IGCSE Pakistan Studies (Online Classes)

IGCSE Pakistan Studies syllabus introduces learners to the history, culture, geography, environment and development of Pakistan. They learn about Pakistan’s rich heritage and cultural influences, and about the events which have shaped national identity, from the decline of Mughal power up to 1999. Through their studies, learners also gain an understanding of historical skills and concepts, and examine different interpretations of historical events.

Learners also consider the geography of Pakistan and the environmental and development issues facing the country. This will encourage a better understanding of the interaction between economy and environment, an understanding enhanced by the study of different source materials and perspectives. This syllabus gives all learners an appreciation of the heritage, the challenges and opportunities facing Pakistan.

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Syllabus aims

The Cambridge IGCSE Pakistan Studies syllabus is divided into two:

• The history and culture of Pakistan.

This part of the syllabus aims to provide insights into the origins, creation and development of Pakistan, and encourages discussion of issues facing Pakistan. It aims to enable candidates to:
• Acquire knowledge and understanding of the human past
• Investigate historical events, changes, people and issues
• Develop understanding of how the past has been represented and interpreted
• Develop an understanding of the nature and use of historical evidence
• Organise and communicate knowledge and understanding of history
• Develop and stimulate an interest and enthusiasm for history and acquire a basis for further historical study
• Develop an understanding of the nature of cause and consequence, continuity and change and similarity and difference.

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The environment of Pakistan
This part of the syllabus aims to give candidates a knowledge and understanding of the importance to the people and country of Pakistan of its physical characteristics, human and natural resources, economic development, population characteristics, and of their inter-relationships.

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Course Content:

Module 1 The land of Pakistan

(a) Location of Pakistan
Candidates should be able to identify the following on a map:
• The Tropic of Cancer, latitudes 30°N, 36°N, longitudes 64°E, 70°E and 76°E
• The Arabian Sea
• The countries sharing a border with Pakistan, and Pakistan’s position in relation to others in South and Central Asia.

(b) Location of administrative areas and cities
Candidates should be able to identify the following on a map:
• The administrative areas of Pakistan
• Named cities: Islamabad, Muree, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Sialkot, Peshawar, Chitral, Gilgit, Hyderabad, Karachi, Quetta and Gwadar.

(c) The natural topography, including drainage
Candidates should be able to identify the following on a map:
• Named landforms: Balochistan Plateau, Sulaiman Range, Safed Koh, Potwar Plateau, Salt Range,Hindu Kush, Karakoram and Himalaya mountain ranges
• Named rivers: Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej, Kabul, Hab and Dasht
• Named deserts: Thar, Thal and Kharan.

d) Climate
Candidates should:

• know the distribution of temperature and rainfall, including monsoon, depressions and convectional rain
  • know seasonal and regional variations, and the factors contributing to them, including depressions, thunderstorms and cyclones (typhoons)
  • understand the causes of the monsoon (knowledge of the causes of other types of rain is notrequired)
  • Describe and explain the characteristics of the climate of the arid, semi-arid, humid and highland regions, including seasonal variations
  • Know the influence of latitude and longitude on day length and climate
  • Understand the influence of the climate (both the benefits it brings and the problems it causes) on the
• economy and on the lives of the people: –
• The influence of low temperature, ice and snow on the lives of people in the mountains
• The influence of rain storms and flooding on agriculture, industry and communications
• The problems caused by drought and shortage of water supply on agriculture and industry.

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 Module2. Natural resources – an issue of sustainability

(a) Water
Candidates should be able to:
• Identify on a map the Mangla, Tarbela and Warsak dams, and name two examples of barrages
• Understand the importance of water as a resource; understand how supplies for agricultural, industrial and domestic purposes are obtained, maintained and controlled as well as used; understand the reasons for, and consequences of, the Indus Water Treaty
• Explain and evaluate the causes of and solutions to the problems of water supply (including pollution)
• Understand the value of water as a resource for development
• Explain and evaluate how water supply issues can lead to conflict.

b) Forests
Candidates should be able to:
• Understand the different types of forest and identify, on a map, their main locations
• Understand the physical factors that control the distribution of the different types of forest, and the human factors which have reduced their extent
• Understand the reasons for:
– the development of plantations in the Indus Plain
– afforestation on mountain slopes and plateaux
• Understand the value of forests as a resource for development, and the importance of their sustainability
• explain the effects of deforestation, such as soil erosion, silting and flooding
• evaluate possible solutions to the problems caused by deforestation.

(c) Mineral resources
Candidates should be able to:
• Identify the main locations of limestone, gypsum and rock salt extraction from a map, and understand their uses
• identify the main metallic and non-metallic mineral resources of Pakistan, and in what quantities they:
– are extracted
– exist as reserves
• Understand the extent to which these can be exploited
• Describe the environmental problems caused by mineral extraction
• Evaluate the benefits of developing mineral resources and understand the sustainability of extraction
• Identify the main imported minerals, where they come from, and in what quantities.

(d) Fish
Candidates should be able to:
• Describe the fishing methods used in both marine and inland waters, including fish farms
• Give examples of the fish caught in both marine and inland waters, and of the fish reared on fish farms
• Give examples of the fishing ports on both the Balochistan and Sindh coasts
• Describe the uses of the fish caught
• Explain improvements in fishing methods and processing techniques
• Understand the problems facing the fishing industry and evaluate the possibilities for its further

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3. Power

(a) Sources
Candidates should be able to:
• Describe, with the help of a simple diagram for each method, how non-renewable fuels (coal, crude oil and natural gas) are extracted:
– coal as obtained by open cast, adit and shaft mining methods
– natural gas and crude oil obtained by exploration and drilling
• understand the difference between renewable and non-renewable sources of electricity
• explain (briefly) how electricity can be generated from renewable resources (hydel, wind, solar, and
other possibilities such as wave, tidal, biofuels, geothermal)
• understand the importance of power sources for development.

(b) Non-renewables

Candidates should be able to:
• Describe the quality and the amount of coal available from within Pakistan and how long reserves are likely to last, and also describe the types of coal which have to be imported for industrial purposes Describe how coal both produced in Pakistan and imported is transported to the end users
• state how much natural gas is produced by Pakistan, and how long reserves are likely to last
• Describe the extent of the natural gas pipeline network in Pakistan and explain how natural gas can be taken to those parts of Pakistan away from the pipelines, and the limitations of doing this
• State how much oil is produced by Pakistan, how long reserves will last and how much oil is imported, and explain why it is necessary to import large amounts of oil
• Describe the extent of the oil pipeline network in Pakistan and describe the other methods that are used to transport both imported oil and oil produced in Pakistan
• Understand that electricity can be generated in a variety of ways. In thermal power stations by burning coal, oil, gas and waste, or with nuclear energy; or with renewable sources e.g. water (including hydel), the wind and the sun
• Understand that non-renewable power sources are running out, and are increasing in price.

c) Renewables
Candidates should be able to:
• Explain and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the different methods of producing electricity from renewable resources (generated by water, wind, wave and sun)
• Understand the physical and human conditions that favour the development of multi-purpose hydel schemes
• State and explain the factors, both physical and human, which promote or hinder the availability of electricity and other power resources listed, including the feasibility of small-scale, renewable power generation
• Explain why the supply of electricity is not sufficient or reliable to develop many parts of Pakistan

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4. Agricultural Development

a) Agricultural systems
Candidates should be able to:
• understand how small-scale subsistence farming, cash crop farming and livestock farming operate as systems made up of inputs, processes and outputs.

b) Crops and livestock

Candidates should be able to:
• Identify on a map the main areas where cotton, rice, sugar cane and wheat are grown, and the main areas where buffalo, cattle, goats, sheep and poultry are reared
• Recognize (from photographs) fields of cotton, rice, sugar cane and wheat; recognise (from photographs) buffalo, cattle, goats, sheep and poultry
• State the uses of the crops named above
• State the main products of the livestock named above and the uses of those products
• Identify the main areas for the cultivation and growth of each of the following: apples, apricots, bananas, dates, maize, mangoes, millet, oilseeds, oranges, pulses, tobacco and vegetables. Know why they are grown there and state an important use of each.

c) Factors affecting production
Natural factors: topography, climate (for both kharif and rabi crops), soils, pests and diseases
Human factors: capital, labour, size of holdings, farming practices, irrigation (types and methods),
waterlogging and salinity (including solutions), governmental actions to increase production

Candidates should be able to:
• Explain how natural and human factors affect production on small-scale subsistence farms, including:
– rice grown using traditional methods of ploughing, transplanting, irrigating, harvesting and
threshing on small, fragmented holdings using family labour
– wheat grown in areas dependent upon rainfall (barani farming areas)
– dates and vegetables grown using karez irrigation in a desert oasis

• Explain how natural factors, including climatic requirements, and human factors affect the production
of cotton, rice, sugar cane (kharif crops) and of wheat (a rabi crop) under the cash crop farming system
• Explain how natural and human factors affect livestock farming (poultry farming, the keeping of
buffalo and cattle, the keeping of livestock) on small-scale subsistence farms and the keeping of
cattle, goats and sheep on a nomadic or semi-nomadic basis, including transhumance
• Describe the different types of irrigation and explain the advantages and disadvantages of each for small-scale subsistence farming, and for the growing of cotton, rice, sugar cane and wheat:
– canal irrigation – karez, inundation and perennial canal
– lift irrigation – Persian wheel and tubewell
– understand the roles of dams, barrages, link canals, distribution canals, field channels and bunds
• explain the causes of waterlogging and salinity, and:
– explain how land damaged by it can be restored
– evaluate how agricultural practice and water management can be improved to prevent it happening
• Understand how government action has helped to increase production through land reforms, the promotion of training and the use of machinery, chemicals, improved seeds and other means
• Understand and evaluate the possibilities for and problems of the development of agriculture and its sustainability.

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Module5. Industrial development

a) Understanding common terms
Candidates should:
• Understand the meaning of the terms raw materials, refined, processed, manufactured and valueadded
• Understand the meaning of the terms infrastructure and services
• be able to define the terms primary industry, secondary industry, and tertiary industry.

b) Secondary and tertiary industries
Processing and manufacturing industries to be studied: cement, cotton (from ginning to clothing), sugar
refining, crafts, fertiliser, iron and steel, brick, oil refining, sports goods, surgical instruments. Tourism.
Candidates should be able to:
• Understand the definitions used in Pakistan to distinguish between large-scale industry, small-scale industry and cottage industry
• State the main products of the listed industries and whether they are destined for the domestic market and/or for the export market
• State the main locations of the listed industries and explain the factors influencing location and development – capital, site, sources of raw materials, power, water, labour, communications, government policy and other means
• Understand the differences between the formal sector and informal sector of industry
• Understand the range of services provided by the informal sector, and their advantages and disadvantages to the development of Pakistan
• Understand the importance of both the formal and informal sectors, and evaluate the contributions of both sectors to the development of the listed industries
• understand sources of capital and labour
• State and explain how the governing authorities promote industrial growth
• Name examples of export processing zones and other industrial estates, explain the reasons for their development and describe their characteristics
• Assess the feasibility of using global communications to enhance employment opportunities in service industries, e.g. call centres
• State and describe briefly, with an example of each, some of the natural and cultural attractions of Pakistan that are, or could be made available to tourists
• Assess the feasibility of developing tourism as a means of increasing employment, development, gross national product (GNP) and gross domestic product (GDP).

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6. Trade

a) Major exports and imports
Candidates should be able to:
• Name the main exports and imports
• Describe the changes in the types/amounts/value of goods exported and imported in recent years
• Know and understand the meaning of GNP and GDP and the difference between them
• Explain the effect of changing trends in exports and imports on Pakistan’s balance of trade and economy.

b) Pakistan’s trading partners
Candidates should be able to:
• Name and locate Pakistan’s main trading partners, and name the goods Pakistan exported to them or imported from them
• Understand the factors which may promote or hinder trade with other countries, and explain why it is difficult for Pakistan as a developing country to maintain or increase its share of trade with other countries
• Understand the factors that may promote and limit trade, including trading blocs, trade barriers and currency exchange rates.

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 Module7 :Transport and telecommunications

a) Internal transport
Candidates should be able to:
• Interpret maps to describe the regional variations in the density and pattern of the road, rail and air transport networks within Pakistan
• Explain the factors which help and hinder the location, maintenance and development of roads, railways and airports
• Describe improvements that have recently taken place in road, rail and air communications, and consider the feasibility of new developments
•Compare the advantages and disadvantages of road, rail and air transport within Pakistan for both goods and people
• Evaluate the development of new transport schemes, including motorway and airport development.

b) International transport
Candidates should be able to:
• Identify on a map those roads (including the name of the pass they use, where relevant) and railways which cross the international boundary and are in use for at least part of the year
•Identify on a map the ports of Keamari, Qasim and Gwadar, and the cities with international airports
• Explain the factors which affect the location and development of cross-border roads and railways, seaports, dry ports and airports
• Explain what is meant by the term dry port, name an example of one and explain why they have been developed in many cities of Pakistan.

c) Telecommunications

Candidates should be able to:
• Explain the importance of radio, television, phones, fax machines, emails and the internet in the fields of education, industry, services and trade
• Understand the problems of providing telecommunications in some parts of Pakistan
• Evaluate the role of telecommunications in the development of Pakistan.

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Other information

Language
This syllabus and the associated assessment materials are available in English only.

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Making entries
Exams officers are responsible for submitting entries to Cambridge International. We encourage them to work closely with you to make sure they enter the right number of candidates for the right combination of syllabus components. Entry option codes and instructions for submitting entries are in the Cambridge Guide
to Making Entries. Your exams officer has a copy of this guide.

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Retakes
Candidates can retake the whole qualification as many times as they want to. This is a linear qualification so candidates cannot re-sit individual components.

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Grading and reporting
Cambridge IGCSE results are shown by one of the grades A*, A, B, C, D, E, F or G indicating the standard achieved, A* being the highest and G the lowest. ‘Ungraded’ indicates that the candidate’s performance fell short of the standard required for grade G. ‘Ungraded’ will be reported on the statement of results but not
on the certificate. The letter Q (pending) and X (no result) may also appear on the statement of results but
not on the certificate

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