Topography and Climate of Pakistan – Key Vocabulary

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards summarising the key geographical and climatic terms, landforms, mountain ranges, plains, deserts and related processes covered in the Topography and Climate section of O Level Pakistan Studies.

Alluvial material

Sediments like silt, sand and clay carried and deposited by a river.

Alluvial terrace (Bar)

A flat, slightly higher part of a doab (7–12 m high) made of mature alluvium, safe from annual floods.

Alluvial fan

Fan-shaped deposit of gravel, sand and silt formed where a hill torrent slows at a mountain foot.

Alluvial cone

An alluvial fan that has a steeper slope than usual.

Basin

A natural or artificial land depression, similar to a wash basin.

Braided channel

River channel split into several shallow strands that re-join around sediment bars.

Boulder

A large, detached, generally rounded mass of rock.

Catchment area

The total land area drained by a river and all its tributaries.

Doab

Land lying between two adjacent rivers (interfluve).

Drainage

The natural run-off of water from land by streams and rivers.

Delta

Low-lying land at a river mouth where the river divides into distributaries before entering the sea.

Glacier

A huge, slow-moving mass of compacted snow and ice.

Gradient

The slope or steepness of land or a river bed.

Gully

A narrow channel cut in soil by running water.

Gorge

A deep, narrow valley with steep rock walls formed by river erosion.

Hamun

A shallow, seasonal salt lake with inward drainage, common on the Balochistan Plateau.

Levee

A natural embankment built up by repeated deposition of silt along a river’s banks.

Meander

A broad, sweeping bend in the course of a river.

Mangrove swamp

Tidal wetland in a delta where salt-tolerant trees grow in mud.

Oxbow lake

Horseshoe-shaped lake left behind when a meander is cut off from the main river.

Plateau

An extensive, high, relatively level upland that falls away on all sides.

Pass

A natural route across or through a mountain range.

Ravine

A small, steep-sided valley, larger than a gully but smaller than a canyon.

Rugged

Describes land that is uneven, rough and irregular.

Relief

The variations in height and slope that make up the landscape.

River bed

The channel in which a river flows.

River basin

Entire area drained by a river system; synonymous with catchment.

Runoff

All surface water that flows from a drained area after precipitation or snowmelt.

Silt

Fine soil particles, coarser than clay, deposited by water.

Shale

Fine-grained sedimentary rock formed by hardened clay.

Swamp

Water-logged, spongy ground supporting vegetation.

Terrain

The physical character or topography of a tract of land.

Tributary

A smaller river or stream that flows into a larger one.

Tidal flat

Low, muddy or sandy area exposed at low tide and flooded at high tide.

Undulating

Having a wavy form; gently rising and falling.

Tropic of Cancer

Latitude 23.5° N, marking the northern limit of the sun’s vertical rays.

Latitude

Angular distance north or south of the Equator, measured in degrees.

Longitude

Angular distance east or west of the Prime Meridian, measured in degrees.

Arabian Sea

North-western part of the Indian Ocean lying south of Pakistan.

Karakoram Range

High mountain system in northern Pakistan; average height ≈ 6000 m.

K2

At 8610 m, Pakistan’s and Karakoram’s highest peak, world’s second-highest mountain.

Himalayas

Massive mountain range south of the Karakoram, running east–west across northern Pakistan.

Great Himalayas

Highest Himalayan sub-range in Pakistan; includes 8126 m Nanga Parbat.

Lesser Himalayas

Middle Himalayan belt (1800–4500 m) containing hill stations like Murree.

Sub-Himalayas (Siwaliks)

Lowest Himalayan foothills near Attock, 600–1200 m high.

Hindu Kush

North-western mountain range averaging 5000 m; includes 7690 m Tirich Mir.

Trich Mir

Highest peak of the Hindu Kush at 7690 m.

Sulaiman Range

400 km limestone range west of the Indus; highest point Takht-i-Sulaiman (3383 m).

Takht-i-Sulaiman

Highest peak of the Sulaiman Range, 3383 m.

Safed Koh

Snow-capped limestone range south of the Kabul River; peak Sikaram (4712 m).

Kirthar Range

Bare, rugged range west of the Indus in Sindh and Balochistan, up to 2174 m.

Potwar Plateau

Badland plateau (305–610 m) between Jhelum and Indus rivers; deeply dissected terrain.

Salt Range

Series of east–west hills (750–900 m) rich in rock salt, gypsum and limestone.

Balochistan Plateau

High, arid plateau (600–3000 m) with parallel ranges and seasonal rivers draining to hamuns or the Arabian Sea.

Indus River

Pakistan’s main river flowing north–south to the Arabian Sea; source in Tibet.

Jhelum River

Eastern tributary of the Indus originating in the Himalayas.

Chenab River

Large Indus tributary formed by the confluence of the Chandra and Bhaga streams.

Ravi River

Eastern Indus tributary flowing from Himachal Pradesh toward Pakistan.

Sutlej River

Southern-most Indus tributary entering Pakistan near Sulemanki.

Kabul River

Western tributary joining the Indus near Attock; drains the Safed Koh area.

Hab River

Seasonal river flowing through the Kirthar Mountains to the Arabian Sea.

Dasht River

Seasonal Balochistan river that reaches the Arabian Sea near the Makran coast.

Thar Desert

Sand-dune desert in SE Sindh and adjoining India; hot and arid.

Thal Desert

Desert strip in Punjab between the Indus and Jhelum rivers.

Kharan Desert

Remote hot desert of western Balochistan marked by shifting dunes.

Monsoon

Seasonal reversal of winds bringing heavy summer rainfall to South Asia.

Convectional rain

Rain produced by rising, cooling air heated strongly from below.

Depression (weather)

Low-pressure system that brings cloud, rain and wind.

Arid climate

Very dry climate with annual rainfall below 250 mm.

Semi-arid climate

Climate with low rainfall (250-500 mm) and high evaporation.

Humid climate

Climate with abundant rainfall and high moisture.

Highland climate

Cooler, often wetter climate found at high elevations.

Active flood plain

Flat land beside a river flooded almost every rainy season; built of new alluvium.

Old flood plain

Higher flat land built of older alluvium; flooded only during exceptional high water.

Scarp

Steep slope separating old flood plain from higher bar upland.

Piedmont plain

Gently sloping plain formed by deposition at the foot of mountains.

Indus Delta

Triangular low-lying area in Lower Indus Plain where the river splits into distributaries before entering the Arabian Sea.

Cuesta

Asymmetrical limestone ridge with a gentle dip slope and a steep scarp; e.g., Rohri Hills.

Islamabad

Capital city of Pakistan located on the Potwar Plateau.

Karachi

Largest city and main seaport of Pakistan, situated on the Arabian Sea coast.

Lahore

Capital of Punjab province and cultural hub of Pakistan.

Peshawar

Historic frontier city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, gateway to the Khyber Pass.

Quetta

Provincial capital of Balochistan, situated in a high inland valley.

Gwadar

Deep-water port city on the Makran coast of Balochistan.

Murree

Popular hill station in the Lesser Himalayas near Islamabad.

Multan

Historic city in southern Punjab known for Sufi shrines and mangoes.

Faisalabad

Major industrial and textile centre in central Punjab.

Gilgit

Town on the Karakoram Highway, gateway to the Karakoram and Hindukush ranges.

Chitral

Mountain town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa beneath Tirich Mir.

Hyderabad

Industrial city in Sindh located on the banks of the Indus.

Rawalpindi

Twin city of Islamabad; important military and commercial hub.

Sialkot

Export-oriented industrial city in Punjab famed for sports goods.

Gujranwala

Punjab city known for agriculture, dairy products and industry.

Tropic of Cancer

The latitude line at 23.5° N marking the northern limit of the sun’s vertical rays; passes south of Pakistan.

Arabian Sea

North-western extension of the Indian Ocean forming Pakistan’s southern maritime boundary.

Karakoram Range

East-west range in northern Pakistan averaging 6000 m; includes K-2 and large glaciers such as Siachen and Biafo.

K-2

At 8610 m the highest peak in Pakistan and the Karakoram Range, second-highest mountain in the world.

Himalaya Range

South of the Karakoram, runs east-west; subdivided into Great, Lesser, and Sub-Himalayas.

Great (High) Himalayas

Central Himalayas in Kashmir; average 6000 m; includes Nanga Parbat (8126 m) and large glaciers.

Lesser Himalayas

Medium-height (1800-4500 m) range south of the Great Himalayas; tourist hill stations such as Murree located here.