Pakistan
|
| Basic Facts |
| Country name |
conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
conventional short form: Pakistan local long form: Jamhuryat Islami Pakistan local short form: Pakistan former: West Pakistan |
| Gevernment type | federal republic |
| Capital |
name: Islamabad
geographic coordinates: 33 42 N, 73 10 E time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| 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 |
| Currency | Pakistani rupee (PKR) |
| Internet country code | .pk |
| Ports and terminals | Karachi, Port Muhammad Bin Qasim |
| Agriculture products | cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; milk, beef, mutton, eggs |
| Industries | textiles and apparel, food processing, pharmaceuticals, construction materials, paper products, fertilizer, shrimp |
| Geography |
| Location | Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north |
| Coordinates | 30 00 N, 70 00 E |
| Continent | Asia |
| Area |
total: 803,940 sq km
land: 778,720 sq km water: 25,220 sq km |
| Boundaries |
total: 6,774 km
border countries: Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km, India 2,912 km, Iran 909 km |
| Coastline | 1,046 km |
| Climate | mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north |
| Terrain | flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest; Balochistan plateau in west |
| Natural resources | land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum, poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone |
| Natural hazards | frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August) |
| People |
| Population | 165,803,560 (July 2006 est.) |
| Ethnic groups | Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants from India at the time of partition and their descendants) |
| Religions | Muslim 97% (Sunni 77%, Shi'a 20%), Christian, Hindu, and other 3% |
| Languages | Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Siraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu (official) 8%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2%, Brahui 1%, English (official and lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries), Burushaski, and other 8% |
