Pakistan

Pakistan Population: 190,291,129

 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 term.

Geography

Controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion routes between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent

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

Area:

total: 796,095 sq km land: 770,875 sq km water: 25,220 sq km Size comparison: 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)

Natural hazards:

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

Current Environment 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

International Environment 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

People

Population:

190,291,129 (July 2012 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 35.4% (male 34,093,853/female 32,278,462) 15-64 years: 60.4% (male 58,401,016/female 54,671,873) 65 years and over: 4.2% (male 3,739,647/female 4,157,870) (2011 est.)

Median age:

total: 21.9 years male: 21.9 years female: 22 years (2012 est.)

Population growth rate:

1.551% (2012 est.)

Birth rate:

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

Death rate:

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

Net migration rate:

-2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)

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.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 61.27 deaths/1,000 live births 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 male: 64.52 years female: 68.28 years (2012 est.)

Total fertility rate:

3.07 children born/woman (2012 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.1% (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

98,000 (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

5,800 (2009 est.)

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%

Religions:

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

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%

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 54.9% male: 68.6% female: 40.3% (2009 est.)

Government

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:

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

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) 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 is 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 Pervais 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, 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

Economy

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):

GDP (purchasing power parity): $494.8 billion (2011 est.) $483.3 billion (2010 est.) $465.8 billion (2009 est.) note: data are in 2011 US dollars

GDP (official exchange rate):

GDP (official exchange rate): $210.6 billion (2011 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

2.4% (2011 est.) 3.8% (2010 est.) 1.7% (2009 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

GDP - per capita (PPP): $2,800 (2011 est.) $2,800 (2010 est.) $2,800 (2009 est.) note: data are in 2011 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 20.9% industry: 25.8% services: 53.3% (2011 est.)

Labor force:

58.41 million 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.) 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) 41 (FY98/99)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11.9% (2011 est.) 12.9% (2010 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):

Investment (gross fixed): 11.8% of GDP (2011 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $26.3 billion expenditures: $40.2 billion (2011 est.)

Public debt:

60.1% of GDP (2011 est.) 61.4% of GDP (2010 est.)

Agriculture - products:

cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; milk, beef, mutton, eggs

Industries:

textiles and apparel, food processing, pharmaceuticals, construction materials, paper products, fertilizer, shrimp

Industrial production growth rate:

3% (2011 est.)

Electricity - production:

93.35 billion kWh (2010 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

74.35 billion kWh (2010 est.)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2011 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Oil - production:

64,950 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Oil - consumption:

410,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Oil - exports:

29,840 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - imports:

346,400 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - proved reserves:

313 million bbl (1 January 2011 est.)

Natural gas - production:

42.9 billion cu m (2011 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

42.9 billion cu m (2011 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2009 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2009 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

840.2 billion cu m (1 January 2011 est.)

Current account balance:

$268 million (2011 est.) -$3.94 billion (2010 est.)

Exports:

$25.35 billion (2011 est.) $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 7.7%, Afghanistan 7.6%, China 7.6%, Germany 5%, UK 4.1% (2011)

Imports:

$35.82 billion (2011 est.) $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 17.9%, Saudi Arabia 11.2%, UAE 11.1%, Kuwait 5.8%, Malaysia 5.7%, India 4.9%, US 4.3% (2011)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$18.09 billion (31 December 2011 est.) $17.21 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

Debt - external:

$61.83 billion (31 December 2011 est.) $56.77 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$31.36 billion (31 December 2011 est.) $30.06 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$1.419 billion (31 December 2011 est.) $1.362 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$32.76 billion (31 December 2011) $38.17 billion (31 December 2010) $33.24 billion (31 December 2009)

Exchange rates:

Pakistani rupees (PKR) per US dollar - 85.99 (2011 est.) 85.19 (2010 est.) 81.71 (2009) 70.64 (2008) 60.6295 (2007)

Fiscal year:

1 July - 30 June

Communications

Telephones in use:

3.419 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 46

Cellular Phones in use:

111 million (2009)

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 (2009)

Internet hosts:

340,834 (2010)

Internet users:

20.431 million (2009)

Transportation

Airports:

151 (2012) country comparison to the world: 37

Airports (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 (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 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 paved: 180,910 km (includes 711 km of expressways) unpaved: 79,850 km (2007)

Merchant marine:

total: 11 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

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.)