Pakistan lies just north of the Tropic of Cancer, bordering (clockwise from west) Iran, Afghanistan, China and India. The Arabian Sea lies to the south.
Area: 796,095 sq km, excluding territory in Jammu and Kashmir.
Main Cities: Islamabad (capital), Karachi , Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Multan, Gujranwala, Hyderabad, Peshawar, Quetta, Bahawalpur, Sargodha, Sialkot, Sukkur, Shekhupura, Jhang etc.
Topography: Pakistan has great topographical variety. The high mountain region of the north includes part of the Himalayas, Karakoram and Hindukush. There are 35 peaks over 7,320m high, including K-2, the world’s second-highest mountain. This region abounds in glaciers, lakes and green valleys. Southwards, the ranges gradually lose height.
The western low mountain region covers much of the North-West Frontier Province, with mountains cut by valleys and passes, including the Khyber Pass, 56km long, connecting Kabul in Afghanistan with Peshawar.
The third region is the Balochistan plateau to the west. West of the Balochistan plateau is an area of desert with dry lakes, one 87km long. The Potohar upland lies between the Indus and Jhelum rivers in the Islamabad/Rawalpindi area. This is an arid region, with cultivation along the valleys.
The fifth region is the Punjab plain watered by the river Indus and its eastern tributaries ( Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej and Beas) and additionally irrigated by canals.
The Sindh plain stretches between the Punjab plain and the Arabian Sea on both sides of the Indus river. The plain comprises a vast fertile tract with many lakes, and a desert spreading eastward into India.
Climate: Extreme variations of temperature. The northern mountains are cold, with long and severe winters. Temperatures on the Balochistan plateau are high. Along the coastal strip, the climate is modified by sea breezes. In the rest of the country, the temperature rises steeply in summer.
Seasons are: cold season (December to March), hot season (April to June), monsoon season (July to September) and post-monsoon season (October and November). Rainfall varies from 760-1,270mm in the Himalayan foothills to 210mm in Balochistan.
Vegetation: Well-watered mountain slopes support forests of deodar, pine, poplar, shisham, willow and other species. Towering grasses and expanses of floating lotus flourish in the lake area of the Sindh plain. There are mangrove swamps to the south. Forest covers 2.5% of the land area, having declined at 1.7% p.a. 1990-2005 Arable land comprises 25% and permanent cropland 0.9% of the total land area.
Wildlife: Wildlife in the northern mountains includes brown bears, black Himalayan bears, musk deer, ibex, leopard and the rare snow-leopard. Chinkara gazelle have a wider distribution, while barking deer live closer to urban centres. In the delta, there are crocodiles, pythons and wild boar. Green turtles, an endangered species, regularly visit the Karachi coast during the egg-laying season. The haubara bustard is a winter visitor. Manchar Lake in Sindh is rich in water-birds. In 2003, there were 37,800 sq km of protected areas (4.9% of the land area).
Communications: 254,410km of roads, 60% paved, and 7,790km of railway, with 781 stations. Main lines run north-south, linking the main ports and industrial centre of Karachi with Islamabad, 1,600km to the north. All major cities and most industrial centres are linked by rail.
Karachi port handles the bulk of foreign trade. Port Qasim, south-east of Karachi, is also an important port. Major international airports are at Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore
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