Official name: Islami Jamhuriya Pakistan (Islamic Republic of Pakistan).
Form of government: Military-backed Democratic Republic
Constitutional regime with two
Legislative houses (Senate [100];
National Assembly [342]).
Chiefs of state and government:
President1 assisted by Prime Minister.
Capital: Islamabad.
Official language: Urdu.
Official religion: Islam.
Monetary unit: 1 Pakistan rupee
(PRs) = 100 paisa; valuation
(Sept. 1, 2005) 1 U.S. $ = PRs 59.72;
1 £ = PRs 109.95.
Demography
Population (2005)3: 153,960,000.
Density (2005)2, 3: persons per sq mi 500.9, persons per sq km 193.4.
Urban-rural (2002)3, 4: urban 38.0%; rural 62.0%.
Sex distribution (2004)3, 4: male 52.04%; female 47.96%.
Age breakdown (2003): under 15, 42.2%; 15–29, 27.9%; 30–44, 15.2%; 45–59,
9.3%; 60–74, 4.3%; 75 and over, 1.1%.
Population projection3: (2010) 169,153,000; (2020) 204,184,000.
Doubling time: 30 years.
Ethnic composition (2000): Punjabi 52.6%; Pashtun 13.2%; Sindhi 11.7%;
Urdu-speaking Muhajirs 7.5%; Balochi 4.3%; other 10.7%.
Religious affiliation (2000): Muslim 96.1%5; Christian 2.5%; Hindu 1.2%; others
(including Ahmadiyah) 0.2%.
Major cities (1998): Karachi 9,339,023; Lahore 5,143,495; Faisalabad 2,008,861;
Rawalpindi 1,409,768; Multan 1,197,384; Hyderabad 1,166,894; Gujranwala
1,132,509; Peshawar 982,816; Quetta 565,137; Islamabad 529,180.
Vital statistics
Birth rate per 1,000 population (2003): 32.0 (world avg. 21.1).
Death rate per 1,000 population (2003): 8.9 (world avg. 9.0).
Natural increase rate per 1,000 population (2003): 23.1 (world avg. 12.1).
Total fertility rate (avg. births per childbearing woman; 2003): 4.4.
Life expectancy at birth (2003): male 61.3 years; female 63.1 years.
Major cause of death (percentage of total deaths; 1987): malaria 18.2%; childhood diseases 12.1%; diseases of digestive system 9.8%; diseases of respiratory system 9.2%; infection of intestinal tract 7.7%.
National economy
Budget (2001–02). Revenue: PRs 632,799,000,000 (sales tax 26.9%, nontax
Receipts 26.0%, income taxes 22.4%, customs duties 8.0%, excise taxes 7.4%).
Expenditures: PRs 773,289,000,000 (public-debt service 41.4%, defense
19.6%, development 16.1%, general administration 6.6%).
Public debt (external, outstanding; 2004–05): U.S. $34,874,000,000.
Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture, forestry, fishing 2004):
sugarcane 53,419,000, wheat 19,767,000, rice 7,486,500, seed cotton 7,350,000, corn (maize) 2,775,000, potatoes 1,854,700, onions 1,657,900, chickpeas 548,000; livestock (number of live animals) 54,700,000 goats, 25,500,000 buffalo, 24,700,000 sheep, 23,800,000 cattle, 800,000 camels, 160,000,000 chickens; round wood 28,277,956 cu m; fish catch (2003) 564,743. Mining and quarrying (2003): limestone 12,000,000; rock salt 1,700,000; gypsum 397,000; silica sand 175,000; chromite 13,000. Manufacturing (2003–04): cement 12,957,000; urea 4,432,000; refined sugar 4,021,000; cotton yarn 1,935,000; vegetable ghee 957,000; jute textiles (2002–03) 93,800; cotton textiles 664,600,000 sq m; cigarettes 55,180,000,000 units; tires 1,900,000 units; bicycles 664,000 units. Energy production (consumption): electricity (kW-hr; 2003) 75,270,-000,000 (52,660,000,000); coal (metric tons; 2002) 3,180,000 (4,130,000); crude
petroleum (barrels; 2004) 22,000,000 (133,000,000); petroleum products (metric tons; 2002) 7,900,000 (18,000,000); natural gas (cu m; 2002) 22,996,000,000 (22,996,000,000).
Land use as % of total land area (2000): in temporary crops 27.6%, in permanent crops 0.9%, in pasture 6.5%; overall forest area 3.1%.
Population economically active (2001–02): total 42,388,000; activity rate of total population 29.6% (participation rates: ages 15–64, 51.6%; female 16.1%; unemployed [2004] 8.3%).
Gross national product (2004): U.S. $90,663,000,000 (U.S. $600 per capita).
Household income and expenditure (1998–99). Average household size (2003) 6.8; income per household PRs 81,444 (U.S. $441); sources of income: self-employment 40.9%, wages and salaries 32.3%, transfer payments 11.3%, other 15.5%; expenditure: food 49.1%, housing 20.9%, clothing 7.8%, education 3.6%, transportation and communications 3.3%, recreation 0.2%.
Tourism (2003): receipts U.S. $120,000,000; expenditures U.S. $924,000,000.
Foreign trade
Imports (2004–05): U.S. $20,598,000,000 (machinery and apparatus 22.5%; chemicals and chemical products 13.7%; crude petroleum 10.4%; refined petroleum 9.4%; food and oils 6.8%; road motor vehicles 5.2%). Major import sources (2004): China 10.7%; U.S. 9.8%; U.A.E. 9.4%; Saudi Arabia 9.2%; Japan 6.7%.
Exports (2004–05): U.S. $14,391,000,000 (textiles 58.8%, of which woven cotton fabric 12.9%, knitwear 11.3%, bedding 10.1%, ready-made garments 7.5%, cotton yarn 7.3%; rice 6.5%; leather products 3.7%; petroleum products 3.4%).
Major export destinations: U.S. 20.7%; U.A.E. 10.8%; U.K. 6.9%;
Germany 5.0%; Saudi Arabia 4.5%.
Transport and communications
Transport. Railroads (2002–03): route length 7,791 km; passenger-km
(2004–05) 17,879,920,000; metric ton-km cargo (2002–03) 5,604,720,000.
Roads (2004–05): total length 161,406 mi, 259,758 km (paved 63%). Vehicles (2003): passenger cars 1,377,165; trucks and buses 341,840. Air transport (2002–03): passenger-km 11,203,364; metric ton-km cargo 357,300,000; airports (1997) 35.
Education and health
Educational attainment (1990). Percentage of population age 25 and over having: no formal schooling 73.8%; some primary education 9.7%; secondary 14.0%; postsecondary 2.5%. Literacy (2004–05): total population age 15 and over literate 53.0%; males literate 65.0%; females literate 40.0%.
Health (2004): physicians 113,206 (1 per 1,347 persons); hospital beds 99,908 (1 per 1,527 persons); infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births (2003) 76.6.
Food (2002): daily per capita caloric intake 2,419 (vegetable products 82%,
animal products 18%); 105% of FAO recommended minimum.
Military
Total active duty personnel (2004): 619,0009 (army 88.8%, navy 3.9%, air force 7.3%).
Military expenditure as percentage of GDP (2003): 4.4%; per capita
expenditure U.S. $24.
1Military leader (from October 1999) who was sworn in as president in June 2001.
2Excludes 32,494-sq-mi (84,159-sq-km) area of Pakistani-administered Jammu and Kashmir (comprising both Azad Kashmir [AK] and the Northern Areas [NA]).
3Excludes Afghan refugees (2005; 950,000) and the populations of AK (2005; 3,250,000) and NA (2005; 1,100,000). 4Excludes Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
5Mostly Sunni, with Shi (i comprising about 17% of total population. 6Taxes less subsidies.
7Unemployed. 8Import figures are f.o.b. in balance of trade and c.i.f. for commodities and trading partners. 9Excludes c. 290,000 in paramilitary (mostly national guard and frontier corps).
Internet resources for further information:
• Economic Survey, Ministry of Finance
http://www.finance.gov.pk/survey/home.htm
• Statistics Division: Government of Pakistan http://www.statpak.gov.pk
Area and population area2 population 2003
Provinces Capitals sq mi sq km estimate3
Balochistan Quetta 134,051 347,190 7,450,000
North-West Frontier Peshawar 28,773 74,521 20,170,000
Punjab Lahore 79,284 205,345 82,710,000
Sindh Karachi 54,407 140,914 34,240,000
Federally Administered
Tribal Areas ... 10,509 27,220 3,420,000
Federal Capital Area
Islamabad ... 350 906 1,040,000
TOTAL 307,374 796,096 149,030,000
Structure of gross domestic product and labour force
2003–04 2001–02
in value % of total labour % of labour
PRs ’000,000 value force force
Agriculture 1,174,586 21.5 16,366,000 38.6
Mining 84,539 1.6 26,000 0.1
Manufacturing 869,896 15.9 5,380,000 12.7
Construction 129,996 2.4 2,353,000 5.6
Public utilities 166,356 3.1 313,000 0.7
Transp. and commun. 656,957 12.0 2,295,000 5.4
Trade 897,097 16.4 5,776,000 13.6
Finance 142,533 2.6 346,000 0.8
PSeurbv.iacedsmin., defense 634215,,035065 116..70 6,027,000 14.2
Other 369,7426 6.86 3,506,0007 8.37
TOTAL 5,458,063 100.0 42,388,000 100.0
Price index (2000 = 100)
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Consumer price index 92.0 95.8 100.0 103.1 106.5 109.6 117.8
Balance of trade (current prices)
1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05
U.S.$’000,000 –1,412 –1,269 –360 –359 –1,279 –4,515
% of total 7.9% 6.6% 1.9% 1.6% 4.9% 13.5%
Education (2000–01) student/
schools teachers students teacher ratio
Primary (age 5–9) 165,700 373,900 20,999,000 56.2
Secondary (age 10–14) 31,600 320,100 6,576,000 20.5
Voc., teacher tr. 580 7,062 75,000 10.6
Higher 1,187 41,673 1,067,999 25.6
Communications units
per 1,000
Medium date unit number persons
Daily newspapers 2004 circulation 7,818,000 51
Radio 2000 receivers 14,700,000 121
Television 2003 receivers 22,447,500 150
Telephones 2004 main lines 4,880,000 32
Cellular telephones 2004 subscribers 5,020,000 33
Personal computers 2001 units 600,000 4.1
Internet 2004 users 2,000,000 13
World Data E N C Y C L O P Æ D I A Britannica
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
QUOTATIONS
What is beautiful is not always good, but what is good is always beautiful
Unknown
Have patience with all this, but first of all with yourself.
St: Francis de Sales
Creativity is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift to God.
Bob Moawad
Live simply so that others may simply live.
Gandhi
I pay no attention whatever to anybody’s praise or blame. I simply follow my own feelings.
Wolfgang A. Mozart
Man improves himself as he follows his path, if he stands still, waiting to improve before he makes a decision he’ll never move.
Paulo Codho
If one is without kindness, how can one be called a human being.
Sarda Devi
Days are scrolls: write on them only what you want remembered.
Bchya Ibn Pakuda
Laughter is the shortest distance between tow people.
Victor Borge
The only way to find the limits of the possible is by going beyond them to the impossible.
Arthur C. Clarke
There are victories of the soul and spirit. Sometimes, even if you lose, you win.
Elie Wiesel
Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.
Bill Gates
We are not here to be successful. We are here to be faithful.
Mother Teresa
What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.
Albert Pike
The fly cannot be driven away by getting angry at it.
African Proverb
Man’s heart away from nature becomes hard.
Standing Bear
Life can only be understood backwards, but must be lived forwards.
Soren Kierkegaard
All receive advice. Only the wise profit from it.
Syrus
What we need is more people who specialize in the impossible.
Theodore Roethke
Every exit is an entry somewhere else.
Tom Stoppard
It’s the things in common that make relationships enjoyable, but it’s the little difference that make them interesting.
Todd Ruthman
Nothing is so embarrassing as watching someone do something that you said couldn’t be done.
Sam Ewing
Each day we make deposits in the memory bank of our children
Charles Swindoll
Growth in wisdom may be exactly measured by decrease in bitterness
Friedrich Nietzsche
Whatever you are, be a good one.
Abraham Lincoln
Hope is like a road in the country; there wasn’t ever a road, but when many people walk on it, the road comes into existence.
Lin Yutang
It isn’t hard to be good from time to time. What’s tough is being good every day.
Willie Mays
Show me the man you honour, and I will know what kind of man you are.
Thomas Carlyle
When you dig another out of their troubles, you find a place to bury your own.
Anonymous
Great opportunities to help other seldom come, but small ones surround us every day.
Sally Koch
Your future depends on many things, but mostly on you.
Frank Tyger
The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.
William James
A woman is like a tea bag; your never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.
Nancy Reagan
The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person who is doing it.
Chinese Proverb
The best way to predict your future is to create it.
Unknown
Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value. Albert Einstein
If you don't run your own life, someone else will. John Atkinson
Bad habits are like a comfortable bed, easy to get into, but hard to get out of. Anonymous
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.
Lucille Ball
The young man knows the rules, but the old man knows the exceptions. Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.
Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it. Michael Jordan
The only way to pass any test is to take the test. Anonymous
First a person should put his house together, then his town, then the world. Rabbi Israel Salanter
The more you prepare, the luckier you appear. Terry Josephson
Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all. Sam Ewing
You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him. James D. Miles
I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world. Mother Teresa
The only way on earth to multiply happiness is to divide it. Paul Scherer
You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through. Rosalynn Carter
Unknown
Have patience with all this, but first of all with yourself.
St: Francis de Sales
Creativity is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift to God.
Bob Moawad
Live simply so that others may simply live.
Gandhi
I pay no attention whatever to anybody’s praise or blame. I simply follow my own feelings.
Wolfgang A. Mozart
Man improves himself as he follows his path, if he stands still, waiting to improve before he makes a decision he’ll never move.
Paulo Codho
If one is without kindness, how can one be called a human being.
Sarda Devi
Days are scrolls: write on them only what you want remembered.
Bchya Ibn Pakuda
Laughter is the shortest distance between tow people.
Victor Borge
The only way to find the limits of the possible is by going beyond them to the impossible.
Arthur C. Clarke
There are victories of the soul and spirit. Sometimes, even if you lose, you win.
Elie Wiesel
Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.
Bill Gates
We are not here to be successful. We are here to be faithful.
Mother Teresa
What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.
Albert Pike
The fly cannot be driven away by getting angry at it.
African Proverb
Man’s heart away from nature becomes hard.
Standing Bear
Life can only be understood backwards, but must be lived forwards.
Soren Kierkegaard
All receive advice. Only the wise profit from it.
Syrus
What we need is more people who specialize in the impossible.
Theodore Roethke
Every exit is an entry somewhere else.
Tom Stoppard
It’s the things in common that make relationships enjoyable, but it’s the little difference that make them interesting.
Todd Ruthman
Nothing is so embarrassing as watching someone do something that you said couldn’t be done.
Sam Ewing
Each day we make deposits in the memory bank of our children
Charles Swindoll
Growth in wisdom may be exactly measured by decrease in bitterness
Friedrich Nietzsche
Whatever you are, be a good one.
Abraham Lincoln
Hope is like a road in the country; there wasn’t ever a road, but when many people walk on it, the road comes into existence.
Lin Yutang
It isn’t hard to be good from time to time. What’s tough is being good every day.
Willie Mays
Show me the man you honour, and I will know what kind of man you are.
Thomas Carlyle
When you dig another out of their troubles, you find a place to bury your own.
Anonymous
Great opportunities to help other seldom come, but small ones surround us every day.
Sally Koch
Your future depends on many things, but mostly on you.
Frank Tyger
The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.
William James
A woman is like a tea bag; your never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.
Nancy Reagan
The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person who is doing it.
Chinese Proverb
The best way to predict your future is to create it.
Unknown
Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value. Albert Einstein
If you don't run your own life, someone else will. John Atkinson
Bad habits are like a comfortable bed, easy to get into, but hard to get out of. Anonymous
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.
Lucille Ball
The young man knows the rules, but the old man knows the exceptions. Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.
Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it. Michael Jordan
The only way to pass any test is to take the test. Anonymous
First a person should put his house together, then his town, then the world. Rabbi Israel Salanter
The more you prepare, the luckier you appear. Terry Josephson
Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all. Sam Ewing
You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him. James D. Miles
I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world. Mother Teresa
The only way on earth to multiply happiness is to divide it. Paul Scherer
You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through. Rosalynn Carter
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Protest against War
A protester against the Iraq war protesting by showing her blood shaded hands before American Secretary of State Condoles Rice.
The Questions
The questions that never get the correct answers.
Ask a lady about her age.
Ask a gentleman about his salary.
You never get the correct answer.
Ask a lady about her age.
Ask a gentleman about his salary.
You never get the correct answer.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
It’s a GIRL’S world
It’s a Girls world.
If a girl laughs loudly, she’s cheerful,
if a boy laughs loudly he’s manner less.
If a girl talks sweetly she’s charming,
if a boy talks sweetly he’s a flirt.
If a girl shoppes she’s trendy,
if a boy shoppes he’s wasting money.
If a girl’s silent she’s sad,
if a boy’s silent he’s being rude.
If girls walk together, it’s a group,
if boys walk together, it’s a gang.
If girl can’t come 4 dates she’s busy,
if a boy can’t, he’s lying.
Feeling proud to be a girl?
If a girl laughs loudly, she’s cheerful,
if a boy laughs loudly he’s manner less.
If a girl talks sweetly she’s charming,
if a boy talks sweetly he’s a flirt.
If a girl shoppes she’s trendy,
if a boy shoppes he’s wasting money.
If a girl’s silent she’s sad,
if a boy’s silent he’s being rude.
If girls walk together, it’s a group,
if boys walk together, it’s a gang.
If girl can’t come 4 dates she’s busy,
if a boy can’t, he’s lying.
Feeling proud to be a girl?
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Capitals of Every Country
(The 194 Countries on Earth With Their Capital City or Cities)
1. Afghanistan - Kabul
2. Albania - Tirane
3. Algeria - Algiers
4. Andorra - Andorra la Vella
5. Angola - Luanda
6. Antigua and Barbuda - Saint John's
7. Argentina - Buenos Aires
8. Armenia - Yerevan
9. Australia - Canberra
10. Austria - Vienna
11. Azerbaijan - Baku
12. The Bahamas - Nassau
13. Bahrain - Manama
14. Bangladesh - Dhaka
15. Barbados - Bridgetown
16. Belarus - Minsk
17. Belgium - Brussels
18. Belize - Belmopan
19. Benin - Porto-Novo
20. Bhutan - Thimphu
21. Bolivia - La Paz (Administrative); Sucre (Judicial)
22. Bosnia and Herzegovina - Sarajevo
23. Botswana - Gaborone
24. Brazil - Brasilia
25. Brunei - Bandar Seri Begawan
26. Bulgaria - Sofia
27. Burkina Faso - Ouagadougou
28. Burundi - Bujumbura
29. Cambodia - Phnom Penh
30. Cameroon - Yaounde
31. Canada - Ottawa
32. Cape Verde - Praia
33. Central African Republic - Bangui
34. Chad - N'Djamena
35. Chile - Santiago
36. China - Beijing
37. Colombia - Bogota
38. Comoros - Moroni
39. Congo, Republic of the - Brazzaville
40. Congo, Democratic Republic of the - Kinshasa
41. Costa Rica - San Jose
42. Cote d'Ivoire - Yamoussoukro (Official); Abidjan (de facto)
43. Croatia - Zagreb
44. Cuba - Havana
45. Cyprus - Nicosia
46. Czech Republic - Prague
47. Denmark - Copenhagen
48. Djibouti - Djibouti
49. Dominica - Roseau
50. Dominican Republic - Santo Domingo
51. East Timor (Timor-Leste) - Dili
52. Ecuador - Quito
53. Egypt - Cairo
54. El Salvador - San Salvador
55. Equatorial Guinea - Malabo
56. Eritrea - Asmara
57. Estonia - Tallinn
58. Ethiopia - Addis Ababa
59. Fiji - Suva
60. Finland - Helsinki
61. France - Paris
62. Gabon - Libreville
63. The Gambia - Banjul
64. Georgia - Tbilisi
65. Germany - Berlin
66. Ghana - Accra
67. Greece - Athens
68. Grenada - Saint George's
69. Guatemala - Guatemala City
70. Guinea - Conakry
71. Guinea-Bissau - Bissau
72. Guyana - Georgetown
73. Haiti - Port-au-Prince
74. Honduras - Tegucigalpa
75. Hungary - Budapest
76. Iceland - Reykjavik
77. India - New Delhi
78. Indonesia - Jakarta
79. Iran - Tehran
80. Iraq - Baghdad
81. Ireland - Dublin
82. Israel - Jerusalem
83. Italy - Rome
84. Jamaica - Kingston
85. Japan - Tokyo
86. Jordan - Amman
87. Kazakhstan - Astana
88. Kenya - Nairobi
89. Kiribati - Tarawa Atoll
90. Korea, North - Pyongyang
91. Korea, South - Seoul
92. Kuwait - Kuwait City
93. Kyrgyzstan - Bishkek
94. Laos - Vientiane
95. Latvia - Riga
96. Lebanon - Beirut
97. Lesotho - Maseru
98. Liberia - Monrovia
99. Libya - Tripoli
100. Liechtenstein - Vaduz
101. Lithuania - Vilnius
102. Luxembourg - Luxembourg
103. Macedonia - Skopje
104. Madagascar - Antananarivo
105. Malawi - Lilongwe
106. Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur
107. Maldives - Male
108. Mali - Bamako
109. Malta - Valletta
110. Marshall Islands - Majuro
111. Mauritania - Nouakchott
112. Mauritius - Port Louis
113. Mexico - Mexico City
114. Micronesia, Federated States of - Palikir
115. Moldova - Chisinau
116. Monaco - Monaco
117. Mongolia - Ulaanbaatar
118. Montenegro - Podgorica
119. Morocco - Rabat
120. Mozambique - Maputo
121. Myanmar (Burma) - Rangoon (Yangon); Nay Pyi Taw (Administrative)
122. Namibia - Windhoek
123. Nauru - no official capital; government offices in Yaren District
124. Nepal - Katmandu
125. Netherlands - Amsterdam; The Hague (seat of government)
126. New Zealand - Wellington
127. Nicaragua - Managua
128. Niger - Niamey
129. Nigeria - Abuja
130. Norway - Oslo
131. Oman - Muscat
132. Pakistan - Islamabad
133. Palau - Melekeok
134. Panama - Panama City
135. Papua New Guinea - Port Moresby
136. Paraguay - Asuncion
137. Peru - Lima
138. Philippines - Manila
139. Poland - Warsaw
140. Portugal - Lisbon
141. Qatar - Doha
142. Romania - Bucharest
143. Russia - Moscow
144. Rwanda - Kigali
145. Saint Kitts and Nevis - Basseterre
146. Saint Lucia - Castries
147. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - Kingstown
148. Samoa - Apia
149. San Marino - San Marino
150. Sao Tome and Principe - Sao Tome
151. Saudi Arabia - Riyadh
152. Senegal - Dakar
153. Serbia - Belgrade
154. Seychelles - Victoria
155. Sierra Leone - Freetown
156. Singapore - Singapore
157. Slovakia - Bratislava
158. Slovenia - Ljubljana
159. Solomon Islands - Honiara
160. Somalia - Mogadishu
161. South Africa - Pretoria (Administrative); Cape Town (Legislative); Bloemfontein (Judiciary)
162. Spain - Madrid
163. Sri Lanka - Colombo; Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (Legislative)
164. Sudan - Khartoum
165. Suriname - Paramaribo
166. Swaziland - Mbabane
167. Sweden - Stockholm
168. Switzerland - Bern
169. Syria - Damascus
170. Taiwan - Taipei
171. Tajikistan - Dushanbe
172. Tanzania - Dar us Salaam; Dodoma (Legislative)
173. Thailand - Bangkok
174. Togo - Lome
175. Tonga - Nuku'alofa
176. Trinidad and Tobago - Port-of-Spain
177. Tunisia - Tunis
178. Turkey - Ankara
179. Turkmenistan - Ashgabat
180. Tuvalu - Vaiaku village, Funafuti Province
181. Uganda - Kampala
182. Ukraine - Kyiv
183. United Arab Emirates - Abu Dhabi
184. United Kingdom - London
185. United States of America - Washington D.C.
186. Uruguay - Montevideo
187. Uzbekistan - Tashkent
188. Vanuatu - Port-Vila
189. Vatican City (Holy See) - Vatican City
190. Venezuela - Caracas
191. Vietnam - Hanoi
192. Yemen - Sanaa
193. Zambia - Lusaka
1. Afghanistan - Kabul
2. Albania - Tirane
3. Algeria - Algiers
4. Andorra - Andorra la Vella
5. Angola - Luanda
6. Antigua and Barbuda - Saint John's
7. Argentina - Buenos Aires
8. Armenia - Yerevan
9. Australia - Canberra
10. Austria - Vienna
11. Azerbaijan - Baku
12. The Bahamas - Nassau
13. Bahrain - Manama
14. Bangladesh - Dhaka
15. Barbados - Bridgetown
16. Belarus - Minsk
17. Belgium - Brussels
18. Belize - Belmopan
19. Benin - Porto-Novo
20. Bhutan - Thimphu
21. Bolivia - La Paz (Administrative); Sucre (Judicial)
22. Bosnia and Herzegovina - Sarajevo
23. Botswana - Gaborone
24. Brazil - Brasilia
25. Brunei - Bandar Seri Begawan
26. Bulgaria - Sofia
27. Burkina Faso - Ouagadougou
28. Burundi - Bujumbura
29. Cambodia - Phnom Penh
30. Cameroon - Yaounde
31. Canada - Ottawa
32. Cape Verde - Praia
33. Central African Republic - Bangui
34. Chad - N'Djamena
35. Chile - Santiago
36. China - Beijing
37. Colombia - Bogota
38. Comoros - Moroni
39. Congo, Republic of the - Brazzaville
40. Congo, Democratic Republic of the - Kinshasa
41. Costa Rica - San Jose
42. Cote d'Ivoire - Yamoussoukro (Official); Abidjan (de facto)
43. Croatia - Zagreb
44. Cuba - Havana
45. Cyprus - Nicosia
46. Czech Republic - Prague
47. Denmark - Copenhagen
48. Djibouti - Djibouti
49. Dominica - Roseau
50. Dominican Republic - Santo Domingo
51. East Timor (Timor-Leste) - Dili
52. Ecuador - Quito
53. Egypt - Cairo
54. El Salvador - San Salvador
55. Equatorial Guinea - Malabo
56. Eritrea - Asmara
57. Estonia - Tallinn
58. Ethiopia - Addis Ababa
59. Fiji - Suva
60. Finland - Helsinki
61. France - Paris
62. Gabon - Libreville
63. The Gambia - Banjul
64. Georgia - Tbilisi
65. Germany - Berlin
66. Ghana - Accra
67. Greece - Athens
68. Grenada - Saint George's
69. Guatemala - Guatemala City
70. Guinea - Conakry
71. Guinea-Bissau - Bissau
72. Guyana - Georgetown
73. Haiti - Port-au-Prince
74. Honduras - Tegucigalpa
75. Hungary - Budapest
76. Iceland - Reykjavik
77. India - New Delhi
78. Indonesia - Jakarta
79. Iran - Tehran
80. Iraq - Baghdad
81. Ireland - Dublin
82. Israel - Jerusalem
83. Italy - Rome
84. Jamaica - Kingston
85. Japan - Tokyo
86. Jordan - Amman
87. Kazakhstan - Astana
88. Kenya - Nairobi
89. Kiribati - Tarawa Atoll
90. Korea, North - Pyongyang
91. Korea, South - Seoul
92. Kuwait - Kuwait City
93. Kyrgyzstan - Bishkek
94. Laos - Vientiane
95. Latvia - Riga
96. Lebanon - Beirut
97. Lesotho - Maseru
98. Liberia - Monrovia
99. Libya - Tripoli
100. Liechtenstein - Vaduz
101. Lithuania - Vilnius
102. Luxembourg - Luxembourg
103. Macedonia - Skopje
104. Madagascar - Antananarivo
105. Malawi - Lilongwe
106. Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur
107. Maldives - Male
108. Mali - Bamako
109. Malta - Valletta
110. Marshall Islands - Majuro
111. Mauritania - Nouakchott
112. Mauritius - Port Louis
113. Mexico - Mexico City
114. Micronesia, Federated States of - Palikir
115. Moldova - Chisinau
116. Monaco - Monaco
117. Mongolia - Ulaanbaatar
118. Montenegro - Podgorica
119. Morocco - Rabat
120. Mozambique - Maputo
121. Myanmar (Burma) - Rangoon (Yangon); Nay Pyi Taw (Administrative)
122. Namibia - Windhoek
123. Nauru - no official capital; government offices in Yaren District
124. Nepal - Katmandu
125. Netherlands - Amsterdam; The Hague (seat of government)
126. New Zealand - Wellington
127. Nicaragua - Managua
128. Niger - Niamey
129. Nigeria - Abuja
130. Norway - Oslo
131. Oman - Muscat
132. Pakistan - Islamabad
133. Palau - Melekeok
134. Panama - Panama City
135. Papua New Guinea - Port Moresby
136. Paraguay - Asuncion
137. Peru - Lima
138. Philippines - Manila
139. Poland - Warsaw
140. Portugal - Lisbon
141. Qatar - Doha
142. Romania - Bucharest
143. Russia - Moscow
144. Rwanda - Kigali
145. Saint Kitts and Nevis - Basseterre
146. Saint Lucia - Castries
147. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - Kingstown
148. Samoa - Apia
149. San Marino - San Marino
150. Sao Tome and Principe - Sao Tome
151. Saudi Arabia - Riyadh
152. Senegal - Dakar
153. Serbia - Belgrade
154. Seychelles - Victoria
155. Sierra Leone - Freetown
156. Singapore - Singapore
157. Slovakia - Bratislava
158. Slovenia - Ljubljana
159. Solomon Islands - Honiara
160. Somalia - Mogadishu
161. South Africa - Pretoria (Administrative); Cape Town (Legislative); Bloemfontein (Judiciary)
162. Spain - Madrid
163. Sri Lanka - Colombo; Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (Legislative)
164. Sudan - Khartoum
165. Suriname - Paramaribo
166. Swaziland - Mbabane
167. Sweden - Stockholm
168. Switzerland - Bern
169. Syria - Damascus
170. Taiwan - Taipei
171. Tajikistan - Dushanbe
172. Tanzania - Dar us Salaam; Dodoma (Legislative)
173. Thailand - Bangkok
174. Togo - Lome
175. Tonga - Nuku'alofa
176. Trinidad and Tobago - Port-of-Spain
177. Tunisia - Tunis
178. Turkey - Ankara
179. Turkmenistan - Ashgabat
180. Tuvalu - Vaiaku village, Funafuti Province
181. Uganda - Kampala
182. Ukraine - Kyiv
183. United Arab Emirates - Abu Dhabi
184. United Kingdom - London
185. United States of America - Washington D.C.
186. Uruguay - Montevideo
187. Uzbekistan - Tashkent
188. Vanuatu - Port-Vila
189. Vatican City (Holy See) - Vatican City
190. Venezuela - Caracas
191. Vietnam - Hanoi
192. Yemen - Sanaa
193. Zambia - Lusaka
194. Zimbabwe - Harare
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Cure for Dengue Fever
I would like to share this interesting discovery from a classmate's son who has just recovered from dengue fever. Apparently, his son was in the critical stage when his pallet counts drops to 15 after15 liters of blood transfusion.
His father was so worried that he seeks another friend's recommendation and his son was saved. He confessed to me that he give his son raw juice of the papaya leaves. From a pallet count of 45 after 20 liters of blood transfusion, and after drinking the raw papaya leaf juice, his pallet count jumps instantly to 135. Even the doctors and nurses were surprised. After the second day he was discharged. So he asks me to pass this good news around.
Accordingly it is raw papaya leaves, 2pcs just cleaned and pound and squeeze with filter cloth. You will only get one tablespoon per leaf. So two tablespoon per serving once a day. Do not boil or cook or rinse with hot water, it will loose its strength. Only the leafy part and no stem or sap. It is very bitter and you have to swallow it like Won Low Kat. But it works.
Papaya Juice - Cure for Dengue
You may have heard this elsewhere but if not I am glad to inform you that papaya juice is a natural cure for dengue fever. As dengue Fever is rampant now, I think it's good to share this with all.
His father was so worried that he seeks another friend's recommendation and his son was saved. He confessed to me that he give his son raw juice of the papaya leaves. From a pallet count of 45 after 20 liters of blood transfusion, and after drinking the raw papaya leaf juice, his pallet count jumps instantly to 135. Even the doctors and nurses were surprised. After the second day he was discharged. So he asks me to pass this good news around.
Accordingly it is raw papaya leaves, 2pcs just cleaned and pound and squeeze with filter cloth. You will only get one tablespoon per leaf. So two tablespoon per serving once a day. Do not boil or cook or rinse with hot water, it will loose its strength. Only the leafy part and no stem or sap. It is very bitter and you have to swallow it like Won Low Kat. But it works.
Papaya Juice - Cure for Dengue
You may have heard this elsewhere but if not I am glad to inform you that papaya juice is a natural cure for dengue fever. As dengue Fever is rampant now, I think it's good to share this with all.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Pakistan: Geography, People & Government
Geography
Pakistan
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 - 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
Pakistan
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: 48.7% Male: 61.7% Female: 35.2% (2004 est.)
Government
Pakistan
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 Note 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 Notes 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
Political Parties and Leaders:
Awami National Party or ANP [Wali KHAN]; Balochistan National Movement/Hayee Group or BNM/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 [Akbar Khan BUGTI]; 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]; Millat Party or MP [Farooq LEGHARI]; Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal Pakistan or MMA [Qazi Hussain AHMED]; Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Altaf faction or MQM/A [Altaf HUSSAIN]; Muttahida Quami Movement, Haqiqi faction or MQM/H [Afaq AHMAD]; National People's Party or NPP [Ghulam Mustapha JATOI]; Pakhtun Khwa Milli Awami Party or PkMAP [Mahmood Khan ACHAKZAI]; Pakhtun Quami Party or PQP [Mohammed Afzal KHAN]; Pakistan Awami Tehrik or PAT [Tahir ul QADRI]; Pakistan Democratic Party or PDP [Mehbooba Mufti SAYEED]; 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 National Party or PNP [Hasil BIZENJO]; 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
International Organization Participation:
ARF, AsDB, C (reinstated 2004), CP, ECO, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMISET, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Pakistan
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 - 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
Pakistan
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: 48.7% Male: 61.7% Female: 35.2% (2004 est.)
Government
Pakistan
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 Note 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 Notes 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
Political Parties and Leaders:
Awami National Party or ANP [Wali KHAN]; Balochistan National Movement/Hayee Group or BNM/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 [Akbar Khan BUGTI]; 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]; Millat Party or MP [Farooq LEGHARI]; Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal Pakistan or MMA [Qazi Hussain AHMED]; Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Altaf faction or MQM/A [Altaf HUSSAIN]; Muttahida Quami Movement, Haqiqi faction or MQM/H [Afaq AHMAD]; National People's Party or NPP [Ghulam Mustapha JATOI]; Pakhtun Khwa Milli Awami Party or PkMAP [Mahmood Khan ACHAKZAI]; Pakhtun Quami Party or PQP [Mohammed Afzal KHAN]; Pakistan Awami Tehrik or PAT [Tahir ul QADRI]; Pakistan Democratic Party or PDP [Mehbooba Mufti SAYEED]; 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 National Party or PNP [Hasil BIZENJO]; 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
International Organization Participation:
ARF, AsDB, C (reinstated 2004), CP, ECO, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMISET, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
The Great Wall of China
(The History and Development of the Great Wall of China)
The Great Wall of China is not a continuous wall but is a collection of short walls that often follow the crest of hills on the southern edge of the Mongolian plain. Overall, the wall extends about 1500 miles (2400 kilometers).
A first set of walls, designed to keep Mongol nomads out of China, were built of earth and stones in wood frames during the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE). Some additions and modifications were made to these simple walls over the next millennium but the major construction of the "modern" walls began in the Ming Dynasty (1388-1644 CE).
The Ming fortifications were established in new areas from the Qin walls. They were up to 25 feet (7.6 meters) high, 15 to 30 feet (4.6 to 9.1 meters) wide at the base, and from 9 to 12 feet (2.7 to 3.7 meters) wide at the top (wide enough for marching troops or wagons). At regular intervals, guard stations and watch towers were established.
Since the Great Wall was discontinuous, Mongol invaders had no trouble breaching the wall by going around it, so the wall proved unsuccessful and was eventually abandoned. Additionally, a policy of mollification during the subsequent Ch'ing Dynasty that sought to pacify the Mongol leaders through religious conversion also helped to limit the need for the wall.
Through Western contact with China from the 17th through 20th centuries, the legend of the Great Wall of China grew along with tourism to the wall. Restoration and rebuilding took place in the 20th century and in 1987 the Great Wall of China was made a World Heritage Site. Today, a portion of the Great Wall of China about 50 miles (80 km) from Beijing receives thousands of tourists each day.
Can You See The Great Wall of China from The Moon?
Many are familiar with the claim that the Great Wall of China is the only man-made object visible from space or from the moon with the naked eye. This is simply not true. The myth of being able to see the Great Wall from space originated in Richard Halliburton's 1938 (long before humans saw the earth from space) book Second Book of Marvels said that the Great Wall of China is the only man-made object visible from the moon.
From a low orbit of the earth, many artificial objects are visible on the earth, such as highways, ships in the sea, railroads, cities, fields of crops, and even some individual buildings. While at a low orbit, the Great Wall of China can certainly be seen from space but it is not unique in that regard.
However, when leaving the earth's orbit and acquiring an altitude of more than a few thousand miles, no man-made objects are visible at all. NASA says, "The Great Wall can barely be seen from the Shuttle, so it would not be possible to see it from the Moon with the naked eye." Thus, it'd be tough to spot the Great Wall of China or any other object from the moon.
Furthermore, from the moon, even the continents are barely visible. Regarding the origination of the story The Straight Dope's pundit Cecil Adams says, "Nobody knows exactly where the story got started, although some think it was speculation by some big shot during an after-dinner speech in the early days of the space program."
NASA astronaut Alan Bean is quoted in Tom Burnam's book More Misinformation... "The only thing you can see from the moon is a beautiful sphere, mostly white (clouds), some blue (ocean), patches of yellow (deserts), and every once in a while some green vegetation. No man-made object is visible on this scale. In fact, when first leaving earth's orbit and only a few thousand miles away, no man-made object is visible at that point either."
The Great Wall of China is not a continuous wall but is a collection of short walls that often follow the crest of hills on the southern edge of the Mongolian plain. Overall, the wall extends about 1500 miles (2400 kilometers).
A first set of walls, designed to keep Mongol nomads out of China, were built of earth and stones in wood frames during the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE). Some additions and modifications were made to these simple walls over the next millennium but the major construction of the "modern" walls began in the Ming Dynasty (1388-1644 CE).
The Ming fortifications were established in new areas from the Qin walls. They were up to 25 feet (7.6 meters) high, 15 to 30 feet (4.6 to 9.1 meters) wide at the base, and from 9 to 12 feet (2.7 to 3.7 meters) wide at the top (wide enough for marching troops or wagons). At regular intervals, guard stations and watch towers were established.
Since the Great Wall was discontinuous, Mongol invaders had no trouble breaching the wall by going around it, so the wall proved unsuccessful and was eventually abandoned. Additionally, a policy of mollification during the subsequent Ch'ing Dynasty that sought to pacify the Mongol leaders through religious conversion also helped to limit the need for the wall.
Through Western contact with China from the 17th through 20th centuries, the legend of the Great Wall of China grew along with tourism to the wall. Restoration and rebuilding took place in the 20th century and in 1987 the Great Wall of China was made a World Heritage Site. Today, a portion of the Great Wall of China about 50 miles (80 km) from Beijing receives thousands of tourists each day.
Can You See The Great Wall of China from The Moon?
Many are familiar with the claim that the Great Wall of China is the only man-made object visible from space or from the moon with the naked eye. This is simply not true. The myth of being able to see the Great Wall from space originated in Richard Halliburton's 1938 (long before humans saw the earth from space) book Second Book of Marvels said that the Great Wall of China is the only man-made object visible from the moon.
From a low orbit of the earth, many artificial objects are visible on the earth, such as highways, ships in the sea, railroads, cities, fields of crops, and even some individual buildings. While at a low orbit, the Great Wall of China can certainly be seen from space but it is not unique in that regard.
However, when leaving the earth's orbit and acquiring an altitude of more than a few thousand miles, no man-made objects are visible at all. NASA says, "The Great Wall can barely be seen from the Shuttle, so it would not be possible to see it from the Moon with the naked eye." Thus, it'd be tough to spot the Great Wall of China or any other object from the moon.
Furthermore, from the moon, even the continents are barely visible. Regarding the origination of the story The Straight Dope's pundit Cecil Adams says, "Nobody knows exactly where the story got started, although some think it was speculation by some big shot during an after-dinner speech in the early days of the space program."
NASA astronaut Alan Bean is quoted in Tom Burnam's book More Misinformation... "The only thing you can see from the moon is a beautiful sphere, mostly white (clouds), some blue (ocean), patches of yellow (deserts), and every once in a while some green vegetation. No man-made object is visible on this scale. In fact, when first leaving earth's orbit and only a few thousand miles away, no man-made object is visible at that point either."
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Quotable Quotes
Age is a question of mind over matter. If you do not mind, it does not matter.
Satchel Paige
All mankind is divided into three classes; those who are immovable, those who are movable; and those who move.
Benjamin Franklin
All that is necessary for the forces of evil to win in this world is for enough good men to do nothing.
Edmund Burke
A proverb is a short sentence based on long experience.
Miguel de Cervantes
All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure.
Mark Twain
A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.
John A. Shedd
All your dreams come true, if you have the courage to pursue them.
Walt Disney
A wise man may look ridiculous in the company of fools.
Thomas Fuller
Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.
Helen Keller
Anyone who is not a socialist at 16 has no heart, but anyone who still is at 32 has no mind.
Woodrow Wilson
Anything you lose automatically doubles in value.
Mignon McLaughlin
Be at peace with yourself first and then you will be able to bring peace to others.
Thomas A. Kemps
Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing.
Benjamin Franklin
Beautiful faces are those that wear whole-souled honesty printed there.
Ellen Palmer Alorton
Behavior is a mirror in which everyone shows his image.
Goethe
Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman.
Sim York Soo
Believe your beliefs and doubt your doubts.
F.F. Bosworth
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.
Abraham Lincoln
Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest.
Rev. Larry Lorenzoni
By all means marry. If you get a good wife, you’ll be happy. If you get a bad one, you’ll become a philosopher.
Socrates
Change your thoughts and you change your world.
Norman Vincent
Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.
Abraham Lincoln
Do not pray for easy lives! Pray to be stronger men! Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers! Pray for powers equal to your tasks!
Phillips Brooks
Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.
Mark Twain
Common sense is genius dressed up in work clothes.
Ralph Waldo
Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.
Winston Churchill
Courage is not the absences of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.
Ambrose Redmoon
Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice, it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.
William Jennings
Did you ever walk into a room and forget why you walked in? I think that is how dogs spend their lives.
Sue Murphy
Do not ask what your community can do for you. Ask what you can do for your community.
Steve Andres
Do not get married only because of the money. You can borrow it cheaper.
Z. Z. Gabber
Do not judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.
Robert Louis
Do not walk in front of me, I may not follow. Do not walk behind me, I may not lead. Walk beside me and be my friend.
Albert Camas
Do not worry that children never listen to you; worry that they area always watching you.
Robert
Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today.
James Dean
Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.
Robert Brault
Even if your are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.
Will Rogers
Even paranoids have real enemies.
Delmore
Every fool knows that he cannot reach the stars but it never keeps a wise man from trying.
Ronnie B. Woods
Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it. Confucius
We know nothing of tomorrow, our business is to be good and happy today. Sydney Smith
Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there. Will Rogers
Satchel Paige
All mankind is divided into three classes; those who are immovable, those who are movable; and those who move.
Benjamin Franklin
All that is necessary for the forces of evil to win in this world is for enough good men to do nothing.
Edmund Burke
A proverb is a short sentence based on long experience.
Miguel de Cervantes
All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure.
Mark Twain
A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.
John A. Shedd
All your dreams come true, if you have the courage to pursue them.
Walt Disney
A wise man may look ridiculous in the company of fools.
Thomas Fuller
Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.
Helen Keller
Anyone who is not a socialist at 16 has no heart, but anyone who still is at 32 has no mind.
Woodrow Wilson
Anything you lose automatically doubles in value.
Mignon McLaughlin
Be at peace with yourself first and then you will be able to bring peace to others.
Thomas A. Kemps
Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing.
Benjamin Franklin
Beautiful faces are those that wear whole-souled honesty printed there.
Ellen Palmer Alorton
Behavior is a mirror in which everyone shows his image.
Goethe
Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman.
Sim York Soo
Believe your beliefs and doubt your doubts.
F.F. Bosworth
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.
Abraham Lincoln
Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest.
Rev. Larry Lorenzoni
By all means marry. If you get a good wife, you’ll be happy. If you get a bad one, you’ll become a philosopher.
Socrates
Change your thoughts and you change your world.
Norman Vincent
Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.
Abraham Lincoln
Do not pray for easy lives! Pray to be stronger men! Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers! Pray for powers equal to your tasks!
Phillips Brooks
Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.
Mark Twain
Common sense is genius dressed up in work clothes.
Ralph Waldo
Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.
Winston Churchill
Courage is not the absences of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.
Ambrose Redmoon
Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice, it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.
William Jennings
Did you ever walk into a room and forget why you walked in? I think that is how dogs spend their lives.
Sue Murphy
Do not ask what your community can do for you. Ask what you can do for your community.
Steve Andres
Do not get married only because of the money. You can borrow it cheaper.
Z. Z. Gabber
Do not judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.
Robert Louis
Do not walk in front of me, I may not follow. Do not walk behind me, I may not lead. Walk beside me and be my friend.
Albert Camas
Do not worry that children never listen to you; worry that they area always watching you.
Robert
Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today.
James Dean
Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.
Robert Brault
Even if your are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.
Will Rogers
Even paranoids have real enemies.
Delmore
Every fool knows that he cannot reach the stars but it never keeps a wise man from trying.
Ronnie B. Woods
Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it. Confucius
We know nothing of tomorrow, our business is to be good and happy today. Sydney Smith
Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there. Will Rogers
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
India's Population
India Likely to Surpass China in Population by 2030
With 1,130,000,000 (1.13 billion) people, India is currently the world's second largest country. India crossed the one billion mark in the year 2000, one year after the world's population crossed the six billion threshold.
Demographers expect India's population to surpass the population of China, currently the most populous country in the world, by 2030. At that time, India is expected to have a population of more than 1.53 billion while China's population is forecast to be at its peak of 1.46 billion (and will begin to drop in subsequent years). India is currently home to about 1.13 billion people, representing a full 17% of the earth’s population. When India gained independence from the United Kingdom sixty years ago, the country's population was a mere 350 million. Since 1947, the population of India has more than tripled. In 1950, India's total fertility rate was approximately 6 (children per woman). Nonetheless, since 1952 India has worked to control its population growth. In 1983, the goal of the country’s National Health Policy was to have a replacement value total fertility rate of 2.1 by the year 2000. That did not occur. In 2000, the country established a new National Population Policy to stem the growth of the country’s population. One of the primary goals of the policy was to reduce the total fertility rate to 2.1 by 2010. One of the steps along the path toward the goal in 2010 was a total fertility rate of 2.6 by 2002.
As the total fertility rate in India remains at the high number of 2.8, that goal was not achieved so it is highly unlikely that the total fertility rate will be 2.1 by 2010. Thus, India’s population will continue to grow at a rapid rate. The U.S. Census Bureau does predict a near-replacement total fertility rate of 2.2 to be achieved in India in the year 2050.
India's high population growth results in increasingly impoverished and sub-standard conditions for growing segments of the Indian population. As of 2007, India ranked 126th on the United Nations' Human Development Index, which takes into account social, health, and educational conditions in a country.
Population projections for India anticipate that the country's population will reach 1.5 to 1.8 billion by 2050. While only the Population Reference Bureau has published projections out to 2100, they expect India's
population at the close of the twenty-first century to reach 1.853 to 2.181 billion. Thus, India is expected to become the first and only county on the planet that will ever reach a population of more than 2 billion (recall that China's population is likely to drop after reaching a peak of about 1.46 billion in 2030 and the U.S. isn't likely to see a billion).
Although India has created several impressive goals to reduce its population growth rates, the India and the rest of the world has a long way to go to achieve meaningful population controls in this country with a growth rate of 1.6%, representing a doubling time of under 44 years.
With 1,130,000,000 (1.13 billion) people, India is currently the world's second largest country. India crossed the one billion mark in the year 2000, one year after the world's population crossed the six billion threshold.
Demographers expect India's population to surpass the population of China, currently the most populous country in the world, by 2030. At that time, India is expected to have a population of more than 1.53 billion while China's population is forecast to be at its peak of 1.46 billion (and will begin to drop in subsequent years). India is currently home to about 1.13 billion people, representing a full 17% of the earth’s population. When India gained independence from the United Kingdom sixty years ago, the country's population was a mere 350 million. Since 1947, the population of India has more than tripled. In 1950, India's total fertility rate was approximately 6 (children per woman). Nonetheless, since 1952 India has worked to control its population growth. In 1983, the goal of the country’s National Health Policy was to have a replacement value total fertility rate of 2.1 by the year 2000. That did not occur. In 2000, the country established a new National Population Policy to stem the growth of the country’s population. One of the primary goals of the policy was to reduce the total fertility rate to 2.1 by 2010. One of the steps along the path toward the goal in 2010 was a total fertility rate of 2.6 by 2002.
As the total fertility rate in India remains at the high number of 2.8, that goal was not achieved so it is highly unlikely that the total fertility rate will be 2.1 by 2010. Thus, India’s population will continue to grow at a rapid rate. The U.S. Census Bureau does predict a near-replacement total fertility rate of 2.2 to be achieved in India in the year 2050.
India's high population growth results in increasingly impoverished and sub-standard conditions for growing segments of the Indian population. As of 2007, India ranked 126th on the United Nations' Human Development Index, which takes into account social, health, and educational conditions in a country.
Population projections for India anticipate that the country's population will reach 1.5 to 1.8 billion by 2050. While only the Population Reference Bureau has published projections out to 2100, they expect India's
population at the close of the twenty-first century to reach 1.853 to 2.181 billion. Thus, India is expected to become the first and only county on the planet that will ever reach a population of more than 2 billion (recall that China's population is likely to drop after reaching a peak of about 1.46 billion in 2030 and the U.S. isn't likely to see a billion).
Although India has created several impressive goals to reduce its population growth rates, the India and the rest of the world has a long way to go to achieve meaningful population controls in this country with a growth rate of 1.6%, representing a doubling time of under 44 years.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Thursday, October 18, 2007
I with Noor Naz Agha
At the farewell party of our law course at Sindh Law College Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan.
In case of Emergency
ICE CAMPAIGN (in case of Emergency)
Seriously Very Important to Note
Isn’t it true that we all carry our mobile phones with hundreds of names/numbers stored in its memory but yet nobody, other than ourselves, know which of these numbers belong to our near and dear ones?
Let us for a moment create a scenario wherein (God forbid) we are involved in an accident or had a heart attack and the people attending us get hold of our mobile phone but don’t’ know which number to call to inform our family members. Yes, there are hundreds of numbers stored but which one is the contact person in case of an emergency?
For this reason, we must have one or more telephone numbers stored under the name ICE (in case of emergency) in our mobile phones.
Recently, the concept of “ICE” is catching up quickly. It is simply, an important method of contact during emergency situations.
As cell phones are carried by majority of the population, all you need to do is store the number of a contact person or person who should be contacted at during emergency as “ICE” (meaning In Case of Emergency).
The idea was thought up by a paramedic who found that when they went to the scenes of accidents, there were always mobile phones with patients, but they didn’t know which number to call.
He therefore thought that it would be a good idea if there was a nationally recognized name for this purpose.
Following a disaster in London, the East Anglican Ambulance Service has launched a national “In case of Emergency (ICE)” campaign.
In an emergency situation, Emergency Service personnel and hospital staff would then be able to quickly contact your next of kin, by simply dialing the number stored as “ICE”.
Please discuss this to all among your families and friends. It won’t take too much time before every body will know about this.
It really could save your life, or put a loved one’s mind at rest.
Fore more than one contact name simply enter ICE1, ICE2 and ICE3 etc. A great idea that will make a difference!
Let’s spread the concept of ICE by storing an ICE number in our mobile phones today!
Ilyas A. Ansari
Seriously Very Important to Note
Isn’t it true that we all carry our mobile phones with hundreds of names/numbers stored in its memory but yet nobody, other than ourselves, know which of these numbers belong to our near and dear ones?
Let us for a moment create a scenario wherein (God forbid) we are involved in an accident or had a heart attack and the people attending us get hold of our mobile phone but don’t’ know which number to call to inform our family members. Yes, there are hundreds of numbers stored but which one is the contact person in case of an emergency?
For this reason, we must have one or more telephone numbers stored under the name ICE (in case of emergency) in our mobile phones.
Recently, the concept of “ICE” is catching up quickly. It is simply, an important method of contact during emergency situations.
As cell phones are carried by majority of the population, all you need to do is store the number of a contact person or person who should be contacted at during emergency as “ICE” (meaning In Case of Emergency).
The idea was thought up by a paramedic who found that when they went to the scenes of accidents, there were always mobile phones with patients, but they didn’t know which number to call.
He therefore thought that it would be a good idea if there was a nationally recognized name for this purpose.
Following a disaster in London, the East Anglican Ambulance Service has launched a national “In case of Emergency (ICE)” campaign.
In an emergency situation, Emergency Service personnel and hospital staff would then be able to quickly contact your next of kin, by simply dialing the number stored as “ICE”.
Please discuss this to all among your families and friends. It won’t take too much time before every body will know about this.
It really could save your life, or put a loved one’s mind at rest.
Fore more than one contact name simply enter ICE1, ICE2 and ICE3 etc. A great idea that will make a difference!
Let’s spread the concept of ICE by storing an ICE number in our mobile phones today!
Ilyas A. Ansari
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