Introduction

 

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 have 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 recent discussions and confidence-building measures may be a start toward lessened tensions.

 

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

 

Geographic coordinates: 30 00 N, 70 00 E

 

Map references: Asia

 

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

 

Land 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

 

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm; contiguous zone: 24 nm; exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

 

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

 

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m; highest point: K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611 m

 

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

 

Land use: arable land: 27.87%; permanent crops: 0.87%; other: 71.26% (2001)

 

Irrigated land: 180,000 sq km (1998 est.)

 

Natural hazards: frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August)

 

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

 

Geography - note: controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion routes between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent

 

People

 

Population: 162,419,946 (July 2005 est.)

 

Age structure: 0-14 years: 39.6% (male 33,104,311/female 31,244,297); 15-64 years: 56.3% (male 46,759,333/female 44,685,828); 65 years and over: 4.1% (male 3,189,122/female 3,437,055) (2005 est.)

 

Median age: total: 19.58 years; male: 19.44 years; female: 19.74 years (2005 est.)

 

Population growth rate: 2.03% (2005 est.)

 

Birth rate: 30.42 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

 

Death rate: 8.45 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

 

Net migration rate: -1.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

 

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: 0.93 male(s)/female; total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

 

Infant mortality rate: total: 72.44 deaths/1,000 live births; male: 72.84 deaths/1,000 live births; female: 72.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

 

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 63 years; male: 62.04 years; female: 64.01 years (2005 est.)

 

Total fertility rate: 4.14 children born/woman (2005 est.)

 

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2001 est.)

 

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 74,000 (2001 est.)

 

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 4,900 (2003 est.)

 

Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: high

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever

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

animal contact disease: rabies (2004)

 

Nationality: noun: Pakistani(s); adjective: Pakistani

 

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%

 

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write; total population: 45.7%; male: 59.8%; female: 30.6% (2003 est.)

 

Government

 

Country name: conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Pakistan; conventional short form: Pakistan; former: West Pakistan

 

Government type: federal republic

 

Capital: Islamabad

 

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 Kashmir region includes Azad Kashmir and the Northern Areas

 

Independence: 14 August 1947 (from UK)

 

National holiday: Republic Day, 23 March (1956)

 

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

 

Legal system: based on English common law with provisions to accommodate Pakistan's status as an Islamic state; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

 

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

 

Executive branch: 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

chief of state: President General Pervez MUSHARRAF (since 20 June 2001)

head of government: Prime Minister Shaukat AZIZ (since 28 August 2004)

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister

elections: the president is elected by Parliament for a five-year term; note - in a referendum held on 30 April 2002, MUSHARRAF's presidency was extended by five more years (next to be held NA 2007); the prime minister is selected by the National Assembly for a five-year term (next to be held NA 2007)

election results: AZIZ elected by the National Assembly on 27 August 2004 with 191 of the votes

 

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Majlis-e-Shoora consists of the Senate (100 seats - formerly 87; members indirectly elected by provincial assemblies to serve four-year terms; and the National Assembly (342 seats - formerly 217; 60 seats represent women; 10 seats represent minorities; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held 24 and 27 February 2003 (next to be held by February 2007); National Assembly - last held 10 October 2002 (next to be held by October 2006)

election results: Senate results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PML/Q 40, PPPP 11, MMA 21, MQM/A 6, PML/N 4, NA 3, PML/F 1, PkMAP 2, ANP 2, PPP/S 2, JWP 1, BNP-Awami 1, BNP-Mengal 1, BNM/H 1, independents 4; National Assembly results - percent of votes by party - NA%; seats by party - PML/Q 126, PPPP 81, MMA 63, PML/N 19, MQM/A 17, NA 16, PML/F 5, PML/J 3, PPP/S 2, BNP 1, JWP 1, PAT 1, PML/Z 1, PTI 1, MQM/H 1, PkMAP 1, independents 3

 

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

 

Economy

 

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 three years. The government has made substantial macroeconomic reforms since 2000, although progress on more politically sensitive reforms has slowed. For example, in the third and final year of its $1.3 billion IMF Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility, Islamabad has continued to require waivers for energy sector reforms. While long-term prospects remain uncertain, given Pakistan's low level of development, medium-term prospects for job creation and poverty reduction are the best in nearly a decade. Islamabad has raised development spending from about 2% of GDP in the 1990s to 4% in 2003, a necessary step towards reversing the broad underdevelopment of its social sector. GDP growth, spurred by double-digit gains in industrial production over the past year, has become less dependent on agriculture. Foreign exchange reserves continued to reach new levels in 2004, supported by robust export growth and steady worker remittances.

 

GDP: purchasing power parity - $347.3 billion (2004 est.)

 

GDP - real growth rate: 6.1% (2004 est.)

 

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,200 (2004 est.)

 

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 22.6%; industry: 24.1%; services: 53.3% (2004

est.)

 

Labor force: 45.43 million

note: extensive export of labor, mostly to the Middle East, and use of child labor (2004 est.)

 

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 42%, industry 20%, services 38% (2004 est.)

 

Unemployment rate: 8.3% plus substantial underemployment (2004 est.)

 

Population below poverty line: 32% (FY00/01 est.)

 

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 4.1%; highest 10%: 27.6% (FY96/97)

 

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 41 (FY98/99)

 

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.8% (FY03/04 est.)

 

Investment (gross fixed): 16.4% of GDP (FY03/04 est.)

 

Budget: revenues: $13.45 billion; expenditures: $16.51 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)

 

Public debt: 71.4% of GDP (2004 est.)

 

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

 

Industrial production growth rate: 13.1% (2004 est.)

 

Electricity - production: 75.27 billion kWh (2003)

 

Electricity - consumption: 52.66 billion kWh (2003)

 

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2003)

 

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production: 61,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

 

Oil - consumption: 365,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

 

Oil - exports: NA

 

Oil - imports: NA

 

Oil - proved reserves: 325.5 million bbl (2004 est.)

 

Natural gas - production: 23.4 billion cu m (2001 est.)

 

Natural gas - consumption: 23.4 billion cu m (2001 est.)

 

Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)

 

Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)

 

Natural gas - proved reserves: 695.6 billion cu m (2004)

 

Current account balance: $1.4 billion (2004 est.)

 

Exports: $15.07 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

 

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

 

Exports - partners: US 21.3%, UAE 9.8%, UK 7.1%, Germany 5.2%, Hong Kong 4.2%, Saudi Arabia 4.1% (2004)

 

Imports: $14.01 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

 

Imports - commodities: petroleum, petroleum products, machinery, plastics, transportation equipment, edible oils, paper and paperboard, iron and steel, tea

 

Imports - partners: China 10.8%, US 10.2%, UAE 9.3%, Saudi Arabia 9%, Japan 7%, Kuwait 5.3%, Germany 4.2% (2004)

 

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $12.58 billion (2004 est.)

 

Debt - external: $33.97 billion (2004 est.)

 

Economic aid - recipient: $2.4 billion (FY01/02)