Potwar Plateau and salt range.

• The Potwar Plateau and the Salt range are located to the south of Islamabad, between the river Indus and River Jehlum. It is an open, undulating land with extensive flat areas.
• The average height of the Potwar Plateau is 300-600 metres above sea level.
• In the Potwar Plateau, residual hills such as Kala Chitta and Khairi Murat rise to just over 1000 metres and are the result of resistant rock being left behind after the erosion of the less resistant rocks.
• A lot of the Potwar Plateau has been eroded by the action of running water and this is known as badland topography. Badland topography is a landscape of ridges, ravines and troughs.
• The Soan river is the main feature of the region. It forms gullies and large alluvial plains, which are mainly used for agriculture.
• The Potwar Plateau is rich minerals like rock salt, gypsum, limestone, coal and oil.
• The salt range is the mountain range which covers most of the Jhelum, Chakwal, Kalabagh and Mianwali districts. Khewra is a salt mine located in the mountains of this salt range and it is 160km away from Islamabad.
• The Sasekar peak is the highest point in the salt range.
• The salt range comprises of parallel ranges.
• The Salt range is badly faulted and eroded by rivers.
• Lakes like Kallar Kahar, Khabeki add to the beauty of the area.
• The Salt range is rich in minerals like rock salt, gypsum and limestone
• The Potwar Plateau and salt range and rich in non metallic minerals which provide raw materials to the cement, ceramic and chemical industries.
• In the Potwar Plateau and Salt range region, a number of oil and gas fiels are located here. The Attock Oil refinery has been set up here to refine oil from these oilfields.
• Farming in the Potwar Plateau depends on rainfall, as the rugged landscape does not allow for canal irrigation.
• Most of the Potwar Plateau is a productive region and is accessible by road.