Pakistan is situated between latitude 24 and 37 degrees North and longitude 61 and 75 degrees East. The country is bounded to the west by Iran, to the south-east by India, Afghanistan to the north-west, China to the north-east and the Arabian Sea to the south. The great mountain ranges of the Himalayas, the Karakorams and the Hindukush form Pakistan’s northern highlands of North West Frontier Province and the Northern Areas. Punjab province is a flat, alluvial plain with five major rivers dominating the upper region eventually joining the River Indus flowing south to the Arabian Sea. Sindh is bounded to the east by the Thar Desert and the Rann of Kutch and to the west by the Kirthar range.  Balochistan Plateau is an arid tableland, encircled by dry mountains.