and the Suleiman Range and Kirthar Range, which define the western extent of the province of Sindh and reach almost to the southern coast. The lower reaches are far more arid than those in the north, and they branch into ranges that run generally to the southwest across the province Balochistan. North-south valleys in Balochistan and Sindh have restricted the migration of peoples along the Makran Coast on the Indian Ocean east toward the plains.

Several large passes cut the ranges along the border with [[Afghanistan]]. Among them are the [[Khojak Pass]], about eighty kilometres northwest of Quetta in Balochistan; the Khyber Pass, forty kilometres west of [[Peshawar]] and leading to [[Kabul]]; and the [[Broghol]] Pass in the far north, providing access to the [[Wakhan Corridor]].{{Citation needed|date=November 2022}}

Less than one-fifth of Pakistan's land area has the potential for intensive [[agriculture|agricultural]] use. Nearly all of the arable land is actively cultivated, but outputs are low by world standards. Cultivation is sparse in the northern mountains, the southern deserts, and the western [[plateau]]s, but the [[Indus River]] basin in Punjab and northern Sindh has [[fertility|fertile]] soil that enables Pakistan to feed its population under usual climatic conditions.

===The Indus plain===
{{Main|Indus River Valley}}
{{See also|India (Herodotus)}}
The name Indus comes from the Sanskrit word सिंधु (''Sindhu''), as mentioned, one of the [[Rigvedic rivers]], from which also come the words Sindh, Hindu, and India.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/download/195.1996-sapta-sindhvas-the-landof-seven-rivers/195.1996_SaptaSindhvas-TheLandofSevenRivers.pdf|title=Sapta Sinhavas- The land of seven rivers|work=M. Aslamkhan}}</ref> The Indus, one of the great rivers of the world, rises in southwestern [[Tibet]] only about 160 kilometres west of the source of the [[Sutlej River]], which then itself flows through [[Punjab, India]] and joins the [[Indus]] in [[Pakistani Punjab]]. The catchment area of the Indus is estimated at almost 1 million square kilometres, and all of Pakistan's major rivers—the Kabul, Jhelum, and Chenab—flow into it. The Indus River basin is a large, fertile alluvial plain formed by silt from the Indus. This area has been inhabited by agricultural civilizations for at least 5,000 years.{{Citation needed|date=November 2022}}

===Balochistan===
[[File:NEO sulaiman big.jpg|thumb|Satellite image of the Sulaiman Range]]
{{Main|Balochistan, Pakistan}}
Balochistan is located at the eastern edge of the Iranian plateau and in the border region between Southwest, Central, and South Asia. It is geographically the largest of the four provinces at {{convert|347,190|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} of Pakistani territory; and composes 48% of the total land area of Pakistan. The population density is very low due to the mountainous terrain and scarcity of water. The southern region is known as [[Makran]]. The central region is known as [[Kalat (princely state)|Kalat]].

The [[Sulaiman Mountains]] dominate the northeast corner and the Bolan Pass is a natural route into Afghanistan towards Kandahar. Much of the province south of the [[Quetta]] region is sparse desert terrain with pockets of inhabitable towns mostly near rivers and streams. The largest desert is the [[Kharan Desert]] which occupies the most of [[Kharan District]].

This area is subject to frequent [[seismology|seismic]] disturbances because the [[plate tectonics|tectonic plate]] under the Indian plate hits the plate under Eurasia as it continues to move northward and to push the Himalayas ever higher. The region surrounding Quetta is highly prone to [[earthquake]]s. A severe quake in 1931 was followed by one of more destructive force in 1935. The small city of [[Quetta]] was almost completely destroyed, and the adjacent military cantonment was heavily damaged. At least 20,000 people were killed. Tremors continue in the vicinity of [[Quetta]]. The most recent major earthquakes include the October [[2005 Kashmir earthquake]] in which nearly 10,000 people died<ref>Center for the Observation and Modeling of Earthquakes and Tectonics (COMET), 2005. Locating the Kashmir Fault, http://comet.nerc.ac{{Dead link|date=December 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. uk/news_kashmir.html</ref> and the [[2008 Balochistan earthquake]] occurred in October 2008 in which 215 people were killed. In January 1991 a severe earthquake destroyed entire villages in the [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa]], but far fewer people were killed in the quake than died in 1935. A major earthquake centered in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's Kohistan District in 1965 also caused heavy damage.

==Climate==
{{Main|Climate of Pakistan}}
[[File:Pakistan geography de.svg|thumb|Pakistan map of climate classification zones]]
[[File:Pakistan.A2005097.0615.1km.jpg|thumb|Dust storm over Pakistan and surrounding countries, 7 April 2005]]
Pakistan lies in the [[temperate]] zone, immediately above the [[tropic of cancer]]. The climate varies from [[tropical]] to temperate. [[Arid]] conditions exist in the coastal south, characterized by a [[monsoon]] season with adequate rainfall and a dry season with lesser rainfall, while abundant rainfall is experienced by the province of [[Punjab (Pakistan)|Punjab]], and wide variations between extremes of temperature at given locations. Rainfall varies from as little as less than 10&nbsp;inches a year to over 150&nbsp;inches a year, in various parts of the nation. These generalizations should not, however, obscure the distinct differences existing among particular locations. For example, the coastal area along the Indian Ocean is usually warm, whereas the frozen snow-covered ridges of the [[Karakoram]] Range and of other mountains of the far north are so cold year round that they are only accessible by world-class climbers for a few weeks in May and June of each year.

Pakistan has four seasons: a cool, dry winter marked by mild temperatures from December through February; a hot, dry spring from March through May; the summer rainy season, or southwest monsoon period, from June through September; and the retreating monsoon period of October and November. The onset and duration of these seasons vary somewhat according to location.

The climate in the capital city of [[Islamabad]] varies from an average daily low of {{convert|2|°C|1}} in January to an average daily high of {{convert|38|°C}} in June. Half of the annual rainfall occurs in July and August, averaging about {{convert|300|mm|in|2}} in each of those two months. The remainder of the year has significantly less rain, amounting to about {{convert|100|mm|in|2}} per month. [[Hail]]storms are common in early spring.

Pakistan's largest city, [[Karachi]], which is also the country's [[Manufacturing|industrial]] center, is more humid than Islamabad but gets significantly lesser rainfall. Only July and August average more than {{convert|50|mm|in|2}} of rainfall in the Karachi area; the remaining months are exceedingly dry with little rainfall. The temperature is also more uniform in Karachi than in Islamabad, ranging from an average daily low of {{convert|13|°C|1}} during winter evenings to an average daily high of {{convert|34|°C|1}} on summer days. Although the summer temperatures do not get as high as those in Punjab, the high humidity causes the residents a great deal of discomfort.

===Water resources===
{{Main|Water resources management in Pakistan|Water supply and sanitation in Pakistan}}
[[File:Water_Stress,_Top_Countries_(2020).svg|thumb|Pakistan is the fifteenth most water stressed country in the world.]]
Hydrological power is a renewable resource which benefits Pakistan a lot. After the Indus Water Treaty in 1960 World Bank decided that River Sutlej, Ravi and Beas water will be used by India and River Indus, Jhelum and Chenab water will be used by Pakistan. Pakistan was told to build two dams, one tarbela and second Mangla, five barrages, eight link canals, and one gated siphon. For this, India was told to participate 60%, whereas Pakistan, 40%. Pakistan is considering to develop wind turbines to fulfill the demand for electricity. Solar power is now slowly flourishing but it is still installed on a small scale.
 
Pakistan largest river is known as the Indus River which flows from Tibet/China and enters Pakistan through Gilgit Baltistan. The Indus River system is divided into two plains. The Upper Indus Plain starts from northern Pakistan and ends up at Mithankot. The Indus has tributaries on both western and eastern side. The Indus' eastern tributaries are the Jhelum, Chenab, Sutlej, Ravi and Beas. These four rivers flow in Punjab and meet at Panjnad where they are known as Panjnad river. The Indus' western tributaries are the Swat, Kabul, Kurrram, Tochi, Gomal, Zhob rivers. These rivers join the Indus at KPK. At Mithankot these rivers finally meet with the River Indus. After this the Indus flows alone through the Lower Indus Plain. Lower Indus Plain starts from Mithankot up to Thatta where the Indus meets with the Indian Ocean. This place is also known as Indus Delta.

===Fuel resources===
{{Main|Fuel extraction in Pakistan}}
Pakistan has extensive energy resources, including fairly sizable [[natural gas]] reserves, [[petroleum]] oil reserves, [[coal]] fields and large [[hydropower]] potential.

===Agriculture===
{{Main|Agriculture in Pakistan}}
About 26% of Pakistan's total land area is under cultivation and is watered by one of the largest irrigation systems in the world. The most important crops are [[cotton]], [[wheat]], [[rice]], [[sugarcane]], [[maize]], [[sorghum]], [[millets]], [[pulse]]s, [[vegetable oil|oil seeds]], [[barley]], [[fruit]]s and [[vegetable]]s, which together account for more than 75% of the value of total crop output.<ref>Environment of Pakistan pg213."Major crop output" line 13</ref>

===Fishery===
{{Main|Fishing in Pakistan}}
[[Fishery]] and [[fishing industry]] plays an important role in the national economy of [[Pakistan]]. With a coastline of about 1046&nbsp;km, Pakistan has enough fishery resources that remain to be fully developed. It is also a major source of export earning.{{Citation needed|date=November 2022}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fisheries Potential of Pakistan |url=https://tdap.gov.pk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Fisheries-Potential-of-Pakistan-Salma-Nusrat.pdf}}</ref>

===Forestry===
{{Main|Forestry in Pakistan}}
About only 4.1% of land in Pakistan is covered with forests. The forests of Pakistan are a main source of food, [[lumber]], [[paper]], [[fuel wood]], [[latex]], [[medicinal plant|medicine]] as well as used for purposes of [[wildlife]] conservation and [[Eco tourism]].

===Mining===
{{Main|Mining in Pakistan}}
The Salt Range in the [[Potwar Plateau]] has large deposits of [[rock salt]]. Pakistan has extensive mineral resources, including fairly sizable reserves of [[gypsum]], [[limestone]], [[chromite]]s, [[iron ore]], [[halite|rock salt]], [[silver]], [[gold]], precious stones, [[gemstone|gem]]s, [[marble]]s, [[tile]]s, [[copper]], [[sulfur]], [[fire clay]] and silica sand.

==Environment and conservation==
{{Main|Environmental issues in Pakistan}}
The environmental issues is a great problem for the nature and nation of Pakistan and has been disturbing the balance between economic development and environmental protection. As Pakistan is a large importer of both exhaustible and renewable natural resources and a large consumer of [[fossil fuel]]s, the Ministry of Environment of [[Government of Pakistan]] takes responsibility to conserve and [[Environmentalism|protect the environment]].

'''Current issues''': water pollution from raw sewage, industrial wastes, and agricultural runoff; limited natural fresh water resources; a majority of the population does not have access to potable water; [[deforestation]]; [[soil erosion]]; [[desertification]].

===Natural disasters===
{{Main|List of natural disasters in Pakistan}}
Pakistan is subject to frequent [[earthquake]]s which are often severe (especially in north and west) and severe [[flood]]ing along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August). [[Landslide]]s are common in the northern mountains.

===Protected areas===
{{Main|Protected areas of Pakistan}}
There are 35 [[National Parks|national parks]], 135 [[Wildlife Sanctuary|wildlife sanctuaries]], 160 [[game reserve]]s, 9 marine and littoral protected areas, 19 protected [[Ramsar convention|wetlands]] and a number of other protected [[grassland]]s, [[shrubland]]s, [[woodland]]s and [[natural monument]]s.

===Tidal Flats===
A recent global [[remote sensing]] analysis suggested that there were 1,575&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> of tidal flats in Pakistan, making it the 20th ranked country in terms of how much tidal flat occurs there.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Murray |first1=N.J. |last2=Phinn |first2=S.R. |last3=DeWitt |first3=M. |last4=Ferrari |first4=R. |last5=Johnston |first5=R. |last6=Lyons |first6=M.B. |last7=Clinton |first7=N. |last8=Thau |first8=D. |last9=Fuller |first9=R.A. |title=The global distribution and trajectory of tidal flats |journal=Nature |date=2019 |volume=565 |issue=7738 |pages=222–225 |doi=10.1038/s41586-018-0805-8 |pmid=30568300 |s2cid=56481043 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-018-0805-8}}</ref>

===International agreements===
Pakistan is a party to several international agreements related to environment and climate, the most prominent among them are:

{| width="100%" bgcolor="#fff4f4"
!align="center" colspan="2"|Treaties and Agreements
|-align="center"
!align="left" valign="top"| Specific Regions and [[Sea]]s
|align="left" valign="top"|<small> [[United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea|Law of the Sea]], Ship Pollution ([[MARPOL 73/78]])</small>
|-align="center"
!align="left" valign="top"| [[Earth's atmosphere|Atmosphere]] and [[Climate]]
|align="left" valign="top"|<small>[[United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change|Climate Change]], [[Montreal Protocol|Ozone Layer Protection]], [[Partial Test Ban Treaty|Nuclear Test Ban]]</small>
|-align="center"
!align="left" valign="top"| [[Biodiversity]], [[environment (biophysical)|Environment]], and [[Forest]]s
|align="left" valign="top"|<small>[[United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification|Desertification]], [[CITES|Endangered Species]], [[Environmental Modification Convention|Environmental Modification]], [[Ramsar Convention|Wetland]]s, [[Convention on Fishing and Conservation of Living Resources of the High Seas|Marine Life Conservation]]</small>
|-align="center"
!align="left" valign="top"| [[Waste]]s
|align="left" valign="top"|<small>[[Basel Convention|Hazardous Wastes]]</small>
|-align="center"
!align="left" valign="top"| [[River]]s
|align="left" valign="top"|<small>[[Indus Waters Treaty]]</small>
|}

== Suffix of regions and towns ==
Parts of region and settlement names:

* [[-abad]] ({{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|  ـ آباد }}}}) means settled place. Example: [[Islamabad]], [[Faisalabad]].
*  -dera ({{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq| ڈیره ـ }}}}) means meeting place. Example: [[Dera Ismail Khan]], [[Dera Ghazi Khan|Dera Ghazai Khan]].
*  -garh ({{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq| ـ گڑھ }}}}) means fort or settlement. Example: [[Islamgarh]], [[Muzaffargarh]].
* [[-goth]] ({{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq| ـ گوٹھ }}}}) means settlement or town. Example: [[Yousuf Goth]].
* [[-istan]] ({{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq| ـستان }}}}) means land. Example: [[Baltistan]], [[Balochistan]].
* [[Khel (clan)|Khel]] or -khel ({{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|  خیل }}}}) denotes a Pashtun sub-tribe. Example: [[Darra Adam Khel]] ({{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq| درہ آدم خیل}}}}).
* [[-kot]] ({{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq| ـکوٹ }}}}) means settlement or town. Example: [[Islamkot]], [[Sialkot]], [[Kot Addu, Pakistan|Kot Aduu]].
* [[-nagar]] ({{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq| ـ نگر }}}}) means house. Example: [[Islamnagar, Karachi|Islamnagar]].
* [[-pur]] ({{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq| ـ پُور }}}}) means settlement or town. Example: [[Nasarpur]], [[Khanpur, Rahim Yar Khan|Khanpur]].
* -wal ({{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq| ـوال  }}}}) means settlement or town. Example: [[Khanewal]].
*  -[[Wala town|wala]] ({{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|  ـوالا }}}})  means settlement or town. Example: [[Gujranwala]].
* [[-tando]] ({{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|     ٹنڈو  ـ}}}})  means settlement or town. Example: [[Tando Allahyar]].

== See also ==
{{Portal|Pakistan}}
* [[Climate of Pakistan]]
* [[Extreme points of Pakistan]]
* [[Fisheries Research and Training Institute]], Lahore Pakistan
* [[Geology of Pakistan]]
* [[Land border crossings of Pakistan]]
* [[Zomia (geography)]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Wikiatlas|Pakistan}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20190404151325/http://pakistangeographic.com/ Pakistan Geographic]
* [https://shogrannvalley.com/ Shogran Valley]{{Dead link|date=October 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

{{Clear}}
{{Pakistan topics|geography}}
{{Geography of Pakistan}}
{{GeoSouthAsia}}
{{Geography of Asia}}

[[Category:Geography of Pakistan| ]]