1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Area
total: 803,940 sq km land: 778,720 sq km water: 25,220 sq km
Area--comparative
slightly less than twice the size of California
Climate
mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north
Coastline
1,046 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611 m
Environment--current issues
water pollution from raw sewage, industrial wastes, and agricultural runoff; limited natural fresh water resources; a majority of the population does not have access to potable water; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification
Environment--international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geographic coordinates
30 00 N, 70 00 E
Geography--note
controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion routes between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent
Irrigated land
171,100 sq km (1993 est.)
Land boundaries
total: 6,774 km border countries: Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km, India 2,912 km, Iran 909 km
Land use
arable land: 27% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 6% forests and woodland: 5% other: 61% (1993 est.)
Location
Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north
Map references
Asia
Maritime claims
contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural hazards
frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August)
Natural resources
land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum, poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone
Terrain
flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest; Balochistan plateau in west
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 41% (male 29,423,876; female 27,763,774) 15-64 years: 55% (male 38,533,918; female 36,804,592) 65 years and over: 4% (male 2,768,942; female 2,828,257) (1999 est.)
Birth rate
33.51 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate
10.45 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups
Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants from India and their descendants)
Infant mortality rate
91.86 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
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%
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 59.38 years male: 58.49 years female: 60.3 years (1999 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 37.8% male: 50% female: 24.4% (1995 est.)
Nationality
noun: Pakistani(s) adjective: Pakistani
Net migration rate
-1.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Population
138,123,359 (July 1999 est.)
Population growth rate
2.18% (1999 est.)
Religions
Muslim 97% (Sunni 77%, Shi'a 20%), Christian, Hindu, and other 3%
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate
4.73 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
4 provinces, 1 territory*, and 1 capital territory**; Balochistan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas*, Islamabad Capital Territory**, North-West Frontier, Punjab, Sindh note: the Pakistani-administered portion of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region includes Azad Kashmir and the Northern Areas
Capital
Islamabad
Constitution
10 April 1973, suspended 5 July 1977, restored with amendments 30 December 1985
Country name
conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Pakistan conventional short form: Pakistan former: West Pakistan
Data code
PK
Executive branch
chief of state: President Mohammad Rafiq TARAR (since 31 December 1997) head of government: Prime Minister Mohammad Nawaz SHARIF (since 17 February 1997) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term; election last held 31 December 1997 (next to be held no later than 1 January 2003); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by the National Assembly; election last held 3 February 1997 (next to be held NA February 2002) election results: Mohammad Rafiq TARAR elected president; percent of Parliament and provincial vote--NA; Mohammad Nawaz SHARIF elected prime minister; percent of National Assembly vote--NA
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
Government type
federal republic
Independence
14 August 1947 (from UK)
International organization participation
AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNOMIG, UNOMIL, UNOMSIL, UNPREDEP, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Riaz Hussain KHOKHAR chancery: 2315 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador William MILAM embassy: Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, Islamabad mailing address: P. O. Box 1048, Unit 62200, APO AE 09812-2200 consulate(s) general: Karachi consulate(s): Lahore, Peshawar
Judicial branch
Supreme Court, judicial chiefs are appointed by the president; Federal Islamic (Shari'a) Court Political parties and leaders: government: Pakistan Muslim League, Nawaz Sharif faction or PML/N frequently shifting: Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, Niazi faction or Milli Yakjheti Council or MYC is an umbrella organization which Ulema-i-Islam, Sami-ul-Haq faction or JUI/S, Tehrik-I-Jafria Noorani faction or JUP/NO note: political alliances in Pakistan can shift frequently; subsequent to the election Jamiat Ulema-i-Islami, Fazlur Rehman group or JUI/F was disbanded Political pressure groups and leaders: military remains important political force; ulema (clergy), landowners, industrialists, and small merchants also influential
Legal system
based on English common law with provisions to accommodate Pakistan's status as an Islamic state; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Legislative branch
bicameral Parliament or Majlis-e-Shoora consists of the Senate (87 seats; members indirectly elected by provincial assemblies to serve six-year terms; one-third of the members up for election every two years) and the National Assembly (217 seats--10 represent non-Muslims; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: Senate--last held 12 March 1997 (next to be held NA March 1999); National Assembly--last held 3 February 1997 (next to be held NA February 2002) election results: Senate--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--PML/N 30, PPP 17, ANP 7, MQM/A 6, JWP 5, BNP 4, JUI/F 2, PML/J 2, BNM/M 1, PKMAP 1, TJP 1, independents 6, vacant 5; National Assembly--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--PML/N 137, PPP 18, MQM/A 12, ANP 10, BNP 3, JWP 2, JUI/F 2, PPP/SB 1, NPP 1, independents 21, minorities 10
National holiday
Pakistan Day, 23 March (1956) (proclamation of the republic)
Suffrage
21 years of age; universal; separate electorates and reserved parliamentary seats for non-Muslims
Economy
Agriculture--products
cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; milk, beef, mutton, eggs
Budget
revenues: $10.8 billion expenditures: $12 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY96/97)
Currency
1 Pakistani rupee (PRe) = 100 paisa
Debt--external
$34 billion (1998 est.)
Economic aid--recipient
$2 billion (FY97/98)
Economy--overview
Pakistan continues to suffer through a damaging foreign exchange crisis--stemming from years of loose fiscal policies that have exacerbated inflation and allowed public debt to explode. After accruing more than $1.5 billion in debt arrears in the first six months of FY98/99, Pakistani officials approached multilateral creditors requesting balance-of-payments relief and structural support. In January 1999, Islamabad received more than $1 billion in loans along with $3 billion in debt relief following the Finance Minister DAR's pledge to implement an economic reform program to reduce the budget deficit, deepen the financial sector, and broaden the industrial base. Although the economy has shown signs of improvement following implementation of some corrective measures, Prime Minister SHARIF--historically--has failed to implement the tough structural reforms necessary for sustained, longer-term growth. The government must also cope with long-standing economic vulnerabilities--inadequate infrastructure and low levels of literacy.
Electricity--consumption
59.336 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--production
59.336 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source
fossil fuel: 57.3% hydro: 42.13% nuclear: 0.57% other: 0% (1997)
Exchange rates
Pakistani rupees (PRs) per US$1--46.000 (January 1999), 45.033 (1998), 41.086 (1997), 36.056 (1996), 31.623 (1995), 30.548 (1994); note--annual average of official rate; parallel market rate is higher
Exports
$8.5 billion (FY97/98)
Exports--commodities
cotton, textiles, clothing, rice, leather, carpets
Exports--partners
EU, US, Hong Kong, Japan
Fiscal year
1 July--30 June
GDP
purchasing power parity--$270 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector
agriculture: 24.2% industry: 26.4% services: 49.4% (1997)
GDP--per capita
purchasing power parity?$2,000 (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate
5% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 3.4% highest 10%: 25.2% (1991)
Imports
$10.1 billion (FY97/98)
Imports--commodities
petroleum, petroleum products, machinery, transportation equipment, vegetable oils, animal fats, chemicals
Imports--partners
EU, Japan, US, China
Industrial production growth rate
2% (FY97/98)
Industries
textiles, food processing, beverages, construction materials, clothing, paper products, shrimp
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
7.8% (FY97/98)
Labor force
37.8 million (1998) note: extensive export of labor, mostly to the Middle East, and use of child labor
Labor force--by occupation
agriculture 47%, mining and manufacturing 17%, services 17%, other 19%
Population below poverty line
34% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Radio broadcast stations
AM 26, FM 3, shortwave 18 (1998 est.)
Radios
10.2 million (1998 est.)
Telephone system
the domestic system is mediocre, but improving; service is adequate for government and business use, in part because major businesses have established their own private systems; since 1988, the government has promoted investment in the national telecommunications system on a priority basis, significantly increasing network capacity; despite major improvements in trunk and urban systems, telecommunication services are still not readily available to the majority of the rural population domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable, cellular, and satellite international: satellite earth stations--3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); 3 operational international gateway exchanges (1 at Karachi and 2 at Islamabad); microwave radio relay to neighboring countries
Telephones
2.828 million (1998)
Television broadcast stations
22 (in addition, there are seven low-power repeaters) (1997)
Televisions
2.08 million (1998 est.)
Transportation
Airports
116 (1998 est.) Airports--with paved runways: total: 80 over 3,047 m: 11 2,438 to 3,047 m: 20 1,524 to 2,437 m: 31 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 3 (1998 est.) Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 36 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 18 (1998 est.)
Heliports
7 (1998 est.)
Highways
total: 224,774 km paved: 128,121 km unpaved: 96,653 km (1996 est.)
Merchant marine
total: 23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 384,304 GRT/619,668 DWT ships by type: bulk 4, cargo 15, container 3, oil tanker 1 (1998 est.)
Pipelines
crude oil 250 km; petroleum products 885 km; natural gas 4,044 km (1987) Ports and harbors: Karachi, Port Muhammad bin Qasim
Railways
total: 8,163 km broad gauge: 7,718 km 1.676-m gauge (293 km electrified; 1,037 km double track) narrow gauge: 445 km 1.000-m gauge (1996 est.)
Military and Security
Military branches
Army, Navy, Air Force, Civil Armed Forces, National Guard
Military expenditures--dollar figure
$2.48 billion (FY98/99)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP
4.4% (FY98/99)
Military manpower--availability
males age 15-49: 33,496,712 (1999 est.) Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 20,519,762 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--military age
17 years of age
Military manpower--reaching military age annually
males: 1,553,310 (1999 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international
status of Kashmir with India; water-sharing problems with India over the Indus River (Wular Barrage)
Illicit drugs
producer of illicit opium and hashish for the international drug trade (poppy cultivation in 1998--3,030 hectares, a 26% drop from 1997 because of eradication and alternative development); limited center for processing Afghan heroin; key transit area for Southwest Asian heroin moving to Western markets; narcotics still move from Afghanistan into Baluchistan Province