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The Indus (known as Sindhu in ancient times) is the principal river of Pakistan. It flows from the Himalayas approximately southwest to the Arabian Sea. India is named after it. The Indus Valley Civilization was one of the oldest urban civilizations in the world.

The ultimate source of the Indus is actually in Tibet; it begins at the confluence of the Sengge River and Gar River that drain the Nganglong Kangri and Gangdise Shan ranges. The Indus then flows northwest through Kashmir just south of the Karakoram range, then gradually bends to the south, coming out of the hills between Peshawar and Rawalpindi. It is dammed in this area also, forming the Tarbela Reservoir. The remainder of its route to the sea is in plains of the Punjab and Sind, and the river becomes slow-flowing highly braided. Passing by Hyderabad, it ends in a large delta to the southeast of Karachi that has now been recognised by conservationists as one of the world's most important ecological regions.

The Indus River Dolphin, modern genetic studies show, lives both in the Indus River and in the Ganges. The two populations were formerly considered distinct species. It formerly occurred in the tributaries of the Indus also and may have extended into the northwestern extremities of the Indian Province of Punjab.

The Indus is one of the few rivers in the world that exhibit a tidal bore.

Tributaries:

• Gilgit River
  • Gizar River
  • Hunza River
• Gumal River
  • Zhob River
• Kabul River
  • Kunar River
• Sutlej River
  • Beas River
  • Chenab River
    • Jhelum River
    • Ravi River

See also:

• Geography of China

• Indian rivers
• Asian rivers