Glaciers of Pakistan

Glaciers of Pakistan

  September 08, 2019    Fantasy

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•    Many of the world's glaciers lie in the mountains of Pakistan.
•    A glacier is a tongue shaped mass of ice moving slowly down a valley.
•    Some of the important Glaciers are;
o    Baltoro:     58 km long,         in the Karakoram Range.
o    Batura:         58 km long,         in the Hunza valley in the Karakoram Range.
o    Siachen:     78 km long,         located in the Karakoram Range.

The Mountain Valleys

•    In the mountainous north, a number of valleys attract many domestic and foreign visitors.
•    The larger, more popular ones are:
    Swat         (Hindu Kush)
    Chitral         (Hindu Kush)
    Dir         (Hindu Kush)
    Gilgit         (Karakoram)
    Hunza         (Karakoram)
    Baltistan     (Karakoram)

Importance of Northern Mountains

Source of irrigation

•    Snowcapped peaks melt during summer to drain water into River Indus and its tributaries which irrigate vast Indus plains

Natural border

•    Natural border to China and Central Asian states

Trade route

•    A land route through Karakoram Highway has been opened to carry out trade
•    Historical passes connect Pakistan to China and Afghanistan

Provides protection against extreme cold temperatures

•    Mountain peaks provide protection to Pakistan against the cold winds from Central Asia.
•    The temperature does not go below freezing point over the Upper Indus Plain and climate remains tolerable through the year

Source of valuable minerals and raw material to industries

•    A source of valuable minerals, timber and fruits
•    Provides raw material to several industries like furniture, paper, chipboard industry, chemical industry etc

Tourism Potential

•    Scenic beauty promotes tourist resorts which are source of income to local people during summer