Pakistan is situated in the western part of the Indian subcontinent, with Afghanistan and Iran on the west, India on the east, and the Arabian Sea on the south. The name Pakistan is derived from the Urdu, which is the national language of Pakistan, words Pak which means pure and Stan which means country. It is nearly twice the size of California. The northern and western highlands of Pakistan contain the towering Karakoram and Pamir mountain ranges, which include some of the world's highest peaks. The Baluchistan Plateau lies to the west, and the Thar Desert and an expanse of alluvial plains, the Punjab and Sind, lie to the east. The 1,000-mile-long Indus River and its tributaries flow through the country from the Kashmir region to the Arabian Sea. With the exception of the temperate coastal region, most of Pakistan suffers from seasonal extremes of temperature. From June to September, Pakistan has its monsoon season, with warm weather and heavy rain in some areas. A monsoon is actually a seasonal shift in wind direction and pressure distribution that causes a change in precipitation. The temperatures drop considerably in December through February, while spring tends to be very warm and dry. Of course, the Karakoram and Hindu Kush mountain ranges are snowbound for much of the year, due to their high altitudes. Temperatures even at lower elevations may drop below freezing during the winter, while summer highs of 106 degrees are not uncommon. The climate changes here pose additional risks to Pakistan’s efforts to meet its water and food self- sufficiency goals. These goals are key in reducing poverty, promoting livelihoods, and developing sustainably. As its population grows Pakistan’s ability to meet basic food requirements and effectively manage water resources will be critical for sub staining long term economic growth and rectifying long term economic growth and widespread food insecurity and nutrition deficiency