World Atlas: Pakistan

Information about Pakistan

Here you can find online selected information about the geography, inhabitants, government, economy and history of Pakistan. Included are selected statistics, an overview map and the detailed map of Pakistan. But let's start with the flag of Pakistan here:

Pakistan - Overview:

What you should know about Pakistan? Let's start with this: 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 and a limited conflict - in 1947-48, 1965, and 1999 respectively - 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 mid-1998. India-Pakistan relations improved in the mid-2000s but have been rocky since the November 2008 Mumbai attacks and have been further strained by attacks in India by militants suspected of being based in Pakistan. Nawaz Sharif took office as prime minister in 2013, marking the first time in Pakistani history that a democratically elected government completed a full term and transitioned to a successive democratically elected government. In July 2017, the Supreme Court disqualified Sharif from public office, and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi replaced him as prime minister in August. Pakistan has been engaged in a decades-long armed conflict with militant groups that target government institutions and civilians, including the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant networks.

Geography of Pakistan

Where on the globe is Pakistan? The location of this country is Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north. Total area of Pakistan is 796,095 sq km, of which 770,875 sq km is land. So this is quite a large country. How could we describe the terrain of the country? This way: divided into three major geographic areas: the northern highlands, the Indus River plain in the center and east, and the Balochistan Plateau in the south and west. The lowest point of Pakistan is Arabian Sea 0 m, the highest point K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611 m. And the climate is mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north.

Inhabitants of Pakistan

Let's take a look how many people live in Pakistan. The number is: 204,924,861 (July 2017 est.). So this country is among the most populous in the World. Who lives here? Punjabi 44.7%, Pashtun (Pathan) 15.4%, Sindhi 14.1%, Sariaki 8.4%, Muhajirs 7.6%, Balochi 3.6%, other 6.3%. What are the languages in Pakistan? Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Saraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashto (alternate name, 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%. And the religions: Muslim (official) 96.4% (Sunni 85-90%, Shia 10-15%), other (includes Christian and Hindu) 3.6% (2010 est.). How old are the people in average? 23.8 years. We have to add that this number is the median - so one half of the people is older than this, one half is younger. And what is their life expectancy (at birth)? This: 68.1 years. Where the people live in Pakistan? Here: the Indus River and its tributaries attract most of the settlement, with Punjab province the most densely populated. The major urban areas of Pakistan are: Karachi 16.618 million; Lahore 8.741 million; Faisalabad 3.567 million; Rawalpindi 2.506 million; Multan 1.921 million; Islamabad (capital) 1.365 million (2015).

Government and Economy of Pakistan

The capital of Pakistan is Islamabad and the government type federal parliamentary republic. Let's take a look at the 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. Regarding the economy of Pakistan, important industrial products are textiles and apparel, food processing, pharmaceuticals, surgical instruments, construction materials, paper products, fertilizer, shrimp. Important agricultural products are cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; milk, beef, mutton, eggs. The most important export commodities are textiles (garments, bed linen, cotton cloth, yarn), rice, leather goods, sporting goods, chemicals, manufactures, surgical instruments, carpets and rugs and the most important export partners are US 16.3%, China 7.6%, UK 7.4%, Afghanistan 6.5%, Germany 5.7% (2016). The most important import commodities are petroleum, petroleum products, machinery, plastics, transportation equipment, edible oils, paper and paperboard, iron and steel, tea and the most important import partners are China 29.1%, UAE 13.2%, Indonesia 4.4%, US 4.3%, Japan 4.2% (2016). How rich is Pakistan and how rich are people in this country? The most important number here is GDP per capita (PPP): $5,400 (2017 est.). This is quite a low number. Let's add that this means Gross Domestic Product per person, which is recalculated with respect to the relative cost of local goods and services. And one more important number - population below poverty line: 29.5% (FY2013 est.).

Map of Pakistan