Geography

The district takes its names from its headquarters city Jhang. Jhang in local dialect means a clump or grove of trees. Probably some prominent grove on the site of the present city of Jhang gave its name to the original settlements which grew in size and importance with the passage of time.

Location

The district lies between 30-37 to 31-59 north latitudes and 71-37 to 73-13 east longitudes.

Boundary

The district is bounded on the north by Sargodha and Chiniot districts, on the south by Khanewal district, on the west by Layyah, Bhakkar and Khushab district, on the east by Faisalabad and Toba Tek Singh districts and on the south west by Muzaffargarh district.

Area

The total area of the district is 6,162 square kilometers.  The Tehsil wise area is as under:

Physical Feature

The district present three types of topography: a semi desert area of Thal west of the Jehlumand Chenab rivers and the low lying area along the Jehlumand Chenab rivers. Thal desert consist of the rolling sand dunes running in an almost uniform direction and alternate with hollows of fairly good soil. The sand dunes are due to the action of the wind. The area of Thal desert extends to the north into Bhakkar and Khushab and Muzaffargarh districts. The depth of the water is so great that agricultural wells are practically impossible. The topography of the Thal has been changed after the introduction of canals and most of it has been converted into the cultivated area.

The land east of the Jehlum River is a fertile plain formed by the Jehlum and Chenab rivers. It is a of part the Sandal Bar. The soil is usually very fertile.  The land along the rivers is flooding each year and any permanent habitation is impossible. The cultivation is almost entirely silabi with the risk of the destruction. The character of the valleys of the two rivers differs considerably. The silt deposited by the Chenab River is poorer than that deposited by the Jehlum River.

The Chenab River enters from the north-eastern corner of the district and flows towards south-west. The Jehlum river enters from north-west corner and flows in the north south direction. The two rivers join at Athara Hazari north of trimmed headworks and originates from the trimmu headworks. Haveli canal irrigate eastern part of the Shorkot Tehsil whereas the Rangpur canal irrigates eastern part of Shorkot Tehsil. The southern branch of lower Jehlum canal irrigate the western portion of Chiniot District. The southern branch of lower canal irrigate the western portion of Chiniot and Jhang Tehsils.    

Geology

On both sides of the Chenab at Chiniot occurs a curious outcrop of rock of the same formation as the Kirana hill of the Sargodha district and the Shorkot and Sangla rocks in Sheikhupura district. These hills are at a distance of only 64 kilometers from the salt range, but rocks are totally different from those found, and correspond with character of the transition rocks of the Aravaku series. They consist of strong quartzite associated with clay slates, forming steep ridges from north west to south west. The oldest rocks of the Salt Range are probably much younger than the strata of Kirana. Just above Chiniot the Chenab runs most picturesquely through a couple of gorges of these hills. A point worth noticing is that there is a little or no rise in the surface of the country at the base of the rocks.

With the exception of these rocks,  the whole district is an alluvial plain, much of it being of evidently quite recent formation. The oldest portion is probably the Thal which is the highest place in the district. The low lying Bars are presumably the subsequent deposits. While the river valleys are of quite recent formation.