Pakistan

Islamic Republic of Pakistan

republicIndependence 14 August 1947 (from UK)

Pakistan as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 79 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalIslamabad

Area803,940 km2

LocationSouth Asia, along the Arabian Sea, between India and Afghanistan

Populationas each edition published it

125.21 million July 1993 est. · 114.65m in 1990

Population growth% a year

2.87% 1993 est. · 1.82% in 2025

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 19.8 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

57.11 years 1993 est. · 70.3 yrs in 2025

Fertility ratechildren per woman

6.5 children per woman 1993 est. · 6.7 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

103.6 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 110 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$410 $5,500 in 2025

GDP real growth% a year

6.4% 3.2% in 2025

Geography

South Asia, along the Arabian Sea, between India and Afghanistan

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Land useshare of 803,940 km2

arable land 26%permanent crops 0%meadows and pastures 6%forest and woodland 4%other 64%irrigated 162,200 km2 (1989)

Area

803,940km2

land area: 778,720 km2comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of California

Coastline

1,046km

contiguous zone: 24 nmcontinental shelf: 200 nm or the edge of continental marginexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

6,774km

total · Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km, India 2,912 km, Iran 909 km

Location

South Asia, along the Arabian Sea, between India and Afghanistan

International disputes

status of Kashmir with India;
border question with Afghanistan (Durand Line);
water-sharing problems (Wular Barrage) over the Indus with upstream riparian India

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

Natural resources

land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum, poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone

Environment

frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west;
flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August);
deforestation;
soil erosion;
desertification;
water logging

Note

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

People

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Population

125,213,732

(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 2.87% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth

42.59Death

12.6Net migration

-1.28

Male · female(1993 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years57.11

56.54 · 57.72

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy35%

47% · 21%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1990)

Labor force

28.9million

by occupation: agriculture 54%, mining and manufacturing 13%, services 33%, extensive export of labor (1987 est.)

Infant mortality rate

103.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Pakistani(s)
adjective:: Pakistani

Ethnic divisions

Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants from India and their descendents)

Religions

Muslim 97% (Sunni 77%, Shi'a 20%), Christian, Hindu, and other 3%

Urdu (official), English (official; lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries, but official policies are promoting its gradual replacement by Urdu), Punjabi 64%, Sindhi 12%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu 7%, Balochi and other 9%

Government

Republic

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Names

conventional long form:: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
conventional short form:: Pakistan
former:: West Pakistan

Digraph

Type

republic

Capital

Islamabad

Administrative divisions

4 provinces, 1 territory*, and 1 capital territory**; Balochistan, Federally, Administered 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)

Constitution

10 April 1973, suspended 5 July 1977, restored with amendments, 30 December 1985

Legal system

based on English common law with provisions to accommodate Pakistan's stature as an Islamic state; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

National holiday

Pakistan Day, 23 March (1956) (proclamation of the republic)

Political parties and leaders

government:: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Mian Nawaz SHARIF;
Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP), Mohammad Akbar Khan BUGTI;
Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI), Fazl-ur-REHMAN and Sami-ul-HAQ;
Awami National Party (ANP), Khan Abdul WALI KHAN;
Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan-Niazi, Maulana Abdul Sattar Khan NIAZI;
Pakhtun Khwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP), Mahmood Khan ACHAKZAI
opposition:: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Benazir BHUTTO and Nusrat BHUTTO;
Pakistan Muslim League-Chattha (PML-C), Hamid Nasir CHATTHA;
Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), Qazi Hussain AHMED;
National People's Party (NPP), Ghulam Mustapha JATOI (formerly the PNP);
Tehrik-i-Istiqlal (TI), Air Marshal (Ret.) Mohammad ASGHAR KHAN;
Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Fiqah-i-Jafaria (TNFJ), Agha Hamid Ali MUSAVI;
Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan-Noorani (JUP-Noorani), Maulana Shah Ahmed NOORANI;
Mohajir Quami Mahaz-Haqiqi (MQM-H), Afaq AHMED

Other political or pressure groups

military remains important political force; ulema (clergy), landowners, industrialists, and small merchants also influential

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Elections

President:: last held on 12 December 1988 (next to be held by NA November 1993); results - Ghulam ISHAQ KHAN was elected by Parliament and the four provincial assemblies
Senate:: last held March 1991 (next to be held NA March 1994);
seats - (87 total) PML 52, Tribal Area Representatives (nonparty) 8, PPP 5, ANP 5, JWP 4, MQM 3, PNP 2 (name later chaged to NPP), JI 2, JUP 2, JUI 2, PKMAP 1, independent 1
National Assembly:: last held on 24 October 1990 (next to be held by October 1995);
results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (217 total) number of seats by party NA;
note - President GHULAM ISHAQ Khan dismissed the National Assembly on 18 April 1993;
it was reestablished, however, on 26 May 1993 by the Supreme Court, which ruled the dismissal order unconstitutional

Executive branch

president, prime minister, Cabinet

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament (Majlis-e-Shoora) consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or National Assembly

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, Federal Islamic (Shari'at) Court

Leaders

Chief of State:: President Ghulam ISHAQ KHAN (since 13 December 1988)
Head of Government:: Prime Minister Mian Nawaz SHARIF (since 6 November 1990);
note - President GHULAM ISHAQ Khan dismissed Prime Minister SHARIF on 18 April 1993, but he was reinstated by the Supreme Court on 26 May 1993

Member of

AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNOSOM, UNTAC, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: (vacant)
chancery:: 2315 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:: (202) 939-6200
consulate general:: New York

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador John MONJO
embassy:: Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, Islamabad
mailing address:: P. O. Box 1048, PSC 1212, Box 2000, Islamabad or APO AE 09812-2000
telephone:: [92] (51) 826161 through 79
FAX:: [92] (51) 822004
consulates general:: Karachi, Lahore
consulate:: Peshawar

Flag

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

Economy

Pakistan is a poor Third World country faced with the usual problems of | rapidly increasing population, sizable government deficits, and heavy | dependence on foreign aid.

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GDP per capita, PPP

$410

(FY92 est.)

Real growth rate

6.4%

(FY92 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 5.7% (FY91); accounts for almost 20% of GNP

Inflation, consumer prices

12.7%

(FY91)

Unemployment rate

10%

(FY91 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$9.4 billionExpenditures

$10.9 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $3.1 billion (FY93 est.)

Overview

Pakistan is a poor Third World country faced with the usual problems of rapidly increasing population, sizable government deficits, and heavy dependence on foreign aid. In addition, the economy must support a large military establishment. A real economic growth rate averaging 5-6% in recent years has helped the country to cope with these problems.

Almost all agriculture and small-scale industry is in private hands. In 1990, Pakistan embarked on a sweeping economic liberalization program to boost foreign and domestic private investment and lower foreign aid dependence. The SHARIF government denationalized several state-owned firms and attracted some foreign investment.

Pakistan likely will have difficulty raising living standards because of its rapidly expanding population. At the current rate of growth, population would double in 25 years.

National product

GNP - exchange rate conversion - $48.3 billion (FY92 est.)

Exports

$6.8 billion (f.o.b., FY92)

commodities:: cotton, textiles, clothing, rice
partners:: EC 35%, US 11%, Japan 8% (FY91)

Imports

$9.1 billion (f.o.b., FY92)

commodities:: petroleum, petroleum products, machinery, transportation, equipment, vegetable oils, animal fats, chemicals
partners:: EC 29%, Japan 13%, US 12% (FY91)

External debt

$16.5 billion (1992 est.)

Electricity

10,000,000 kW capacity; 43,000 million kWh produced, 350 kWh per capita (1992)

Industries

textiles, food processing, beverages, construction materials, clothing, paper products, shrimp

Agriculture

25% of GNP, over 50% of labor force;
world's largest contiguous irrigation system;
major crops - cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables;
livestock products - milk, beef, mutton, eggs;
self-sufficient in food grain

Illicit drugs

illicit producer of opium and hashish for the international drug trade;
government eradication efforts on poppy cultivation of limited success;
largest producer of Southwest Asian heroin

Economic aid

(including Bangladesh prior to 1972) US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $4.5 billion;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $9.1 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $2.3 billion;
Communist countries (1970-89), $3.2 billion

Currency

1 Pakistani rupee (PRe) = 100 paisa

Exchange rates

Pakistani rupees (PRs) per US$1 - 25.904 (January 1993), 25.083 (1992), 23.801 (1991), 21.707 (1990), 20.541 (1989), 18.003 (1988)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Communications

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Merchant marine, 29 ships by typeone square, one ship

passenger-cargo 3cargo 24oil tanker 1bulk 129 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 350,916 GRT/530,855 DWT

Networkskm · (1985)

Highways

101,315Railroads

8,773

Highways: (1987); 40,155 km paved, 23,000 km gravel, 29,000 km improved earth, and 9,160 km unimproved earth or sand tracks · Railroads: ; 7,718 km broad gauge, 445 km 1-meter gauge, and 610 km less than 1-meter gauge; 1,037 km broad-gauge double track; 286 km electrified; all government owned

Railroads

8,773 km total;
7,718 km broad gauge, 445 km 1-meter gauge, and 610 km less than 1-meter gauge;
1,037 km broad-gauge double track;
286 km electrified;
all government owned (1985)

total:: 111
usable:: 104
with permanent-surface runways:: 75
with runways over 3,659 m:: 1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:: 31
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:: 42

Telecommunications

the domestic telephone system is poor, adequate only for government and business use;
about 7 telephones per 1,000 persons;
the system for international traffic is better and employs both microwave radio relay and satellites;
satellite ground stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT;
broadcast stations - 19 AM, 8 FM, 29 TV