Chinji National Park
Encyclopedia
Chinji National Park established in 1987, is a protected area
of IUCN category II (national park
) located in Talagang Tehsil
, Chakwal District
, Punjab
, Pakistan
. It covers a total area of 6095 hectares (15,061 acre). Chinji National Park is located close to Salt Range
, about 130 km from Islamabad
in the south.
to igneous rock
s, combined with small deposits of rock salt from the Salt Range
. Deep torrential streams and ravine
s slope into the Soan River
, which passes through the area.
season from July to September. Maximum temperature is 27°C in June and minimum is 2.2°C in January. Frost
is common in winter season. Relative humidity
can reach up to 80% in monsoon.
and falls in the ecoregion of 'Baluchistan xeric woodlands' (PA1307). The area is characterized to have sub-tropical vegetation with many plant species of importance. The area is also a habitat for threatened species of Urial
.
Protected area
Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognised natural, ecological and/or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international...
of IUCN category II (national park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
) located in Talagang Tehsil
Talagang Tehsil
Talagang Tehsil is a subdivision of Chakwal District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The tehsil, which is headquartered at the city of Talagang, is administratively subdivided into 23 Union Councils. Qaderpur is a well known village of tehsil Talagang due to the famious shrine of Baba shah...
, Chakwal District
Chakwal District
Chakwal is a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Chakwal district was created in 1985; until the year 2000 when divisions were abolished, it was part of Rawalpindi Division.-Administration:...
, Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. It covers a total area of 6095 hectares (15,061 acre). Chinji National Park is located close to Salt Range
Salt Range
The Salt Range is a hill system in the Punjab province of Pakistan, deriving its name from its extensive deposits of rock salt. The range extends from the Jhelum River to the Indus, across the northern portion of the Punjab province. The Salt Range contains the great mines of Mayo, Khewra, Warcha...
, about 130 km from Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
in the south.
Landscape
The area has an elevation imperial of 2,231 feet (680 m). Deeply eroded land of Chinji consists of sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
to igneous rock
Igneous rock
Igneous rock is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic rock. Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava...
s, combined with small deposits of rock salt from the Salt Range
Salt Range
The Salt Range is a hill system in the Punjab province of Pakistan, deriving its name from its extensive deposits of rock salt. The range extends from the Jhelum River to the Indus, across the northern portion of the Punjab province. The Salt Range contains the great mines of Mayo, Khewra, Warcha...
. Deep torrential streams and ravine
Ravine
A ravine is a landform narrower than a canyon and is often the product of streamcutting erosion. Ravines are typically classified as larger in scale than gullies, although smaller than valleys. A ravine is generally a fluvial slope landform of relatively steep sides, on the order of twenty to...
s slope into the Soan River
Soan River
The Soan , Sawaan , Sawan or Sohan River is a river in Punjab, Pakistan.- Location and Geography :...
, which passes through the area.
Climate
Average annual rainfall in the area is 537 mm, out of which 308 mm is in the monsoonMonsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
season from July to September. Maximum temperature is 27°C in June and minimum is 2.2°C in January. Frost
Frost
Frost is the solid deposition of water vapor from saturated air. It is formed when solid surfaces are cooled to below the dew point of the adjacent air as well as below the freezing point of water. Frost crystals' size differ depending on time and water vapour available. Frost is also usually...
is common in winter season. Relative humidity
Relative humidity
Relative humidity is a term used to describe the amount of water vapor in a mixture of air and water vapor. It is defined as the partial pressure of water vapor in the air-water mixture, given as a percentage of the saturated vapor pressure under those conditions...
can reach up to 80% in monsoon.
Wildlife
The Chinji National Park exhibits the biome of deserts and xeric shrublandsDeserts and xeric shrublands
Deserts and xeric shrublands is a biome characterized by, relating to, or requiring only a small amount of moisture.-Definition and occurrence:...
and falls in the ecoregion of 'Baluchistan xeric woodlands' (PA1307). The area is characterized to have sub-tropical vegetation with many plant species of importance. The area is also a habitat for threatened species of Urial
Urial
The Urial , also known as the Arkars or Shapo, is a subspecies group of the wild sheep Ovis orientalis. Noticeable features are the reddish-brown long fur that fades during winter; males are characterized by a black ruff stretching from the neck to the chest and large horns. It is found in western...
.