The powerful indus river it crosses three Asian countries on its way to the sea. It has been the provider of food for many civilizations over time. It is one of the best known and most important rivers in the world.
For this reason, we are going to dedicate this article to tell you about all the characteristics, tributaries, origin and mouth of the Indus River.
Key features
One of the oldest civilizations in the world, the Indus Valley Civilization owes its prosperity in large part to its relationship with the Indus River, which provided it with food, drink, and waterways.
The word Indo comes from the Sanskrit word “Sindhus”, which means “water”, “stream”, “ocean”. The Indus River is the longest river in Pakistan and one of the longest in mainland Asia.
The river crosses 3 Asian countries: China, Pakistan and India. C.Like many rivers in the southern part of the continent, it originates on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau at an altitude of up to 5500 meters. Its main source is the Sangge Zangbo River, which flows northwest from the confluence with the Gar River until it crosses the political border, flows through the Kashmir region for several kilometers, and then enters Pakistan, forming a delta and emptying into Pakistan. Arabian Sea. The total journey is about 3.180-3.200 km, of which 2% is from China and 5% from India.
The Indus River is the longest river in Pakistan and one of the longest in mainland Asia.. The exact length of the river seems to be unclear, as some sources indicate that it was measured at 2.880 km; however, it is generally estimated at just over 3.000 km. Its hydrological basin covers approximately 1.165,00 km2 and affects the 3 countries mentioned above as well as a small part of Afghanistan. About 30 percent of the basin is arid, and the delta, which consists mainly of clay and other barren materials, is swampy. In fact, the basin is drier than the Ganges basin.
The water in the upper reaches of the river it comes mainly from monsoon rains and meltwater. The upper basin contains the largest perennial glacial ice in the world. Downstream, in addition to rainfall and runoff, the flow of water is fed by tributary rivers such as Zanskar, Chenab, Astore, Dras, Gomal and Beas. Starting from the plains of Punjab, Pakistan, the water slows down and begins to flow through deserts and semi-deserts.
The climate of the basin ranges from arid subtropical to semi-arid in the plains of Punjab and Sindh, Pakistan, to alpine in the mountains near the headwaters.
Indus River Formation
According to ancient sediments found in the Arabian Sea, the Indus was a prehistoric river that turned out to have a freshwater flow. Probably 45-50 million years ago, there was a body of water known as Proto-Indus and it emptied into the Arabian Sea in what is now the Katawaz Basin, on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Interestingly, it may have been connected to the Ganges over 5 million years ago.
Major tributaries
The tributaries that contribute the greatest flow to the Indus along its downstream route are:
- Zanskar, on the left bank, the first major tributary
- Shyok, on the right bank
- Shigar, on the right bank, which flows into the city of Skardu
- Gilgit, on the right bank, with its tributaries the Ghizar and the Hunza
- Kabul, on the right bank, with its tributaries the Kunar and the Swat
- Sohan or Soan, on the left bank
- Tochi, on the left bank
- Gumal, on the right bank, with its tributaries the Kundar and the Zhob
- Panijnad, on the left bank, a short river of only 71 km, formed by the confluence of two long rivers:
- Chenab, with its subtributaries the Jhelam River and the Ravi River
- Sutlej, with its tributary the Beas River.
Flora and fauna
The Indus Valley is home to some 25 species of amphibians and some 147 species of fish, 22 of which are endemic, meaning they only live there.. Among the fish we can mention Tenuolaaosa ilisha, Schizothorax plagiostomus, Racoma labiatus, Channa marulius, Rita rita, Barilius modestus, Clupisoma naziri, Schizopyge eocinus, Ptychobarbus conirostris, Diptychus maculatus, Clupisoma naziri, Chela or cachiutitora and .
One of the star mammals of the Indus River is the Indian river dolphin, Platanista gangetica minor. It is one of the rarest dolphin species in the world, but unfortunately it is in serious danger of extinction. In addition to these animals, there are freshwater prawns of the genus Macrobrachium in the basin.
The flora of the basin varies from one region to another. In the first section of the river, around the source, alpine vegetation of the genera Salamander and Saussurea predominates, and species such as Thylacospermum caespitosum and Arenaria bryophylla can be found. The southeast of the Indus is grassland and scrub, and the delta is rich in mangroves, especially in the Avicennia marina.
Economic importance and threats of the Indus River
The ancients of the Indus Valley Civilization were completely dependent on the river. Its water was used for drinking, cooking, irrigating crops and washing, and in it they found fish to eat. Some of the world's first cities were founded in the Indus Valley. Even today, the Indus River is essential to life within the basin because without it, most of the basin would be uninhabited.
The Indus irrigates about 80 percent of Pakistan's 21,5 million hectares of farmland, where crops such as wheat, cotton and sugar cane are grown. In addition, the construction of some dams has allowed the generation of hydroelectric power.
The water quality of the Indus and its tributaries is very good, according to Aquastat, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's global water information system. However, it is not without danger. water extraction, pollution from agricultural activities and dam construction and other structures that disturb the flow of water are considered threats. Even the flow of the rivers has decreased, a fact that has contributed to the disappearance of the mangroves.
I hope that with this information you can know more about the Indus river and its characteristics.