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FATA is
situated between the latitudes of 31° and 35° North, and the longitudes of 69°
15' and 71° 50' East, stretching for maximum length of approximately 450
kilometres and spanning more than 250 kilometres at its widest point (SoP,
1984). Spread over a reported area of 27,220 square kilometres, it is bounded on
the north by the district of Lower Dir in the NWFP, and on the east by the NWFP
districts of Bannu, Charsadda, Dera Ismail Khan, Karak, Kohat, Lakki Marwat,
Malakand, Nowshera and Peshawar. On the south-east, FATA joins the district of
Dera Ghazi Khan in the Punjab province, while the Musa Khel and Zhob districts
of Balochistan are situated to the south. To the west lies Afghanistan.
The
mountainous terrain is broken by small basins or valleys, dotted with
settlements and agricultural fields. The area can be divided into the northern,
central and southern regions which happen to coincide with administrative
boundaries (Shinwari, undated). The northern zone consists of the Bajaur and
Mohmand agencies. The hills in this region form a transition zone between the
Hindukush mountains, and the piedmont and lowland basins. Here, the Jandool
river and its tributaries join the Panjkora river. Towards the south, the Kabul
river collects the outflow from local rivers including the Bira Darya and khwars
(seasonal watercourses) such as the Gandab, Sallala and Shalman.
The
central region covers the Khyber, Kurram and Orakzai agencies, and the FRs of
Kohat and Peshawar. Here, the Safed Koh mountains rise from the Terimangal pass
and stretch eastward, reaching an elevation of 3,600 metres. The Sikaram, at
4,760 metres, is the tallest peak in this range. The Kurram river flows
north-west to south-east, entering North Waziristan below the town of Thal in
the Hangu district of the NWFP, and eventually joining the
Indus river. In Orakzai Agency, the Khanki and Mastura streams
flow to the east to meet the Bara river. The towns of Bara and Khajuri form a
plains area from where the Bara river and its tributaries join the
Kabul river near Peshawar. To
the north of the Kabul river stand the Mullagori and Shilman hills. The fertile
Bara, Khanki, Kurram and Mastura valleys contain the most extensively cultivated
land in FATA.
The
southern region comprises the North Waziristan and South Waziristan agencies,
and the FRs of Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat and Tank. To the south of
the Safed Koh are the Sulaiman mountains and the
Waziristan hills. The hills rise to an altitude of between 1,500 and
3,000 metres, and are mostly barren. Takht-i-Sulaiman, located in FR Dera Ismail
Khan, is the highest peak in the Sulaiman range, at 3,487 metres. Overall
drainage in this region is toward the east. The Gomal river flows in the south,
while the Kurram river passes though the north. The Jandola, Kaitu and Tochi are
smaller rivers in this area. The rod kohi system (flood irrigation, or
torrent-spate irrigation) is commonly practised mainly in the FR areas. The
Gomal and Tochi mountain passes in the south connect
Pakistan to Afghanistan.
An
interesting mix of sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rock is found in the
area. The most common sedimentary formations consist of sandstone, limestone,
shale and conglomerates, occurring in the south-west. Partly metamorphosed
andesite, granite and gabbro make up the bulk of igneous masses. Metamorphic
rocks in the area include schist, slate and marble.
The soil
is derived mainly from the local weathering of bedrock, deposited by streams and
rivers, though loess also occurs to some extent. Landforms in the area are
varied and include piedmont, plains, valleys, gravel fans, rough broken land and
gullied land. Level areas are loamy, while lowlands are slightly to strongly
calcareous. The content of organic matter and available phosphorus is very low.
FATA
lies on the cusp of two major climatic systems, the monsoon to the east and the
Mediterranean towards the west. Most parts of FATA are arid and semi-arid, with
warm summers and cool winters, although some areas in the Kurram and Orakzai
agencies fall within the humid and sub-humid zone. The pattern and character of
summer and winter rainfall is intermixed to such an extent that it is difficult
to determine which is dominant. According to meteorological data, the area
receives more winter precipitation as a result of western disturbances and some
rain in the summer from the monsoon. Annual rainfall in the area varies
dramatically, from 630 millimetres reported in Kurram during 2001–02, to just 88
millimetres in neighbouring Khyber Agency during the same year.
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