PPSC One-Paper MCQ Test Pakistan Studies Flashcards

24 sample cards from the Pakistan Studies deck

Sampled from the end of the deck, so these are different cards from the ones shown on the syllabus page.

1. What form of government did the 1973 Constitution establish?

   A federal parliamentary system with a bicameral legislature (National Assembly and Senate), a President as head of state, and a Prime Minister as head of government; Islam as the state religion.

2. What did the 8th Amendment to the 1973 Constitution introduce?

   Passed in 1985, it gave the President discretionary power to dissolve the National Assembly under Article 58(2)(b) and indemnified Zia-ul-Haq's martial law actions.

3. What did the 18th Amendment (2010) achieve?

   It removed the President's power to dissolve the National Assembly (repealed 58(2)(b)), enhanced provincial autonomy, abolished the Concurrent List, and renamed NWFP as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

4. What was the significance of the 13th Amendment to the 1973 Constitution?

   Passed in 1997, it stripped the President of the power to dissolve the National Assembly under Article 58(2)(b), transferring power back to the Prime Minister.

5. How many provinces does Pakistan have and what are they?

   Four provinces: Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan; plus the federal capital territory of Islamabad and the administrative territories of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir.

6. Which is the largest Pakistani province by area and which by population?

   Balochistan is the largest by area (about 44% of Pakistan's total land), while Punjab is the largest by population.

7. What are the main rivers that make up the Indus River system in Pakistan?

   The Indus (main river) and its tributaries: the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej; collectively they irrigate the Indus plains.

8. Under the Indus Waters Treaty (1960), which rivers were allocated to Pakistan?

   The three western rivers—Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab—were allocated to Pakistan, while the three eastern rivers—Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej—went to India.

9. Name Pakistan's two largest dams and the rivers on which they are built.

   Tarbela Dam on the Indus River (world's largest earth-filled dam) and Mangla Dam on the Jhelum River.

10. What is the difference between a dam and a barrage?

    A dam is a large structure built to store water in a reservoir for storage and power, while a barrage is a lower gated structure built across a river mainly to divert and regulate water for irrigation canals (e.g., Sukkur Barrage).

11. Which is the oldest barrage on the Indus River in Pakistan?

    The Sukkur Barrage (originally Lloyd Barrage), completed in 1932, is the oldest and one of the largest, irrigating Sindh.

12. Which mountain ranges meet in northern Pakistan?

    The Himalayas, the Karakoram, and the Hindu Kush ranges converge in northern Pakistan near Gilgit.

13. What is the highest peak in Pakistan and where is it located?

    K2 (Mount Godwin-Austen) at 8,611 meters, the second highest mountain in the world, located in the Karakoram range in Gilgit-Baltistan.

14. Which famous mountain pass connects Pakistan with Afghanistan?

    The Khyber Pass, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, historically the main route between the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia.

15. Name a major glacier in Pakistan and the range where it lies.

    The Siachen Glacier in the eastern Karakoram is one of the world's longest non-polar glaciers; the Baltoro Glacier also lies in the Karakoram near K2.

16. What type of climate does most of Pakistan have?

    Predominantly arid to semi-arid (dry) climate, with hot summers and cool/cold winters; the monsoon brings most rainfall in summer to the northern and northeastern areas.

17. What is the monsoon and when does it affect Pakistan?

    The monsoon is a seasonal wind that brings heavy rainfall; in Pakistan the southwest summer monsoon brings rain mainly from July to September.

18. What are the main food (staple) crops of Pakistan?

    Wheat (the main staple), rice, maize, and barley; wheat is grown in the Rabi season and rice in the Kharif season.

19. What are Pakistan's major cash crops?

    Cotton, sugarcane, tobacco, and oilseeds; cotton is the most important and is the backbone of the textile industry.

20. What is the difference between Rabi and Kharif cropping seasons in Pakistan?

    Rabi crops are sown in winter (October-December) and harvested in spring (e.g., wheat, gram, barley); Kharif crops are sown in summer monsoon (April-June) and harvested in autumn (e.g., rice, cotton, sugarcane, maize).

21. Which industry is the largest in Pakistan and what is its main raw material?

    The textile industry is the largest manufacturing sector, based mainly on cotton; it is the leading source of export earnings and employment.

22. Where are Pakistan's major coal and natural gas reserves located?

    The largest coal reserves are at Thar in Sindh; the first major natural gas field was discovered at Sui in Balochistan in 1952.

23. What are Pakistan's most important mineral resources?

    Coal (Thar), natural gas (Sui), rock salt (Khewra Salt Mine, one of the world's largest), copper and gold (Reko Diq and Saindak in Balochistan), gypsum, limestone, and chromite.

24. What are Pakistan's main exports and key sources of foreign exchange?

    Main exports are textiles and cotton goods, rice, leather, surgical instruments, and sports goods; foreign exchange also comes heavily from overseas workers' remittances.

What this deck covers

Pakistan Studies flashcards FAQ