Pakistan

Pakistan 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. A third war between these countries in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan seceding and 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.

Pakistan Information

• Population: 159,196,336 (July 2004 est.)
• Nationality: noun: Pakistani(s) adjective: Pakistani
• Location:: Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north
• Religions:: Muslim 97% (Sunni 77%, Shi'a 20%), Christian, Hindu, and other 3%
• Ethnic Groups:: Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants from India at the time of partition and their descendants)
• Land Boundaries:: total: 6,774 km border countries: Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km, India 2,912 km, Iran 909 km
• Area: total: 803,940 sq km land: 778,720 sq km water: 25,220 sq km
• Coast Line: 1,046 km
• 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
• Maritime Claims: territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
• Land Use: arable land: 27.87% permanent crops: 0.87% other: 71.26% (2001)
• Environmental 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
• Natural Resources: land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum, poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone
• Highways: total: 254,410 km paved: 109,396 km (including 339 km of expressways) unpaved: 145,014 km (1999)
• Railways: total: 8,163 km broad gauge: 7,718 km 1.676-m gauge (293 km electrified) narrow gauge: 445 km 1.000-m gauge (2003)
• Ports & Harbours: Karachi, Port Muhammad bin Qasim
• Airports: 129 (2003 est.)