The Indus River begins its long, over 2,000-mile journey in the mountains of southwestern Tibet Autonomous Region of China, near Lake Mapam, at a staggering elevation of nearly 18,000 feet. The river runs briefly through Tibet, technically part of China, through a few states of India and the disputed territory of Kashmir, before making its way into the mountains of Northern Pakistan.
The source of the mighty Indus is a modest mountain spring, but as the river gathers speed coming down the mountains of the Himalayan, Karakoram, and the Hindu Kush ranges, it is fed by both tributaries and melting mountain glaciers. The main tributaries of the Indus are the Zanskar, Chenab, Shyok, Gilgit, Kabul, Gomal, and Kurram Rivers. With all these inputs to the river, the Indus has a total annual flow of around 50 cubic miles, which places it among the mightiest and largest of all the world's rivers.
After the Indus leaves the mountain ranges it emerges onto the Punjab plain where it moves much more slowly and deposits silt collected from the mountains. During the flooding season, which lasts from July to September, the Indus can grow to several miles wide in places. The Indus reaches its conclusion at the Indus River Delta where the river enters the Arabian Sea of the Indian Ocean. The delta covers about 3,000 square miles and provides a unique environment for plants, animals, and humans.
