2007 Edition

Administrative divisions

4 provinces, 1 territory*, and 1 capital territory**; Balochistan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas*, Islamabad Capital Territory**, North-West Frontier Province, Punjab, Sindh

note

the Pakistani-administered portion of the disputed Jammu and

Age structure

0-14 years: 39% (male 33,293,428/female 31,434,314) 15-64 years: 56.9% (male 48,214,298/female 46,062,933) 65 years and over: 4.1% (male 3,256,065/female 3,542,522) (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products

cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; milk, beef, mutton, eggs

Airports

139 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

14 2,438 to 3,047 m: 21 1,524 to 2,437 m: 33 914 to 1,523 m: 15

total

91

under 914 m

8 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

over 3,047 m

1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 914 to 1,523 m: 12

total

48

under 914 m

23 (2006)

Area

land

778,720 sq km

total

803,940 sq km

water

25,220 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than twice the size of California

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, and India and Pakistan fought two wars - in 1947-48 and 1965 - over the disputed Kashmir territory. A third war between these countries in 1971 - in which India capitalized on Islamabad's marginalization of Bengalis in Pakistani politics - resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. In response to Indian nuclear weapons testing, Pakistan conducted its own tests in 1998. The dispute over the state of Kashmir is ongoing, but discussions and confidence-building measures have led to decreased tensions since 2002. Geography Pakistan

Birth rate

29.74 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$25.65 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)

revenues

$20.55 billion

Capital

geographic coordinates

33 42 N, 73 10 E

name

Islamabad

time difference

UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Climate

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

Coastline

1,046 km

Constitution

12 April 1973; suspended 5 July 1977, restored with amendments 30 December 1985; suspended 15 October 1999, restored in stages in 2002; amended 31 December 2003

Country name

conventional long form

Islamic Republic of Pakistan

conventional short form

Pakistan

former

West Pakistan

local long form

Jamhuryat Islami Pakistan

local short form

Pakistan

Currency (code)

Pakistani rupee (PKR)

Currency code

PKR

Current account balance

$-5.486 billion (2006 est.)

Death rate

8.23 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$42.38 billion (2006 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Ryan CROCKER

embassy

Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, Islamabad

mailing address

P. O. Box 1048, Unit 62200, APO AE 09812-2200

telephone

[92] (51) 208-0000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3517 International Court, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Mahmud Ali DURRANI

telephone

[1] (202) 243-6500

Disputes - international

various talks and confidence-building measures cautiously have begun to defuse tensions over Kashmir, particularly since the October 2005 earthquake in the region; Kashmir nevertheless remains the site of the world's largest and most militarized territorial dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) has maintained a small group of peacekeepers since 1949; India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964; India and Pakistan have maintained their 2004 cease fire in Kashmir and initiated discussions on defusing the armed stand-off in the Siachen glacier region; Pakistan protests India's fencing the highly militarized Line of Control and construction of the Baglihar Dam on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir, which is part of the larger dispute on water sharing of the Indus River and its tributaries; to defuse tensions and prepare for discussions on a maritime boundary, India and Pakistan seek technical resolution of the disputed boundary in Sir Creek estuary at the mouth of the Rann of Kutch in the Arabian Sea; Pakistani maps continue to show the Junagadh claim in India's Gujarat State; by 2005, Pakistan, with UN assistance, repatriated 2.3 million Afghan refugees leaving slightly less than a million, many of whom remain at their own choosing; Pakistan has proposed and Afghanistan protests construction of a fence and laying of mines along portions of their porous border; Pakistan has sent troops into remote tribal areas to monitor and control the border with Afghanistan and stem terrorist or other illegal activities

Distribution of family income - Gini index

41 (FY98/99)

Economic aid - recipient

$2.4 billion (FY01/02)

Economy - overview

Pakistan, an impoverished and underdeveloped country, has suffered from decades of internal political disputes, low levels of foreign investment, and a costly, ongoing confrontation with neighboring India. However, IMF-approved government policies, bolstered by generous foreign assistance and renewed access to global markets since 2001, have generated solid macroeconomic recovery the last five years. The government has made substantial macroeconomic reforms since 2000, most notably privatizing the banking sector. Poverty levels have decreased by 10 percent since 2001, and Islamabad has steadily raised development spending in recent years, including a 52-percent real increase in the budget allocation for development in fiscal year 2007, a necessary step toward reversing the broad underdevelopment of its social sector. The fiscal deficit - the result of chronically low tax collection and increased spending, including reconstruction costs from the October 2005 earthquake - appears manageable for now. GDP growth, spurred by gains in the industrial and service sectors, remained in the 6-8% range in 2004-06. Inflation remains the biggest threat to the economy, jumping to more than 9% in 2005 before easing to 7.9% in 2006. The central bank is pursuing tighter monetary policy - raising interest rates in 2006 - while trying to preserve growth. Foreign exchange reserves are bolstered by steady worker remittances, but a growing current account deficit - driven by a widening trade gap as import growth outstrips export expansion - could draw down reserves and dampen GDP growth in the medium term.

Electricity - consumption

74.62 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - production

80.24 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

68.8%

hydro

28.2%

nuclear

3%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611 m

lowest point

Indian Ocean 0 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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

Marine Life Conservation

Ethnic groups

Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants from India at the time of partition and their descendants)

Exchange rates

Pakistani rupees per US dollar - 60.5 (2006), 59.515 (2005), 58.258 (2004), 57.752 (2003), 59.724 (2002)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the prime minister

chief of state

President General Pervez MUSHARRAF (since 20 June 2001)

election results

AZIZ elected by the National Assembly on 27 August 2004

elections

the president is elected by an electoral college drawn from the national parliament and provincial assemblies for a five-year term; note - Musharraf was last sworn in as President in November 2002; the prime minister is selected by the National Assembly (next elections to be held in 2007)

head of government

Prime Minister Shaukat AZIZ (since 28 August 2004)

note

following a military takeover on 12 October 1999, Chief of Army Staff and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General Pervez MUSHARRAF, suspended Pakistan's Constitution and assumed the additional title of Chief Executive; on 12 May 2000, Pakistan's Supreme Court unanimously validated the October 1999 coup and granted MUSHARRAF executive and legislative authority for three years from the coup date; on 20 June 2001, MUSHARRAF named himself as president and was sworn in, replacing Mohammad Rafiq TARAR; in a referendum held on 30 April 2002, MUSHARRAF's presidency was extended by five more years; on 1 January 2004, MUSHARRAF won a vote of confidence in the Senate, National Assembly, and four provincial assemblies

Exports

$19.24 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities

textiles (garments, bed linen, cotton cloth, yarn), rice, leather goods, sports goods, chemicals, manufactures, carpets and rugs

Exports - partners

US 24.8%, UAE 7.8%, Afghanistan 6.6%, UK 5.7%, Germany 4.5% (2005)

FAX

[1] (202) 686-1544

[92] (51) 2276427

consulate(s)

Lahore, Peshawar

consulate(s) general

Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Sunnyvale (California)

consulate(s) general

Karachi

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June Communications Pakistan

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 Economy Pakistan

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

22%

industry

26%

services

52% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$2,600 (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

6.5% (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$124 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$427.3 billion (2006 est.)

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 People Pakistan

Government type

federal republic

Heliports

18 (2006)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

4,900 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

74,000 (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

27.6% (FY96/97)

lowest 10%

4.1%

IDPs

undetermined (government strikes on Islamic militants in South Waziristan), 34,000 (October 2005 earthquake, most of those displaced returned to their home villages in the spring of 2006) (2006)

Illicit drugs

opium poppy cultivation declined 58% to 3,147 hectares in 2005; federal and provincial authorities continue to conduct anti-poppy campaigns that force eradication - fines and arrests will take place if the ban on poppy cultivation is not observed; key transit point for Afghan drugs, including heroin, opium, morphine, and hashish, bound for Western markets, the Gulf States, and Africa; financial crimes related to drug trafficking, terrorism, corruption, and smuggling remain problems This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

Imports

$26.79 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities

petroleum, petroleum products, machinery, plastics, transportation equipment, edible oils, paper and paperboard, iron and steel, tea

Imports - partners

Saudi Arabia 11.1%, UAE 10.3%, China 9.2%, Japan 6.4%, US 6%, Kuwait 5%, Germany 4.5% (2005)

Independence

14 August 1947 (from UK)

Industrial production growth rate

6% (2006 est.)

Industries

textiles and apparel, food processing, pharmaceuticals, construction materials, paper products, fertilizer, shrimp

Infant mortality rate

female

70.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

male

70.84 deaths/1,000 live births

total

70.45 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

7.9% (2006 est.)

International organization participation

ARF, AsDB, C (reinstated 2004), CP, ECO, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, SCO (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Internet country code

.pk

Internet hosts

72,765 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

30 (2000)

Internet users

10.5 million (2005) Transportation Pakistan

Investment (gross fixed)

15.6% of GDP (2006 est.)

Irrigated land

182,300 sq km (2003)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (justices appointed by the president); Federal Islamic or Shari'a Court

Kashmir region consists of two administrative entities

Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas

Labor force

48.29 million

note

extensive export of labor, mostly to the Middle East, and use of child labor (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

42%

industry

20%

services

38% (2004 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km, India 2,912 km, Iran 909 km

total

6,774 km

Land use

arable land

24.44%

other

74.72% (2005)

permanent crops

0.84%

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%

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 (100 seats; members indirectly elected by provincial assemblies and the territories' representatives in the National Assembly to serve six-year terms; half of the Senate's seats turn over every three years) and the National Assembly (342 seats; 272 seats filled by popular vote; 60 seats reserved for women; 10 seats reserved for non-Muslims; members serve five-year terms)

election results

Senate results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PML 39, MMA 18, PPPP 9, MQM 6, PML/N 4, PkMAP 3, PPP 3, ANP 2, BNP-Awami 1, BNP/M 1, JWP 1, PML/F 1, independents 12; National Assembly results - percent of votes by party - NA; seats by party - PML/Q 126, PPPP 81, MMA 63, PML/N 19, MQM 17, NA 16, PML/F 5, PML/J 3, PPP/S 2, BNP 1, JWP 1, MQM-H 1, PAT 1, PkMAP 1, PML/Z 1, PTI 1, independents 3

elections

Senate - last held in March 2006 (next to be held in March 2009); National Assembly - last held 10 October 2002 (next to be held in 2007)

Life expectancy at birth

female

64.44 years (2006 est.)

male

62.4 years

total population

63.39 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

35.2% (2004 est.) Government Pakistan

male

61.7%

total population

48.7%

Location

Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north

Major infectious diseases

animal contact disease

rabies

degree of risk

high

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever

note

highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified among birds in this country or surrounding region; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2007)

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever, malaria, and cutaneous leishmaniasis are high risks depending on location

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

36,779,584 (2005 est.)

males age 16-49

39,028,014

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

28,391,887 (2005 est.)

males age 16-49

29,428,747

Manpower reaching military service age annually

females age 16-49

1,849,254 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

1,969,055

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

Median age

female

20 years (2006 est.)

male

19.7 years

total

19.8 years

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 1, cargo 10, container 1, petroleum tanker 4

registered in other countries

11 (Comoros 2, North Korea 3, Malta 1, Nigeria 1, Panama 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2006)

total

16 ships (1000 GRT or over) 397,740 GRT/657,656 DWT

Military branches

Army (includes National Guard), Navy (includes Marines), Pakistan Air Force (Pakistan Fiza'ya) (2006)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$4.26 billion (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

3.9% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues Pakistan

Military service age and obligation

16 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers cannot be deployed for combat until age of 18; the Pakistani Air Force and Pakistani Navy have inducted their first female pilots and sailors (2006)

National holiday

Republic Day, 23 March (1956)

Nationality

adjective

Pakistani

noun

Pakistani(s)

Natural gas - consumption

27.4 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production

27.4 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

759.7 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

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

Net migration rate

-0.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

324,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day (2004)

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day (2004)

Oil - production

63,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

358.9 million bbl (2006 est.)

Pipelines

gas 10,257 km; oil 2,001 km (2006)

Political parties and leaders

Awami National Party or ANP [Asfandyar Wali KHAN]; Balochistan National Party/Hayee Group or BNP/H [Dr. Hayee BALUCH]; Baluch National Party/Awami or BNP/Awami [Moheem Khan BALOCH]; Baluch National Party-Mengal or BNP/M [Sardar Ataullah MENGAL]; Jamhoori Watan Party or JWP; Jamiat-al-Hadith or JAH [Sajid MIR]; Jamiat-i-Islami or JI [Qazi Hussain AHMED]; Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Fazlur Rehman faction or JUI/F [Fazlur REHMAN]; Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Sami ul-HAQ faction or JUI/S [Sami ul-HAQ]; Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan or JUP [Shah Faridul HAQ]; Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal or MMA [Qazi Hussain AHMED]; Muttahida Qaumi Movement, or MQM [Altaf HUSSAIN]; National Alliance or NA [Ghulam Mustapha JATOI] (merged with PML); Pakhtun Khwa Milli Awami Party or PkMAP [Mahmood Khan ACHAKZAI]; Pakistan Awami Tehrik or PAT [Tahir ul QADRI]; Pakistan Muslim League, Functional Group or PML/F [Pir PAGARO]; Pakistan Muslim League, Nawaz Sharif faction or PML/N [Nawaz SHARIF]; Pakistan Muslim League or PML [Chaudhry Shujaat HUSSAIN]; note - as of May 2004, the PML/Q changed its name to PML and absorbed the PML/J, PML/Z, and NA; Pakistan People's Party or PPP [Aftab Ahmed Khan SHERPAO]; Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians or PPPP [Benazir BHUTTO]; Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf or PTI [Imran KHAN]; Tehrik-i-Islami [Allama Sajid NAQVI]

note

political alliances in Pakistan can shift frequently

Political pressure groups and leaders

military remains most important political force; ulema (clergy), landowners, industrialists, and small merchants also influential

Population

165,803,560 (July 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

24% (FY05/06 est.)

Population growth rate

2.09% (2006 est.)

Ports and terminals

Karachi, Port Muhammad Bin Qasim Military Pakistan

Public debt

55% of GDP (2006 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 27, FM 1, shortwave 21 (1998)

Radios

13.5 million (1997)

Railways

broad gauge

7,718 km 1.676-m gauge (293 km electrified)

narrow gauge

445 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)

total

8,163 km

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

1,084,208 (Afghanistan)

Religions

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

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$13.29 billion (2006 est.)

Roadways

paved

167,146 km (including 711 km of expressways)

total

258,340 km

unpaved

91,194 km (2004)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

under 15 years

1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal; joint electorates and reserved parliamentary seats for women and non-Muslims

Telephone system

domestic

microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable, cellular, and satellite networks

general assessment

the telecom infrastructure is improving dramatically with foreign and domestic investments into fixed-line and mobile networks; mobile cellular subscribership has skyrocketed, approaching 50 million in late 2006, up from only about 300,000 in 2000; fiber systems are being constructed throughout the country to aid in network growth; main line availability has risen only marginally over the same period and there are still difficulties getting main line service to rural areas.

international

country code - 92; 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 (2006)

Telephones - main lines in use

5,162,798 (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular

48,289,136 (2006)

Television broadcast stations

30 (plus seven low-power repeaters) (2006)

Televisions

3.1 million (1997)

Terrain

flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest; Balochistan plateau in west

Total fertility rate

4 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate

6.5% plus substantial underemployment (2006 est.)