Introduction: Pakistan

 Background:

The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world and dating back at least 5,000 years, spread over much of what is presently Pakistan. During the second millennium B.C., remnants of this culture fused with the migrating Indo-Aryan peoples. The area underwent successive invasions in subsequent centuries from the Persians, Greeks, Scythians, Arabs (who brought Islam), Afghans, and Turks. The Mughal Empire flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries; the British came to dominate the region in the 18th century. The separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of Pakistan (with West and East sections) and largely Hindu India was never satisfactorily resolved, and India and Pakistan fought two wars - in 1947-48 and 1965 - over the disputed Kashmir territory. A third war between these countries in 1971 - in which India capitalized on Islamabad's marginalization of Bengalis in Pakistani politics - resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. In response to Indian nuclear weapons testing, Pakistan conducted its own tests in 1998. India-Pakistan relations have been rocky since the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, but both countries are taking small steps to put relations back on track. In February 2008, Pakistan held parliamentary elections and in September 2008, after the resignation of former President MUSHARRAF, elected Asif Ali ZARDARI to the presidency. Pakistani government and military leaders are struggling to control domestic insurgents, many of whom are located in the tribal areas adjacent to the border with Afghanistan. In January 2012, Pakistan assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2012-13 terms.

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: 796,095 sq km

Country comparison to the world:  36

 Land: 770,875 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: 24.44%

 Permanent crops: 0.84%

 Other: 74.72% (2005)

 Irrigated land:          

198,700 sq km (2003)

 Total renewable water resources:  

233.8 cu km (2003)

 Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):     

Total: 169.39 cu km/yr (2%/2%/96%)

 Per capita: 1,072 cu m/yr (2000)

 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 freshwater resources; most 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 and Society: Pakistan

 Nationality:     

                 Noun: Pakistani(s)

                              Adjective: Pakistani

 Ethnic groups:         

                  Punjabi 44.68%, Pashtun (Pathan) 15.42%, Sindhi 14.1%, Sariaki 8.38%, Muhajirs 7.57%, Balochi 3.57%, other 6.28%

 Languages:

Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Saraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu (official) 8%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2%, Brahui 1%, English (official; lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries), Burushaski, and other 8%

 Religions:    

Muslim (official) 95% (Sunni 75%, Shia 20%), other (includes Christian and Hindu) 5%

 Population:      

190,291,129 (July 2012 EST.)

Country comparison to the world:  6

 Age structure:         

0-14 years: 34.7% (male 33,941,828/ female 32,130,001)

 15-64 years: 61% (male 59,994,942/ female 56,149,664)

 65 years and over: 4.2% (male 3,808,536/ female 4,266,158) (2012 EST.)

Population pyramid:

 Median age:    

Total: 21.9 years

 Male: 21.9 years

 Female: 22 years (2012 EST.)

 Population growth rate:  

1.551% (2012 EST.)  

Country comparison to the world:  77

 Birth rate:        

24.3 births/1,000 population (2012 EST.)

Country comparison to the world:  65

 Death rate:      

6.8 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 EST.)

Country comparison to the world:  138

 Net migration rate:          

-2 migrant(s)/1,000 populations (2012 EST.)

Country comparison to the world:  165

 Urbanization:  

Urban population: 36% of total population (2010)

 Rate of urbanization: 3.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 EST.)

 Major cities - population:        

Karachi 13.125 million; Lahore 7.132 million; Faisalabad 2.849 million; Rawalpindi 2.026 million; ISLAMABAD (capital) 832,000 (2009)

 Sex ratio:         

At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

 Under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

 15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female

 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female

 Total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2011 EST.)

 Maternal mortality rate:          

260 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)

Country comparison to the world:  43

 Infant mortality rate:       

               Total: 61.27 deaths/1,000 live births

           Country comparison to the world:  25

        Male: 64.51 deaths/1,000 live births

        Female: 57.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 EST.)

 Life expectancy at birth:         

Total population: 66.35 years

Country comparison to the world:  166

 Male: 64.52 years

 Female: 68.28 years (2012 EST.)

 Total fertility rate:  

3.07 children born/woman (2012 EST.)

Country comparison to the world:  59

 Health expenditures:       

2.6% of GDP (2009)

Country comparison to the world:  182

 Physicians density:          

0.813 physicians/1,000 population (2009)

 Hospital bed density:      

0.6 beds/1,000 population (2009)

 HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:         

0.1% (2009 EST.)

Country comparison to the world:  146

 HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:    

98,000 (2009 EST.)

Country comparison to the world:  42

 HIV/AIDS - deaths:        

5,800 (2009 EST.)

Country comparison to the world:  34

 Major infectious diseases:       

Degree of risk: high

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

 Vector borne diseases: dengue fever and malaria

 Animal contact disease: rabies

Note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)

 Children under the age of 5 years underweight:     

31.3% (2001)

Country comparison to the world:  17

 Education expenditures:         

2.7% of GDP (2009)

Country comparison to the world:  142

 Literacy:          

Definition: age 15 and over can read and write

 Total population: 54.9%

 Male: 68.6%

 Female: 40.3% (2009 EST.)

 School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):         

Total: 7 years

 Male: 8 years

 Female: 6 years (2009)

 Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:         

Total: 7.7%

Country comparison to the world:  114

 Male: 7%

 Female: 10.5% (2008)

Government: Pakistan

 Country name:        

Conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Pakistan

 Conventional short form: Pakistan

 Local long form: Jamhuryat Islami Pakistan

 Local short form: Pakistan

 Former: West Pakistan

 Government type:  

Federal republic

 Capital:    

Name: Islamabad

 Geographic coordinates: 33 41 N, 73 03 E

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

 Administrative divisions:

4 provinces, 1 territory, and 1 capital territory; Balochistan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Islamabad Capital Territory, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly North-West Frontier Province), Punjab, Sindh

Note: the Pakistani-administered portion of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region consists of two administrative entities: Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan

 Independence:     

14 August 1947 (from British India)

 National holiday:     

           Republic (Pakistan )Day, 23 March (1956)

 Constitution:          

       12 April 1973; suspended 5 July 1977, restored 30 December 1985; suspended 15 October 1999, restored in stages in 2002; amended 31 December 2003; suspended 3 November 2007; restored 15 December 2007; amended 19 April 2010

 Legal system:          

Common law system with Islamic law influence

 International law organization participation:          

Accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt

 Suffrage:          

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

 Executive branch:         

   Chief of state: President Asif Ali ZARDARI (since 9 September 2008)

 Head of government: Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz ASHRAF (since 22 June 2012); Deputy Prime Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz ELAHI (since 25 June 2012)

 Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president upon the advice of the prime minister

(For more information visit the World Leaders website)

 elections: president elected by secret ballot through an Electoral College comprising the members of the Senate, National Assembly, and provincial assemblies for a five-year term; election last held on 6 September 2008 (next to be held not later than 2013); note - any person who is a Muslim and not less than 45 years of age and qualified to be elected as a member of the National Assembly can contest the presidential election; the prime minister selected by the National Assembly

 election results: Asif Ali ZARDARI elected president; ZARDARI 481 votes, SIDDIQUE 153 votes, SYED 44 votes; Syed Yousuf Raza GILANI elected prime minister; GILANI 264 votes, Pervaiz ELAHI 42 votes; several abstentions; Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz ASHRAF elected by Parliament - ASHRAF 211 votes, Sardar Mehtab ABBASI 89 votes

 Legislative branch:

bicameral parliament or Majlis-e-Shoora consists of the Senate (100 seats; members indirectly elected by provincial assemblies and the territories' representatives in the National Assembly to serve six-year terms; one half are elected every three years) and the National Assembly (342 seats; 272 members elected by popular vote; 60 seats reserved for women; 10 seats reserved for non-Muslims; members serve five-year terms)

 elections: Senate - last held on 3 March 2009 (next to be held in March 2012); National Assembly - last held on 18 February 2008 with by-elections on 26 June 2008 (next to be held in 2013)

 election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPPP 27, PML 21, MMA 9, PML-N 7, ANP 6, MQM 6, JUI-F 4, BNP-A 2, JWP 1, NPP 1, PKMAP 1, PML-F 1, PPP 1, independents 13; National Assembly - percent of votes by party - NA; seats by party as of October 2010 - PPPP 127, PML-N 90, PML 51, MQM 25, ANP 13, JUI-F 8, PML-F 5, BNP-A 1, NPP 1, PPP-S 1, independents 18, unfilled seats - 2

 Judicial branch:       

Supreme Court (justices appointed by the president); Federal Islamic or Sharia Court

 Political parties and leaders:  

Awami National Party or ANP [Asfandyar Wali KHAN]; Balochistan National Party-Awami or BNP-A; Balochistan National Party-Hayee Group or BNP-H [Dr. Hayee BALOCH]; Balochistan National Party-Mengal or BNP-M; Jamaat-i Islami or JI [Syed Munawar HASAN]; Jamhoori Watan Party or JWP; Jamiat Ahle Hadith or JAH [Sajid MIR]; Jamiat Ulema-i Islam Fazl-ur Rehman or JUI-F [Fazl-ur REHMAN]; Jamiat Ulema-i Islam Sami-ul HAQ or JUI-S [Sami ul-HAQ]; Jamiat Ulema-i Pakistan or JUP [Abul Khair ZUBAIR]; Millat-e-Jafferia [Allama Sajid NAQVI]; Muttahida Majlis-e Amal or MMA [Qazi Hussain AHMED]; Muttahida Qaumi Movement or MQM [Altaf HUSSAIN]; National Peoples Party or NPP; Pakhtun Khwa Milli Awami Party or PKMAP [Mahmood Khan ACHAKZAI]; Pakistan Awami Tehrik or PAT [Tahir ul QADRI]; Pakistan Muslim League or PML [Chaudhry Shujaat HUSSAIN]; Pakistan Muslim League-Functional or PML-F [Pir PAGARO]; Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz or PML-N [Nawaz SHARIF]; Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians or PPPP [Bilawal Bhutto ZARDARI, chairman; Asif Ali ZARDARI, co-chairman]; Pakistan Peoples Party-SHERPAO or PPP-S [Aftab Ahmed Khan SHERPAO]; Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaaf or PTI [Imran KHAN]

note: political alliances in Pakistan can shift frequently

 Political pressure groups and leaders:     

other: military (most important political force); ulema (clergy); landowners; industrialists; small merchants

 International organization participation:         

ADB, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), C, CICA, CP, D-8, ECO, FAO, G-11, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (with national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, SCO (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMIT, UNOCI, UNSC (temporary), UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

 Diplomatic representation in the US:      

chief of mission: Ambassador Sheherbano REHMAN

 chancery: 3517 International Court, Washington, DC 20008

 telephone: [1] (202) 243-6500

 FAX: [1] (202) 686-1544

 consulate(s) general: Boston (Honorary Consulate General), Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York

 consulate(s): Chicago, Houston

 Diplomatic representation from the US:         

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Richard E. HOAGLAND

 embassy: Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, Islamabad

 mailing address: 8100 Islamabad Pl., Washington, DC 20521-8100

 telephone: [92] (51) 208-0000

 FAX: [92] (51) 227-6427

 consulate(s) general: Karachi

 consulate(s): Lahore, Peshawar

 Flag description:  

Green with a vertical white band (symbolizing the role of religious minorities) on the hoist side; a large white crescent and star are centered in the green field; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam

 National symbol(s):         

             Star and crescent

 National anthem:     

  name: "Qaumi Tarana" (National Anthem)

 lyrics/music: Abu-Al-Asar Hafeez JULLANDHURI/Ahmed Ghulamali CHAGLA

note: adopted 1954; the anthem is also known as "Pak sarzamin shad bad" (Blessed Be the Sacred Land)

Economy ::Pakistan

   Economy - overview:    

        Decades of internal political disputes and low levels of foreign investment have led to slow growth and underdevelopment in Pakistan. Agriculture accounts for more than one-fifth of output and two-fifths of employment. Textiles account for most of Pakistan's export earnings, and Pakistan's failure to expand a viable export base for other manufactures has left the country vulnerable to shifts in world demand. Official unemployment is 6%, but this fails to capture the true picture, because much of the economy is informal and underemployment remains high. Over the past few years, low growth and high inflation, led by a spurt in food prices, have increased the amount of poverty - the UN Human Development Report estimated poverty in 2011 at almost 50% of the population. Inflation has worsened the situation, climbing from 7.7% in 2007 to more than 13% for 2011, before declining to 9.3% at year-end. As a result of political and economic instability, the Pakistani rupee has depreciated more than 40% since 2007. The government agreed to an International Monetary Fund Standby Arrangement in November 2008 in response to a balance of payments crisis. Although the economy has stabilized since the crisis, it has failed to recover. Foreign investment has not returned, due to investor concerns related to governance, energy, security, and a slow-down in the global economy. Remittances from overseas workers, averaging about $1 billion a month since March 2011, remain a bright spot for Pakistan. However, after a small current account surplus in fiscal year 2011 (July 2010/June 2011), Pakistan's current account turned to deficit in the second half of 2011, spurred by higher prices for imported oil and lower prices for exported cotton. Pakistan remains stuck in a low-income, low-growth trap, with growth averaging 2.9% per year from 2008 to 2011. Pakistan must address long standing issues related to government revenues and energy production in order to spur the amount of economic growth that will be necessary to employ its growing population. Other long term challenges include expanding investment in education and healthcare, and reducing dependence on foreign donors.

 GDP (purchasing power parity):     

$488.4 billion (2011 est.)

Country comparison to the world:  28

$474 billion (2010 est.)

$459.9 billion (2009 est.)

Note: data are in 2011 US dollars

 GDP (official exchange rate):         

$206.9 billion (2011 est.)

 GDP - real growth rate:  

 3% (2011 est.)

 country comparison to the world:  123

3.1% (2010 est.)

1.7% (2009 est.)

 GDP - per capita (PPP):         

$2,800 (2011 est.)

Country comparison to the world:  175

$2,800 (2010 est.)

$2,700 (2009 est.)

Note: data are in 2011 US dollars

 GDP - composition by sector:         

Agriculture: 21.6%

 Industry: 24.9%

 Services: 53.4% (2011 est.)

 Labor force:  

     58.64 million

Country comparison to the world:  10

Note: extensive export of labor, mostly to the Middle East, and use of child labor (2011 est.)

 Labor force - by occupation:          

agriculture: 45%

 industry: 20.1%

 services: 34.9% (2010 est.)

 Unemployment rate:       

5.6% (2011 est.)

country comparison to the world:  57

5.6% (2010 est.)

note: substantial underemployment exists

 Population below poverty line:       

22.3% (FY05/06 est.)

 Household income or consumption by percentage share:      

lowest 10%: 9.9%

 highest 10%: 39.3% (FY07/08)

 Distribution of family income - Gini index:    

30.6 (FY07/08)

country comparison to the world:  112

41 (FY98/99)

 Investment (gross fixed):        

11.5% of GDP (2011 est.)

country comparison to the world:  145

 Budget:    

  Revenues: $26.18 billion

 Expenditures: $40.02 billion (2011 est.)

 Taxes and other revenues:      

12.7% of GDP (2011 est.)

country comparison to the world:  203

 Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):     

-6.7% of GDP (2011 est.)

country comparison to the world:  182

 Public debt:     

60.1% of GDP (2011 est.)

country comparison to the world:  44

61.4% of GDP (2010 est.)

 Inflation rate (consumer prices):     

11.9% (2011 est.)

country comparison to the world:  197

12.9% (2010 est.)

 Central bank discount rate:     

12% (31 January 2012 est.)

country comparison to the world:  15

14% (31 December 2010 est.)

 Commercial bank prime lending rate:     

14.12% (31 December 2011 est.)

country comparison to the world:  60

13.46% (31 December 2010 est.)

 Stock of narrow money:          

$56.34 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

country comparison to the world:  43

$53.08 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

 Stock of broad money:    

$76.16 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

country comparison to the world:  59

$71.36 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

 Stock of domestic credit:        

$86.19 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

country comparison to the world:  56

$70.6 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

 Market value of publicly traded shares:         

$32.76 billion (31 December 2011)

country comparison to the world:  54

$38.17 billion (31 December 2010)

$33.24 billion (31 December 2009)

 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:          

3% (2011 est.)

Country comparison to the world:  103

 Current account balance:        

$268 million (2011 est.)

country comparison to the world:  51

-$3.94 billion (2010 est.)

 Exports:  

$26.3 billion (2011 est.)

country comparison to the world:  69

$21.47 billion (2010 est.)

 Exports - commodities:  

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

 Exports - partners:          

US 14.3%, UAE 7.6%, Afghanistan 7.5%, China 7.5%, Germany 5%, UK 4.1% (2011)

 Imports:  

$38.93 billion (2011 est.)

country comparison to the world:  60

$32.92 billion (2010 est.)

 Imports - commodities:  

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

 Imports - partners:  

China 18.2%, Saudi Arabia 11.4%, UAE 11.3%, Kuwait 5.9%, Malaysia 5.5%, US 4.3%, Singapore 4% (2011)

 Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:         

$18.09 billion (2011 est.)

country comparison to the world:  59

$17.21 billion (2010 est.)

 Debt - external:       

$58.27 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

country comparison to the world:  56

$56.77 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

 Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:         

$21.88 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

country comparison to the world:  67

$19.83 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

 Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:  

$1.432 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

country comparison to the world:  73

$1.362 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

 Exchange rates:       

Pakistani rupees (PKR) per US dollar -

86.343 (2011 est.)

85.194 (2010 est.)

81.71 (2009)

70.64 (2008)

60.6295 (2007)

 Fiscal year:      

1 July - 30 June

Energy ::Pakistan

 Electricity - production:          

93.35 billion kWh (2010 est.)

country comparison to the world: 35

 Electricity - consumption:       

74.35 billion kWh (2010 est.)

country comparison to the world:  38

 Electricity - exports:       

0 kWh (2011 est.)

country comparison to the world:  117

 Electricity - imports:       

0 kWh (2010 est.)

country comparison to the world:  120

 Electricity - installed generating capacity:      

20.2 million kW (2009 est.)

country comparison to the world:  36

 Electricity - from fossil fuels:         

65.2% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

country comparison to the world:  129

 Electricity - from nuclear fuels:      

2.3% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

country comparison to the world:  27

 Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:  

32.5% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

country comparison to the world:  66

 Electricity - from other renewable sources:    

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

country comparison to the world:  174

 Crude oil - production:    

63,080 bbl/day (2011 est.)

country comparison to the world:  55

 Crude oil - exports:         

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

country comparison to the world:  168

 Crude oil - imports:         

183,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

country comparison to the world:  35

 Crude oil - proved reserves:    

280.7 million bbl (1 January 2012 est.)

country comparison to the world:  56

 Refined petroleum products - production:      

215,900 bbl/day (2008 est.)

country comparison to the world:  52

 Refined petroleum products - consumption:  

426,700 bbl/day (2011 est.)

country comparison to the world:  35

 Refined petroleum products - exports:  

26,830 bbl/day (2008 est.)

country comparison to the world:  70

 Refined petroleum products - imports:  

195,700 bbl/day (2008 est.)

country comparison to the world:  28

 Natural gas - production:        

42.9 billion cu m (2011 est.)

country comparison to the world:  23

 Natural gas - consumption:     

42.9 billion cu m (2011 est.)

country comparison to the world:  24

 Natural gas - exports:      

0 cu m (2010 est.)

country comparison to the world:  132

 Natural gas - imports:      

0 cu m (2010 est.)

country comparison to the world:  117

 Natural gas - proved reserves:        

753.8 billion cu m (1 January 2012 est.)

country comparison to the world:  30

 Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:        

151.6 million Mt (2010 est.)

country comparison to the world:  34

Communications ::Pakistan

 Telephones - main lines in use:       

5.722 million (2011)

country comparison to the world: 30

 Telephones - mobile cellular:          

111 million (2011)

country comparison to the world:  9

 Telephone system:          

general assessment: the telecommunications infrastructure is improving dramatically with foreign and domestic investments in fixed-line and mobile-cellular networks; system consists of microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable, cellular, and satellite networks;

 domestic: mobile-cellular subscribership has skyrocketed, exceeding 110 million by the end of 2011, up from only about 300,000 in 2000; more than 90 percent of Pakistanis live within areas that have cell phone coverage and more than half of all Pakistanis have access to a cell phone; fiber systems are being constructed throughout the country to aid in network growth; fixed line availability has risen only marginally over the same period and there are still difficulties getting fixed-line service to rural areas

 international: country code - 92; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable systems that provide links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); 3 operational international gateway exchanges (1 at Karachi and 2 at Islamabad); microwave radio relay to neighboring countries

 Broadcast media:

media is government regulated; 1 dominant state-owned TV broadcaster, Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV), operates a network consisting of 5 channels; private TV broadcasters are permitted; to date 69 foreign satellite channels are operational; the state-owned radio network operates more than 40 stations; nearly 100 commercially-licensed privately-owned radio stations provide programming mostly limited to music and talk shows (2007)

 Internet country code:    

.pk

 Internet hosts:         

   365,813 (2012)

Country comparison to the world:  57

 Internet users:         

20.431 million (2009)

country comparison to the world:  20

Transportation: Pakistan

  Airports:         

 151 (2012)

 country comparison to the world: 37

 Airports - with paved runways:      

 Total: 107

  Over 3,047 m: 15

 2,438 to 3,047 m: 20

 1,524 to 2,437 m: 42

 914 to 1,523 m: 20

  Under 914 m: 10 (2012)

 Airports - with unpaved runways:  

total: 44

 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11

 914 to 1,523 m: 9

 under 914 m: 24 (2012)

 Heliports:        

24 (2012)

 Pipelines:         

gas 10,514 km; oil 2,013 km; refined products 787 km (2010)

 Railways:       

   total: 7,791 km

  country comparison to the world:  27

   broad gauge: 7,479 km 1.676-m gauge (293 km electrified)

   narrow gauge: 312 km 1.000-m gauge (2007)

 Roadways:     

total: 260,760 km

country comparison to the world:  20

 paved: 180,910 km (includes 711 km of expressways)

 unpaved: 79,850 km (2007)

 Merchant marine:    

total: 11

country comparison to the world:  111

 by type: bulk carrier 5, cargo 3, petroleum tanker 3

 registered in other countries: 11 (Comoros 5, Marshall Islands 1, Moldova 1, Panama 3, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1) (2010)

 Ports and terminals:        

Karachi, Port Muhammad Bin Qasim

Military ::Pakistan

 Military branches:  

Pakistan Army (includes National Guard), Pakistan Navy (includes Marines and Maritime Security Agency), Pakistan Air Force (Pakistan Fiza'ya) (2010)

 Military service age and obligation:        

17-23 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers cannot be deployed for combat until age 18; the Pakistani Air Force and Pakistani Navy have inducted their first female pilots and sailors; service obligation (Navy) 10-18 years; retirement required after 18-30 years service or age 40-52 (2012)

 Manpower available for military service:       

males age 16-49: 48,453,305

 females age 16-49: 44,898,096 (2010 est.)

 Manpower fit for military service:          

males age 16-49: 37,945,440

 females age 16-49: 37,381,549 (2010 est.)

 Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:         

male: 2,237,723

 female: 2,104,906 (2010 est.)

 Military expenditures:     

3% of GDP (2007 est.)

country comparison to the world:  46

Transnational Issues ::Pakistan

 Disputes - international:          

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

 Refugees and internally displaced persons:    

refugees (country of origin): 1,701,945 (Afghanistan) (2011)

 IDPs: 818,000 (fighting in Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Khyber-Pakhtunkwa, and Balochistan since 2004; military operations in SWAT in 2009; flooding in 2010) (2012)

 Illicit drugs:

significant transit area for Afghan drugs, including heroin, opium, morphine, and hashish, bound for Iran, Western markets, the Gulf States, Africa, and Asia; financial crimes related to drug trafficking, terrorism, corruption, and smuggling remain problems; opium poppy cultivation estimated to be 2,300 hectares in 2007 with 600 of those hectares eradicated; federal and provincial authorities continue to conduct anti-poppy campaigns that utilizes forced eradication, fines, and arrests