Indus River
From Wikinfo
The Indus (Daria-e-Sindh) (known as Sindhu to Indians and in Sanskrit, as Sinthos in Greek, and Sindus in Latin) is the principal river of Pakistan. Before the partition of India into the modern states of India and Pakistan in 1947, The Indus was second only to the Ganges in terms of cultural and commercial importance for the region, and also gave its name to the country of India. The river originates in Tibet, flowing from the Himalayas in a north-westerly direction through Kashmir, and then turning south for nearly the entire length of Pakistan. Figures for the total length of the river vary between 2900 and 3200 km. The Indus Valley Civilization had some of the earliest urban settlements in the world.
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Course and Hydrology
Course
The ultimate source of the Indus is actually in Tibet; it begins at the confluence of the Sengge River and Gar River that drain the Nganglong Kangri and Gangdise Shan ranges. The Indus then flows northwest through Gilgit-Baltistan just south of the Karakoram range, then gradually bends to the south, coming out of the hills between Peshawar and Rawalpindi. It is dammed in this area also, forming the Tarbela Reservoir. The remainder of its route to the sea is in plains of the Punjab and Sind, and the river becomes slow-flowing and highly braided. It is joined by Panjnad river at Mithankot. Passing by Hyderabad, it ends in a large delta to the southeast of Karachi.
Tributaries
- Gilgit River
- Gizar River
- Hunza River
- Gumal River
- Zhob River
- Kabul River
- Kunar River
- Sutlej River
- Shyok River
- Beas River
- Chenab River
- Jhelum River
- Ravi River
Other
The Indus is one of the few rivers in the world that exhibit a tidal bore.
The Indus is, by volume, the largest exotic river (one that mainly flows through country from which it receives no water) in the world.
History and Archeology
The Indus Valley Civilization was one of the four civilizations of the ancient world, the other three being the Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and the Chinese civilizations. The major cities of the Indus Valley civilization, such as Harappa and Mohenjo Daro, date back to around 3000 BC, and represent some of the largest human habitations of the ancient world.
Wildlife
The Indus River Dolphin is a sub-species of Dolphins found only in the Indus River. It formerly also occurred in the tributaries of the Indus river. Palla fish (Hilsa ilisha) of the river is a delicacy for people living along the river. Located southeast of Karachi, the large delta has been recognised by conservationists as one of the world's most important ecological regions.
Related articles
External links
- Northern Areas Development Gateway
- The Mountain Areas Conservancy Project
- Indus River watershed map (World Resources Institute)[[es:Indo (r�o)]]
References
- Adapted from the Wikipedia article, "Indus River" http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indus_River September 2, 2003, updated September 2, 2005
