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Khyber Pass, the largest and the
most renowned of these, is 56 kilometres long and connects Kabul
in Afghanistan with the fertile vale of Peshawar in the NWFP.
The Tochi Pass connects Ghazni is Afghanistan with Bannu in
Pakistan and the Gomal Pass provides a route from Afghanistan to
Dera Ismail Khan which overlooks the Punjab Plain. the Bolan
Pass connects the Sindh Plain with Quetta in Balochistan and
onward through Chaman with Afghanistan. Enclosed by the brnahces
of western mountains are a number of fertile plains which have
been formed by rivers rising from these mountains and falling
into Indus. From north to south are the vale of Peshawar (Kabul
River), Kohat Plain(Kohat River) and Bannu Plain (River Kurram
and Tochi),
Peshawar valley covers some 2,200
sq. miles (5,698 sq.km) and is very fertile. It is irrigated by
a network of canals which are supplemented by water of the
Warsak Dam on Kabul River. Wheat, maize, sugarcane tobacco and
sugarbeet are cultivated in large quantities. Large industrial
Plants have been established at Peshawar, Mardan, Nowshera and
Charsadda. The sugar mills at Mardan and Charsadda are reported
to be the largest in Asia. Kohat valley is uneven and broken,
but has fertile soil.
The Tanda Dam on River Kohat
supplemented water of the tubewells and the
small tanks formed by damming the
rivers. Wheat, barley, gram, maize, rice and melons are grown in
substantial quantities. Kohat (76,000), an important town, owes
its significance as a marketing centre and a cantonment. The
Bannu lowland is made of sandy and gravelly materials brought
down by rivers, except for a small area near Bannu town
(43,000), which contains rich silt. Perenial irrigation, made
possible by the construction of the Kurram Garhi Dam on River
Tochi, is confined to the land between River Kurram and River
Tochi. The Bannu plain produces wheat, gram, maize, barely, rice
and sugarcane. In unirrigated parts of Kohat and Bannu plains
are raised flat tailed sheep,camels and donkeys and wool is the
most important commerical crop.
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