Pakistan officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Grater Middle East and converges with Central Asia and the Middle East. It has a 1,046 kilometer (650 mile) coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south, and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast.
The region forming modern Pakistan was home to the ancient Indus Valley Civilization and then, successively, recipient of ancient Vedic, Persian, Indo – Greek and Islamic cultures. The area has witnessed invasions and settlement by the Persians, Greeks, Arabs, Turks, Afghans and the Mongols. It was a part of British Raj from 1858 to 1947, when the Pakistan Movement for a state for Muslims, led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the Muslim League resulted in the independence and creation of the state of Pakistan , that comprised the provinces of Sindh, Northwest Frontier Province , West Punjab, Balochistan, Kashmir and East Bengal . With the adoption of its constitution in 1956, Pakistan became an Islamic Republic.
History
From the earliest period of pre-history and recorded history of the region, modern Pakistan formed the heart-land of a larger territory, extending beyond its present eastern and western borders and receiving momentous and mighty impacts from both the directions.
The Indus Region, which covers much of Pakistan, was the site of several ancient cultures including the Neolithic era Mehrgarh and the Bronze era Indus Valley Civilization (2500 BCE – 1500 BCE) at Harappa and Mohenjo Daro.
Waves of conquerors and migrants from the west — including Harappan, Indo Aryan, Persian, Greeks, Saka, Parthian, Kushan, Hephthalite, Afghan, Arab, Turkics and Mughal settled in the region through out the centuries, influencing the locals and being absorbed among them. Great ancient empires of the east such as Nandas, Mauryas, and Guptas ruled these territories at different times. However, in the medieval period, while the eastern provinces of Punjab and Sindh became aligned with Indo Islamic Civilization, the western areas became culturally allied with the Iranic Civilization of Afghanistan and Iran . The region served as crossroads of historic trade routes, including the Silk Root, and as a maritime entreport, for the coastal trade between Mesopotamia and beyond up to Rome in the west and Malabar and beyond up to China in the east.
The Indus Valley Civilization collapsed in the middle of the second millennium BCE and was followed by the Vedic Civilization, which also extended over much of the Indo-Gangetic plains. Successive ancient empires and kingdoms ruled the region, the Achaemenid Persian empire around 543 BCE, Greek empire founded by Alexender the Grat in 326 BCE and the Mauryan empire there after. The Indo Greek Kingdom founded by Demetrius of Bactria included Gandhara and Punjab from 184 BCE, and reached its greatest extent under Menander, establishing th Greco Buddhist period with advances in trade and culture. The city of Taxila (Takshashila) became a major centre of learning in ancient times — the remains of the city, located to the west of Islamabad , are one of the country's major archaeological sites. The Rai Dynasty (c.489–632) of Sindh, at its zenith, ruled this region and the surrounding territories.
In 712 CE, the Arab general Muhammad Bin Qasim conquered Sindh and Multan in southern Punjab . The Pakistan government's official chronology states that "its foundation was laid" as a result of this conquest. This Arab and Islamic victory would set the stage for several successive Muslim empires in South Asia, including the Ghaznavid Empire, the Ghorid Kingdom , the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire. During this period, Sufi missionaries played a pivotal role in converting a majority of the regional Buddhist and Hindu population to Islam. The gradual decline of the Mughal Empire in the early eighteenth century provided opportunities for the Afghans, Balochis and Sikhs to exercise control over large areas until the British East India Company gained ascendancy over South Asia .
The Indian Rebellion of 1857, also known as the Sepoy Mutiny, was the region's last major armed struggle against the foreign British Raj and it laid the foundations for the generally unarmed freedom struggle, led by the Hindu dominated Indian National Congress, in the twentieth century. The All India Muslim League rose to popularity in the late 1930s amid fears of under-representation and neglect of Muslims in politics. On 29 December 1930, Allama Iqbal's presidential address called for an autonomous "state in northwestern India for Indian Muslims, within the body politic of India ." Muhammed Ali Jinnah espoused the Two Nation Theory and led the Muslim League to adopt the Lahore Resolution of 1940 (popularly known as the Pakistan Resolution), which ultimately led to the formation of an independent Pakistan . In early 1947, Britain , coming under strong pressure from other Western nations to end its violent suppression of the freedom movement, decided to end its rule of India .
In June 1947, the nationalist leaders of British India including Nehru and Abdul Kalam Azad on behalf of the Congress, Jinnah representing the Muslim League, B. R. Ambedkar representing the Untouchable community, and Master Tara Singh representing the Sikhs agreed to the proposed terms of transfer of power and independence. The modern state of Pakistan was established on 14 August 1947 (27 Ramadan 1366H in the Islamic Calender), carved out of the two Muslim-majority wings in the eastern and northwestern regions of British India and comprising the provinces of Balochistan, East Bangal, the NWFP, West Punjab and Sindh. The controversial division of the provinces of Punjab and Bengal set the stage for communal riots across India and Pakistan , millions of Muslims moved to Pakistan and millions of Hindus and Sikhs moved to India . Disputes arose over several princely states including Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir , whose ruler had acceded to India following an invasion by Pashtun warriors, leading to the First Kashmir War in 1948.
From 1947 to 1956, Pakistan was a Dominion in the Commonwealth of Nations . It became a Republic in 1956, but the civilian rule was stalled by a coup by General Ayub Khan, who was president during 1958–69, a period of internal instability and a second war with India in 1965. His successor, Yahya Khan (1969–71) had face a civil war in 1971.
Economic greivances and political dissent in East Pakistan led to violent political tension and military repression that escalated into a civil war which invited covert and later overt Indian intervention that escalated into the Indo Pakistan War of 1971, and ultimately to the secession of East Pakistan as the independent state of Bangladesh. Estimates of the number of people killed during this episode vary greatly, from ~30,000 to over 2 million, depending on the source.
Civilian rule resumed in Pakistan from 1972 to 1977, under Zulifkar Ali Bhutto, until he was deposed and later sentenced to death, (in what his followers claimed was a judicial murder), in 1979 by General Zia ul Haq, who became the country's third military president. Pakistan 's secular policies were replaced by Zia's introduction of the Islamic Shariah legal code, which increased religious influences on the civil service and the military. With the death of President Zia in a plane crash in 1988, Benazir Bhutto, , daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was elected as the first female Prime Minister of Pakistan. Over the next decade, she alternated power with Nawaz Sharif, as the country's political and economic situation worsened. Pakistan got invoved in the 1991 Gulf War and sent 5,000 troops as part of a US led coalition, specifically for the defence of Saudi Arabia . Military tensions in the Kargil War with India were followed by a Pakistani Military Coup in 1999 in which General Pervez Musharaf assumed executive powers. In 2001, Musharraf became President after the controversial resignation of Rafiq Tarar. After the 2002 parliamentary elections, Musharraf transferred executive powers to newly elected Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamalli, who was succeeded in the 2004 Prime-Ministerial election by Shaukat Aziz and was followed, for a temporary period in office, by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. On 15th November, 2007 the National Assembly completed its tenure and so, pending elections, a caretaker government was appointed with the former Chairman of the Senate, Muhammad Mian Soomro as caretaker Prime Minister. However, the December 2007 assassination of Benazir Bhutto during election campaign led to postponement of elections and also underscored the then prevailing instability of Pakistan 's political system. After the parliamentary elections held in march, Yousaf Raza Gillani was sworn in as Prime Minister.
Government and politics
The government of Pakistan was based on the Government of India Act (1935) for the first nine years after independence. The first Constitution of Pakistan was adopted in 1956, but was suspended in 1958 by General Ayub Khan. The Constitution of 1973 - suspended in 1977, by Zia ul Haq, but re-instated in 1991 - is the country's most important document, laying the foundations of government. Pakistan is a semi presidential federal democratic with Islam as the state religion. The bicameral legislature comprises a 100-member Senate and a 342-member National Assembly. The President is the Head of State ant the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and is elected by an electoral college. The Prime Minister is usually the leader of the largest party in the National Assembly. Each province has a similar system of government with a directly elected Provincial Assembly in which the leader of the largest party or alliance becomes Chief Minister. Provincial Governors are appointed by the President.
The Pakistan Military has played an influential role in mainstream politics throughout Pakistan 's history, with military presidents ruling from 1958–71, 1977–88 and from 1999 2008. The leftist Pakistan People Party, led by Zulifqar Ali Bhutto, emerged as a major political player during the 1970s. Under the military rule of Muhammed Zia ul Haq , Pakistan began a marked shift from the British-era secular politics and policies, to the adoption of Shariat and other laws based on Islam. During the 1980s, the anti federal, pro Muhajir Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) was started by unorthodox and educated urban dwellers of Sindh and particularly Karachi . The 1990s were characterized by coalition politics dominated by the Pakistan Peoples Party and a rejuvenated Muslim League.
In the October 2002 general elections, the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) (PML-Q) won a plurality of National Assembly seats with the second-largest group being the Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP), a sub-party of the PPP. Zafarullah Khan Jamali of PML-Q emerged as Prime Minister but resigned on 26 June 2004 and was replaced by PML-Q leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain as interim Prime Minister. On 28 August 2004 the National Assembly voted 191 to 151 to elect the Finance Minister and former Citibank Vice President Shaukat Aziz as Prime Minister. The Muttahida Majlis – e – Amal, a coalition of Islamic religious parties, won elections in North West Frontier Province , and increased their representation in the National Assembly - until their defeat in the 2008 elections.
Pakistan is an active member of the United Nations (UN) and the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), the latter of which Pakistan has used as a forum for Enlightened Moderation, a plan to promote a renaissance and enlightenment in the Muslim world. Pakistan is also a member of the major regional organisations of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the Echonomic Cooperation Organization (ECO). In the past, Pakistan has had mixed relations with the United States, in the early 1950s, Pakistan was the United States' "most allied ally in Asia" and a member of both the Central Treaty Organization (CENTO) and the South Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO). Also, during the Soviet – Afghan War in the 1980s Pakistan was a crucial US ally. But relations soured in the 1990s, when sanctions were applied by the US over suspicions of Pakistan 's nuclear activities. However, the September 11, 2001 attacks and the subsequent War on Terrorism have seen an improvement in US–Pakistan ties, especially after Pakistan ended its support of the Taliban regime in Kabul . This was evidenced by a drastic increase in American military aid, which saw Pakistan take in $4 billion more in three years after the 9/11 attacks than in the three years before.
On 18 February 2008, Pakistan held its general elections after being postponed from 8 January 2008. The Pakistan Peoples Party won the majority of the votes and formed an alliance with the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML – N). They nominated and elected Yousaf Raza Gilani as Prime Minister pf Pakistan .
On 18 August 2008, President Musharraf resigned as President of Pakistan, claiming it was a "difficult decision", but the impeachment scandal threatened to remove him anyway.
Military of paksitan
The Armed Forces of Pakistan are a completely volunteer force and are the Seventh Largest in the world. The three main components are the Army, Navy and Air Force, supported by a number of Paramilitary Forces which carry out internal security roles and border patrols. The National Command Authority is responsible for exercising employment and development control of all strategic nuclear forces and organizations.
The Pakistan military first saw combat in the First Kashmir War, gaining control of what is now Pakistan Administrated Kashmir. In 1961, the army repelled a major Afghan Incursion on Pakistan 's western border. In 1965, Pakistan fought the Second Kashmir War with India , and in 1971 the Indo Paksitan War of 1971 broke out. During the Soviet Afghan War, Pakistan shot down several intruding aircraft, as well as provided covert support to the Afghan Mujahideen through the Inter Services Intelligence agency. In 1999, Pakistan was involved in the Kargil Conflict with India .
The Pakistani armed forces are the largest contributors to United Nations peacekeeping efforts, with more than 10,000 personnel deployed in 2007. Pakistan provided a military contingent to the Coalition during the first Gulf War and in the past Pakistani personnel volunteered to serve in the armed forces of Arab countries involved in conflicts with Israel .
Geography and climate
Pakistan covers 340,403 square miles (881,640 km2), approximately the combined land areas of France and the United Kingdom, with its eastern regions located on the Indian Tectonic Plate and the western and northern regions on the Iranian Plateau and Eurasian Landplate. Apart from the 1,046 kilometre (650 mi) Arabian Sea coastline, Pakistan's land borders total 6,774 kilometres (2,430 kilometres (1,509 mi) with Afghanistan to the northwest, 523 kilometres (325 mi) with China to the northeast, 2,912 kilometres (1,809 mi) with India to the east and 909 kilometres (565 mi) with Iran to the southwest).
The different types of natural features range from the sandy beaches, lagoons, and mangrove swamps of the southern coast to preserved beautiful moist temperate forests and the icy peaks of the Himalaya, Karakoram and Hindu Kush mountains in the north. There are an estimated 108 peaks above 7,000 metres (23,000 ft) high that are covered in snow and glaciers. Five of the mountains in Pakistan (including Nanga Parbat and K – 2) are over 8,000 metres (26,000 ft). The northern parts of Pakistan attract a large number of foreign tourists. To the west of the Indus are the dry, hilly deserts of Balochistan, to the east are the rolling sand dunes of the Thar Desert . The Tharparkar desert in the southern province of Sindh , is the only fertile desert in the world. Most areas of Punjab and parts of Sindh are fertile plains where agriculture is of great importance.
The climate varies as much as the scenery, with cold winters and hot summers in the north and a mild climate in the south, moderated by the influence of the ocean. The central parts have extremely hot summers with temperatures rising to 45 °C (113 °F), followed by very cold winters, often falling below freezing. Officially the highest temperature recorded in Pakistan is 50.55 °C (122.99 °F) at Pad Idan. There is very little rainfall ranging from less than 250 millimetres to more than 1,250 millimetres (9.8–49.2 in), mostly brought by the unreliable south-westerly monsoon winds during the late summer. The construction of dams on the rivers and the drilling of water wells in many drier areas have temporarily eased water shortages at the expense of down-gradient populations.
Education
Education in Pakistan is divided into five levels: Primary (grades one through five), Middle (grades six through eight), High (grades nine and ten, leading to the Secondry School Certificates), Intermediate (grades eleven and twelve, leading to a Higher Secondary School Certificate), and University programmes leading to Graduate and advanced degree.
Pakistan also has a parallel secondary school education system in private schools, which is based upon the curriculum set by the University of Cambridge . Some students choose to take the O Level and A Level exams, which are administered by the British Council, in place of government exams.
There are currently 730 Technical and Vocational Institutions in Pakistan . The minimum qualifications to enter male vocational institutions, is the completion of grade 8. The programmes are generally two to three years in length. The minimum qualifications to enter female vocational institutions, is the completion of grade 5.
All academic education institutions are the responsibility of the Provincial Government. The Federal Government mostly assists in curriculum development, accreditation and some financing of research.
English Medium Education is to be extended, on a phased basis, to all schools across the country. Through various educational reforms, by the year 2015, the ministry of education expects to attain 100% enrolment levels amongst primary school aged children, and a literacy rate of 86% amongst people aged over 10.
Economy
Pakistan is a rapidly developing country and a major emerging market, with an economic growth rate of 7 percent per annum for four consecutive years up to 2007. Despite being a very poor country in 1947, Pakistan 's economic growth rate was better than the global average during the subsequent four decades, but imprudent policies led to a slowdown in the late 1990s. Recently, wide-ranging economic reforms have resulted in a stronger economic outlook and accelerated growth especially in the manufacturing and financial services sectors. There has been great improvement in the foreign exchange position and rapid growth in hard currency reserves in recent years. The 2005 estimate of foreign debt was close to US$40 billion. However, this has decreased in recent years with assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and significant debt-relief from the United States . Pakistan 's gross domestic product, as measured by purchasing power parity (PPP), is estimated to be US$475.4 billion while its per capita income (PCI) stands at $2,942. The poverty rate in Pakistan is estimated to be between 23% and 28%. Pakistan 's GDP growth rates have seen a steady increase over the last 5 years. However, inflationary pressures and a low savings rate, among other economic factors, could make it difficult to sustain a high growth rate.
The structure of the Pakistani economy has changed from a mainly agricultural base to a strong service base. Agriculture now only accounts for roughly 20% of the GDP, while the service sector accounts for 53% of the GDP with wholesale and retail trade forming 30% of this sector. In the past few years, the Karachi Stock Exchange has increased in value along with most of the world's emerging markets. Significant foreign investments have been made in several areas including telecommunications, real estate and energy. Other major industries include Software, Automotives, Textiles, Cement, Fertilizer, Steel, Ship Building , Aerospace and Arms Manufacturing.
In November of 2006 China and Pakistan signed a Free Trade Agreement hoping to triple bilateral trade from $4.2 billion (USD) to $15 billion (USD) within the next five years. Pakistan 's exports in 2007 amounted to $20.58 billion (USD).
For Pakistan to be a Developed Nation it would take 159 years. This is considering Pakistan 's annual growth rate was to be calculated at 4.9%.
Society and culture
Pakistan has a rich and unique culture that has preserved established traditions throughout history. Many cultural practices, foods, monuments, and shrines were inherited from the rule of Muslim Mughal and Afghan emperors. The national dress of Shalwar Qamiz is originally of Central Asian origin derived from Turko Iranian nomadic invaders and is today worn in all parts of Pakistan . Women wear brightly coloured shalwar qamiz, while men often wear solid-coloured ones. In cities western dress is also popular among the youth and the business sector.
Pakistani society is largely Multilingual and 96% Muslims, with high regard for traditional family values, although urban families have grown into a nuclear family system due to the socio-economic constraints imposed by the traditional joint family system. Recent decades have seen the emergence of a middle class in cities like Karachi , Lahore , Rawalpindi , Hyderabad , Faisalabad and Peshawar that wish to move in a more liberal direction, as opposed to the northwestern regions bordering Afghanistan that remain highly conservative and dominated by centuries-old regional tribal customs. Increasing globalization has increased the influence of "Western culture" with Pakistan ranking 46th on the A. T. Kearney / FP Globalization Index. There are an approximated four million people of Pakistani descent living abroad, with close to a half-million expatriates living in the United States, around a million living in Saudi Arabia and nearly one million in the United Kingdom, all providing burgeoning cultural connections.
The variety of Pakistani Music ranges from diverse provincial folk music and traditional styles such as Qawwali and Ghazal Gayaki to modern forms fusing traditional and western music, such as the synchronisation of Qawwali and western music by the world renowned Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. In addition Pakistan is home to many famous folk singers such as the late Alam Lohar, who is also well known in Indian Punjab. The arrival of Afghan refugees in the western provinces has rekindled Pashto and Persian music and established Peshawar as a hub for Afghan musicians and a distribution centre for Afghan music abroad. State-owned Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) and Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation were the dominant media outlets, but there are now numerous private television channels. Various American, European, and Asian television channels and films are available to the majority of the Pakistani population via private Television Networks, cable and satellite television. There are also small indigenous film industries based in Lahore and Peshawar (often referred to as Lollywood). Although Bollywood films have been banned from being played in public cinemas since 1965, Indian film stars are still generally popular in Pakistan due to the fact that Pakistanis are easily able to buy Bollywood films from local shops for private home viewing. But recently Pakistan allowed selected Bollywood films to be shown in Pakistani cinemas.
There are many festivals celebrated annually in Pakistan - which may or may not be observed as national public holidays - e.g. Pakistan Day (23 March), Independence Day (14 August), Defence of Pakistan Day (6 September), Pakistan Air Force Day (7 September), the anniversaries of the birth (25 December, a national holiday) and death (11 September) of Quaid – e – Azam, birth of Allama Iqbal (9 November) and the birth (30 July) and Death (8 July) of Madar – e – Millat, Labour Day, (also known as May Day), is also observed in Pakistan on May 1 and is a public holiday. Several important religious festivals are celebrated by Pakistani Muslims during the year; the celeberation days depend on the lunar Islamic Calender. Ramadan, the ninth month of the calendar, is characterised by daytime fasting for 29 or 30 days and is followed by the festival of Eid ul Fitr. In a second festival, Eid ul Adha, an animal is sacrificed in remembrance of the actions of Prophet Abraham (Arabic: Ibrahim) and the meat is shared with friends, family, and the less fortunate. Both Eid festivals are public holidays, serving as opportunities for people to visit family and friends, and for children to receive new clothes, presents, and sweets. Muslims also celebrate Eid – e – Milad – un - Nabi - the birthday of the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) - in the third month of the calendar (Rabi' a' – Awal) and mark the Day of Ashurah on the 9th and 10th days of the first month (Muharram) to commemorate the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain Bin Ali (RA). Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, and Christians in Pakistan also celebrate their own festivals and holidays. Sikhs come from across the world to visit several holy sites in Punjab , including the shrine of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, at Hasan Abdal in Attock Distric, and his birthplace, at Nankana Sahib. There are also several regional and local festivals, such as the Punjabi Festival of BAsant, which marks the start of spring and is celebrated by kite flying.
The architecture of the areas now constituting Pakistan can be designated to four distinct periods — Pre Islamic, Islamic, Colonial and Post Colonial. With the beginning of the Indus Civilization around the middle of the 3rd millennium B.C., an advanced Urban Culture developed for the first time in the region, with large structural facilities, some of which survive to this day. Mohenjo Daro, Harappa and Kot Diji belong to the pre-Islamic era settlements. The rise of Buddhism and the Persian and Greek influence led to the development of the Greco Buddhist style, starting from the 1st century CE. The high point of this era was reached with the culmination of the Gandhara style. An example of Buddhist architecture is the ruins of the Buddhist monastery Takht – I – Bahi in the northwest province. The arrival of Islam in today's Pakistan meant a sudden end of Buddhist architecture. However, a smooth transition to predominantly picture less Islamic Architecture occurred. The most important of the few completely discovered buildings of Persian style is the Tomb of the Shah Rukn – I – Alam in Multan . During the Mughal era design elements of Islamic-Persian architecture were fused with and often produced playful forms of the Hindustani art. Lahore , occasional residence of Mughal rulers, exhibits a multiplicity of important buildings from the empire, among them the Badshahi Mosque, the Fortress of Lahore with the famous Alamgiri Gate, the colourful, still strongly Persian seeming Wazir Khan Mosque as well as numerous other mosques and mausoleums. Also the Shahjahan Mosque of Thatta in Sindh originates from the epoch of the Mughals. In the British colonial period, predominantly functional buildings of the Indo-European representative style developed from a mixture of European and Indian-Islamic components. Post-colonial national identity is expressed in modern structures like the Faisal Mosque, the Minar – e – Pakistan and the Mazar – e – Quaid.
The literature of Pakistan covers the literatures of languages spread throughout the country, namely Urdu, Sindhi, Punjabi, Pushto, Baluchi as well as English in recent times and in the past often Persian as well. Prior to the 19th century, the literature mainly consisted of lyric poetry and religious, mystical and popular materials. During the colonial age the native literary figures, under the influence of the western literature of realism, took up increasingly different topics and telling forms. Today, short stories enjoy a special popularity. The national poet of Pakistan , Muhammed Iqbal, wrote mainly in the Persian language, and additionally in Urdu. His works are concerned mostly with Islamic philosophy. Iqbal's most well-known work is the Persian poem volume Asrar – I - Khudi ("the secrets of the even"). The most famous works of early Urdu literature originated in the 14th century. The most well-known representative of the contemporary Urdu literature of Pakistan is Faiz Ahmed Faiz. Sufi Shah Abdul Latif is considered one of the most outstanding mystical poets. Mirza Kalich Baig has been termed the father of modern Sindhi prose. In Punjabi, naats and qawalis are delivered. The Pushto literature tradition is a cultural link between Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan . Extensive lyric poetry and epic poem have been published in Pushto. In Baluchi language songs and ballads are popular.
Tourism
Tourism is a growing industry in Pakistan , based on its diverse cultures, peoples and landscapes. The variety of attractions range from the ruins of ancient civilisations such as Mohenjo Daro, Harappa and Taxila, to the Himalayan hill stations, which attract those interested in field and winter sports. Pakistan is home to several Mountain Peaks over 7,000 metres (22,970 ft), which attracts adventurers and mountaineers from around the world, especially K – 2. The people of northern areas depend on tourism also. From April to September tourist of domestic and international type visited these areas which became the earn of living for local people. The northern parts of Pakistan have many old fortresses, towers and other architecture as well as the Hunza and Chitral valleys, the latter being home to the Kalash, a small pre-Islamic Animist community, who claim descent from the army of Alexender the Great. In the Punjab is the site of Alexander's battle on the Jehlum River and the historic city Lahore , Pakistan 's cultural capital with many examples of Mughal architecture such as the Badshahi Masjid, Shalimar Gardens , Tomb of Jahangir and the Lahore Fort. To promote Pakistan 's unique and various cultural heritage, the prime minister launched "Visit Pakistan 2007"
Other Facts and Findings
First-Level Political Divisions
Four provinces, two federally administered areas (FATA), the Federal Capital Territory of Islamabad & Azad Kashmir
Area
803,940 sq km(340,403 sq mi)
Water: 3.1%
Population
2007 estimate 169,300,000
Population Growth Rate
2.1 percent (2005) - reduced from 2.4(2000)
Population Density
206 persons per sq km (2007 estimate)
Linguistic and Ethnic groups
The major ethnic groups are – Punjabis (44.68% of the population), Pashtuns (15.42%), Sindhis (14.1%), Seraikis (8.38%), Muhajirs (7.57%), Balochis (3.57%) and others (6.08%). As of early 2007, about 2 million registered Afghan Refugees remain in Pakistan as a result of the on going war and instability in Afghanistan.
Languages
Urdu is the National Language of Pakistan, while English is the official language, used in the Constitution and widely used by businesses, educated urban classes and most universities. Punjabi is the largest indigenous language and is spoken by over 60 million people, but has no official recognition in the country. Other significant languages spoken in Pakistan include (in order of number of speakers): Pashto, Sindhi, Saraiki and Balouchi. English is mostly spoken by educated peoples.
Religious Affiliations
Census data indicates that 96% of the population are Muslims, (nearly 77% are Sunni Muslims and 20% are Shi'a Muslims). Minority religions include Hinduism (1.85%), Christianity (1.6%), as well as much smaller numbers of Sikhs (Around 0.04%), Parsis, Ahmadis, Buddhists, Jews, Bahais and Animists (mainly the Kalash of Chitral). Pakistan is the second most populous Muslim Majority Country and also has the second largest Shi'a Population in the world.
Life Expectancy (in Years)
Female = 63.1 , Male = 61.3
Total = 62.2 (2003 estimate)
Infant Mortality Rate
79 deaths per 1,000 live births (2005) - reduced from 85/1000 (2000)
Population per Physician
2,703 people
Literacy Rate
55.7 percent
Agriculture
Sugarcane, wheat, rice, cotton lint, corn, livestock - Agriculture land increased from 35% of total surface (2000) to 35.1% (2005)
Mining
Petroleum, limestone, rock salt, gypsum, silica sand, natural gas, coal
Manufacturing
Textiles, food products, petroleum products, consumer goods, fertilizers, chemicals, cement
Major Exports
Cotton clothing, thread, and textiles; raw cotton and rice; petroleum, leather, and fish products - $15.07 billion (2004 est.)
Major Imports
Machinery, electrical goods, petroleum products, transportation equipment, metals and metal products, fertilizer, foodstuffs - $14.01 billion (2004 est)
Forest
Total area under forest reduced from 21,160 sqkm (2000) to 19,020 sqkm (2005)
Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) - Billion US $
2008 estimate - Total US$ 504.3 billion
GDP Per Capita ( U.S. $)
US$3320.12
Monetary Unit
1 Pakistani rupee (PKR), consisting of 100 paisa
Major Trade Partners for Exports
United States, United Kingdom , United Arab Emirates , Hong Kong SAR, and Germany , China , Saudi Arabia , Hong Kong , Malaysia , Singapore
Communications
Main telephone lines: 5 million, mobile cellular: over 48 million Radio Stations (AM:27 FM: over 10 and increasing), Internet users: over 2 million
Mobile Phone users increased from 24.3 users per 1000 (2000) to 115.9 per 1000 in 2005.
Access to internet increased from 2.2/1000 (2000) to 67.4/1000 in 2004
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