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Pakistan

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Encyclopedia of European and Asian Regional Geology

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Science ((EESS))

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Introduction

Pakistan lies between latitudes 24° and 37° N and longitudes 61° and 75° E and comprises the provinces of Punjab, Sindh, Northwest Frontier, Baluchistan and Northern areas. The total area of Pakistan is 796 096 km2, of which Baluchistan province occupies 43%, Punjab 25.8%, Sindh 17.7%, Northwest Frontier 9.4% and Northern areas 4.1%. Nearly 60% of the landmass of Pakistan is mountainous, 30% plains and rest is desert and semi-desert. Pakistan is bounded by Afghanistan in the N and NW, Iran in the W, China in the NE, India in the E and the Arabian Sea in the SE.

Pakistan lies wholly outside the tropics and although its climate is classified as ‘tropical monsoon’, it is in fact continental in its characteristics. Rainfall is low, ranging from 15 cm in Baluchistan to 90 cm in various parts of the Punjab and Sindh. During summer, daytime temperatures are quite high everywhere in Pakistan, often rising to over 43°C. During winter the cool weather is relatively intense. Mean...

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Authors
  1. R. A. K. Tahirkheli
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  2. M. J. Khan
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© 1997 Chapman & Hall

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Tahirkheli, R.A.K., Khan, M.J. (1997). Pakistan . In: Encyclopedia of European and Asian Regional Geology. Encyclopedia of Earth Science. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4495-X_77

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4495-X_77

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-412-74040-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-4495-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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