Map of Pakistan | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: The separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of Pakistan (with two sections West and East) and largely Hindu India was never satisfactorily resolved. A third war between these countries in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan seceding and becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. A dispute over the state of Kashmir is ongoing.


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Location: South Asia, along the Arabian Sea, between India and Afghanistan

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total: 803,940 km²
Land: 778,720 km²

Land boundaries: total 6,774 km, Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km, India 2,912 km, Iran 909 km

Coastline: 1,046 km
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or the edge of continental margin
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Maritime claims

Climate: mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north

Terrain:

Elevation

Natural resources: land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum, poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone

Land use
Arable land: 26%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 6%
Forest and woodland: 4%
Other: 64%

Irrigated land: 162,200 km² (1989)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 125,213,732 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 2.87% (1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Pakistani(s)
Adjective: Pakistani

Ethnic groups: Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants from India and their descendents)

Languages:

Religions: Muslim 97% (Sunni 77%, Shi'a 20%), Christian, Hindu, and other 3%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.87% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 42.59 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 12.6 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.28 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August); deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; water logging
Current issues note: controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion routes between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 103.6 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 57.11 years
Male: 56.54 years
Female: 57.72 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.5 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
Total population: 35%
Male: 47%
Female: 21%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Conventional short form: Pakistan

Government type: republic

Capital: Islamabad

Administrative divisions:

Dependent areas

Independence: 14 August 1947 (from UK)

National holiday: Pakistan Day, 23 March (1956) (proclamation of the republic)
Government:
Opposition:

Constitution: 10 April 1973, suspended 5 July 1977, restored with amendments, 30 December 1985

Legal system:

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Majlis-e-Shoora) consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or National Assembly

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Federal Islamic (Shari'at) Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation:

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: (vacant)
In the us chancery: 2,315 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: (202) 939-6,200
In the us consulate general: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador John MONJO
From the us embassy: Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, Islamabad
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 1048, PSC 1212, Box 2000, Islamabad or APO AE 9,812-2000
From the us telephone: 92 (51) 826,161 through 79
From the us fax: 92 (51) 822,004
From the us consulates general: Karachi, Lahore
From the us consulate: Peshawar

Flag description: green with a vertical white band (symbolizing the role of religious minorities) on the hoist side; a large white crescent and star are centered in the green field; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Pakistan is a poor Third World country faced with the usual military establishment. A real economic growth rate averaging 5-6% in recent years has helped the country to cope with these problems. Almost all agriculture and small-scale industry is in private hands. In 1990, Pakistan embarked on a sweeping economic liberalization program to boost foreign and domestic private investment and lower foreign aid dependence. The SHARIF government denationalized several state-owned firms and attracted some foreign investment. Pakistan likely will have difficulty raising living standards because of its rapidly expanding population. At the current rate of growth, population would double in 25 years.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 6.4% (FY92 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $410 (FY92 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: 25% of GNP, over 50% of labor force; world's largest contiguous irrigation system; major crops - cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; livestock products - milk, beef, mutton, eggs; self-sufficient in food grain

Industries: textiles, food processing, beverages, construction materials, clothing, paper products, shrimp

Industrial production growth rate:

Labor force: 28.9 million
By occupation agriculture: 54%
By occupation mining and manufacturing: 13%
By occupation services: 33%
Note: extensive export of labor (1987 est.)

Unemployment rate: 10% (FY91 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $9.4 billion; expenditures $10.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.1 billion (FY93 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $6.8 billion (f.o.b., FY92)
Commodoties: cotton, textiles, clothing, rice
Partners: EC 35%, US 11%, Japan 8% (FY91)

Imports: $9.1 billion (f.o.b., FY92)
Commodoties: petroleum, petroleum products, machinery, transportation, equipment, vegetable oils, animal fats, chemicals
Partners: EC 29%, Japan 13%, US 12% (FY91)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Pakistani rupees (PRs) per US$1 - 25.904 (January 1993), 25.083 (1992), 23.801 (1991), 21.707 (1990), 20.541 (1989), 18.003 (1988)


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Electricity
Production: 10,000,000 kW capacity; 43,000 million kWh produced, 350 kWh per capita (1992)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $3.2 billion, 6% of GNP (FY91/92)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 111
Usable: 104
With permanentsurface runways: 75
With runways over 3659 m: 1
With runways 2440-3659 m: 31
With runways 1220-2439 m: 42

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil 250 km; natural gas 4,044 km; petroleum products 885 km (1987)

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine:

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international:

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of opium and hashish for the international drug trade; government eradication efforts on poppy cultivation of limited success; largest producer of Southwest Asian heroin