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