PUNJAB - HISTORY

The land of 5-rivers, population-wise the largest, and once known as the granary of east, the Punjab is the lifeline of Pakistan.
To the north of the Punjab is the NWFP (North West Frontier Province) and the Federal capital area of Islamabad. To the north east is the Azad Kashmir. To its east and south is India (Indian Punjab & Rajesthan). To the south west is the province of Sind. To the west is Baluchistan Province and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
The province is predominantly on level plain. There are, however, some mountainous and hilly areas in the northwest and extreme southwest. There is also a plateau adjacent to the mountains known as the Potohar plateau and a desert belt in the south eastern part known as Cholistan.
All the major rivers of the country namely Indus, Jhelum, Chanab, Ravi, & Sutlaj flow through this province. They originate from the Himalayas and pass from north west to south west. They are primeval in nature and the volume of water increases in summer after monsoon rains, resulting sometimes in floods.
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan. According to 1998 census, the population of the Province is 7,25,85,000. The population density is 353 persons per square kilometer as compared to the national figure of 164. It contains several major cities of the country: Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Multan and Gujranwala.