Pakistan

Islamic Republic of Pakistan

federal republicIndependence 14 August 1947 (from UK)

Pakistan as the 1997 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 100 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
Position30 00 N, 70 00 E
Area803,940 sq km
LocationSouthern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on
1997

Every edition of Pakistan

Populationas each edition published it
132.19 million July 1997 est. · 114.65m in 1990
Population growth% a year
2.22% 1997 est. · 2.87% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 19.8 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
58.77 years 1997 est. · 57.11 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
5.08 children per woman 1997 est. · 6.7 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
95.1 deaths per 1,000 live births 1997 est. · 110 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$2,300 1996 est. · $410 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
5.5% 1996 est. · 6.4% in 1993

Geography

Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on | the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west

18 fields

Land useshare of 803,940 sq km

arable land 27%permanent crops 1%permanent pastures 6%forests and woodland 5%other 61% (1993 est.)irrigated 171,100 sq km (1993 est.)
Area
803,940sq km
land: 778,720 sq kmwater: 25,220 sq kmslightly less than twice the size of California
Coastline
1,046km
contiguous zone: 24 nmcontinental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental marginexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm
Highest point
2
K · (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611 mlowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
Land boundaries
6,774km
border countries: Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km, India 2,912 km, Iran 909 km

Location

Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west

Geographic coordinates

30 00 N, 70 00 E

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

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 fresh water resources;
  • a majority of the population does not have access to potable water;
  • deforestation;
  • soil erosion;
  • desertification

Environment - international agreements

party to :
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note

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

People

15 fields
Population
132,185,299
(July 1997 est.)note: no national census has been conducted since 1981growth rate: 2.22% (1997 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1997 est.)

Birth
35.26Death
10.95Net migration
-2.14
Literacy
37.8%
definition: age 15 and over can read and writemale: 50%female: 24.4% (1995 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years:
42% (male 28,702,496; female 27,048,787)
15-64 years:
54% (male 36,387,329; female 34,708,803) 65 years and over : 4% (male 2,667,936; female 2,669,948) (July 1997 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years :
1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
1 male(s)/female
total population:
1.05 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate

95.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:
58.77 years
male:
57.97 years
female :
59.61 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.08 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality

noun :
Pakistani(s)
adjective:
Pakistani

Ethnic groups

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

Religions

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

Languages

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

Government

Federal republic; President Sardar Farooq LEGHARI (since 13 November 1993)

21 fields

Senate, 217 seats, elected 12 March 1997one dot, one seat

PML/N 137PPP 18MQM/A 12ANP 10BNP 3JWP 2JUI/F 2PPP/SB 1NPP 1independents 21minorities 10

Country name

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

Government type

federal republic

Administrative divisions

  • 4 provinces, 1 territory*, and 1 capital territory**;
  • Balochistan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas*, Islamabad Capital Territory**, North-West Frontier, Punjab, Sindh

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)

National holiday

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

Constitution

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

Suffrage

  • 21 years of age;
  • universal;
  • separate electorates and reserved parliamentary seats for non-Muslims

Executive branch

chief of state:
President Sardar Farooq LEGHARI (since 13 November 1993)
head of government :
Prime Minister Mohammad Nawaz SHARIF (since 17 February 1997)
cabinet:
Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
elections:
  • president elected by Parliament for a five-year term;
  • election last held 13 November 1993 (next to be held no later than 14 October 1998);
  • following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by the National Assembly;
  • election last held 3 February 1997 (next to be held NA February 2002)
election results:
  • Sardar Farooq LEGHARI elected president;
  • percent of Parliament vote - NA;
  • Mohammad Nawaz SHARIF elected prime minister;
  • percent of National Assembly vote - NA

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament or Majlis-e-Shoora consists of the Senate (87 seats; members indirectly elected by provincial assemblies to serve six-year terms; one-third of the members up for election every two years; has advisory powers only) and the National Assembly (217 seats; 207 represent Muslims and 10 represent non-Muslims; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections:
Senate - last held 12 March 1997 (next to be held NA March 1999); National Assembly - last held 3 February 1997 (next to be held NA February 2002)
election results:
  • Senate - percent of vote by party - NA;
  • seats by party - PML/N 30, PPP 17, ANP 7, MQM/A 6, JWP 5, BNP 4, JUI/F 2, PML/J 2, BNM/M 1, PKMAP 1, TJP 1, independents 6, vacant 5;
  • National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;
  • seats by party - PML/N 137, PPP 18, MQM/A 12, ANP 10, BNP 3, JWP 2, JUI/F 2, PPP/SB 1, NPP 1, independents 21, minorities 10

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, judicial chiefs are appointed by the president; Federal Islamic (Shari'at) Court

Political parties and leaders

government:
  • Pakistan Muslim League, Nawaz Sharif faction (PML/N), Nawaz SHARIF;
  • Awami National Party (ANP), Ajmal Khan KHATTAK;
  • Balochistan National Movement/Mengal Group (BNM/M), Sardar Akhtar MENGAL;
  • Mohajir Quami Movement, Altaf faction (MQM/A), Altaf HUSSAIN;
  • Jamiat-al-Hadith (JAH);
  • Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP), Akbar Khan BUGTI;
  • Pakistan People's Party/Shaheed Bhutto (PPP/SB), Ghinva BHUTTO;
  • Baluch National Party (BNP), leader NA
opposition:
  • Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Benazir BHUTTO;
  • Pakistan Muslim League, Junejo faction (PML/J), Hamid Nasir CHATTHA;
  • National People's Party (NPP), Ghulam Mustapha JATOI;
  • Pakhtun Khwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP), Mahmood Khan ACHAKZAI;
  • Balochistan National Movement/Hayee Group (BNM/H), Dr. HAYEE Baluch;
  • Pakhtun Quami Party (PKQP), Mohammed AFZAL Khan
frequently shifting:
  • Mutaheda Deeni Mahaz (MDM), Maulana Sami-ul-HAQ, the MDM includes Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, Niazi faction (JUP/NI) and Sepah-i-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP);
  • Islami-Jamhoori-Mahaz (IJM-Islamic Democratic Front) includes Jamiat Ulema-i-Islami, Fazlur Rehman group (JUI/F);
  • Pakistan Muslim League, Functional Group (PML/F), Pir PAGARO;
  • Pakistan National Party (PNP);
  • Milli Yakjheti Council (MYC) is an umbrella organization which includes
    • Jamaat-i-Islami (JI),
    • Qazi Hussain AHMED,
    • Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam,
    • Sami-ul-Haq faction (JUI/S),
    • Tehrik-I-Jafria Pakistan (TJP),
    • Allama Sajid NAQVI,
    • and Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan,
    • Noorani faction (JUP/NO)

note: political alliances in Pakistan can shift frequently

Political pressure groups and leaders

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

International organization participation

AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMIH, UNOMIG, UNOMIL, UNPREDEP, UNTAES, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Riaz KHOKAR
chancery:
2315 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 939-6200

FAX

[1] (202) 387-0484; consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Thomas W. SIMONS, Jr.
embassy :
Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, Islamabad
mailing address:
P. O. Box 1048, Unit 62200, APO AE 09812-2200
telephone:
[92] (51) 826161 through 826179

FAX

[92] (51) 214222

consulate(s) general :
Karachi, Lahore
consulate(s):
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

Economy

Pakistan is a poor, highly populated Third World | country struggling to make the difficult transition to the modern | world of high technology and international markets.

22 fields
Real growth rate
5.5%
(1996 est.)industrial production growth: 6.1% (FY95/96 est.)
Labor force
36.7million
(1997)by occupation: agriculture 47%, mining and manufacturing 17%, services 17%, other 19%note : extensive export of labor, mostly to the Middle East, and use of child labor
Debt - external
$28.6billion
(1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(1996)

agriculture 24.8%industry 26.5%services 48.7% (1996)

Budget

Revenues
$12.5 billionExpenditures
$14 billion
expenditures including capital expenditures of $2.8 billion (FY95/96 est.)

Economy - overview

Pakistan is a poor, highly populated Third World country struggling to make the difficult transition to the modern world of high technology and international markets. Even though GDP growth has remained strong, at roughly 5% annually, international confidence in Prime Minister Benazir BHUTTO's government declined in 1996.

The IMF suspended a Standby Agreement in the spring; foreign investment declined; and the budget and trade deficits rose substantially. In October 1996, BHUTTO responded to IMF pressure to implement reforms, devaluing the rupee by about 8% and raising petroleum prices in an attempt to slow the drain on foreign exchange reserves.

But Islamabad still failed to meet IMF revenue and borrowing targets. Pakistan's interim government - in power since President LEGHARI sacked BHUTTO on 5 November 1996 - agreed to slash the budget deficit, push down bank borrowing, implement an agricultural tax; and speed up reforms in the financial sector;

accordingly, the Standby Agreement was reinstated in December 1996 and a tranche of $80 million released; but Pakistan fell out of compliance in February 1997. For the long run, Pakistan must deal with serious problems of deteriorating infrastructure, low literacy levels, and persistent sectarian and political violence.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $296.5 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $2,300 (1996 est.)

Industries

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

Electricity - capacity

13.17 million kW (1994)

Electricity - production

46.1 billion kWh (FY95/96)

Agriculture - products

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

Exports

total value:
$8.3 billion (FY95/96)
commodities:
cotton, textiles, clothing, rice, leather, carpets
partners:
US, Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, UK, UAE, France

Imports

total value:
$12 billion (FY95/96)
commodities :
petroleum, petroleum products, machinery, transportation equipment, vegetable oils, animal fats, chemicals
partners:
Japan, US, Germany, UK, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, South Korea

Economic aid

recipient: $2.6 billion from all bilateral and multilateral sources (FY95/96)

Currency

1 Pakistani rupee (PRe) = 100 paisa

Exchange rates

  • Pakistani rupees (PRs) per US$1 - 40.120 (January 1997), 36.078 (1996), 31.643 (1995), 30.567 (1994), 28.1 (1993), 25.1 (1992);
  • note - annual average of official rate;
  • parallel market rate is higher

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Communications

6 fields
Fixed lines
1.572 million
(1993 est.)

Telephone system

  • the domestic system is mediocre, but adequate for government and business use, in part because major businesses have established their own private systems;
  • since 1988, the government has promoted investment in the national telecommunications system on a priority basis;
  • despite major improvements in trunk and urban systems, telecommunication services are still not readily available to the major portion of the population
domestic:
microwave radio relay
international:
satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); microwave radio relay to neighboring countries

Radio broadcast stations

AM 26, FM 8, shortwave 11

Radios

11.3 million (1992 est.)

Televisions

2.08 million (1993 est.)

Transportation

9 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

under 914 m
18
over 3,047 m : 11 2,438 to 3,047 m: 19 1,524 to 2,437 m: 27 914 to 1,523 m: 11

Airports by runway lengthunpaved only

total
16
over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 8 (1996 est.)

Railways

total:
8,163 km
broad gauge:
7,718 km 1.676-m gauge (293 km electrified; 1,037 km double track)
narrow gauge:
445 km 1.000-m gauge (1996 est.)

Highways

total :
216,564 km
paved:
116,945 km
unpaved:
99,619 km (1995 est.)

Pipelines

crude oil 250 km; petroleum products 885 km; natural gas 4,044 km (1987)

Ports and harbors

Karachi, Port Muhammad bin Qasim

Merchant marine

total:
26 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 425,140 GRT/699,040 DWT
ships by type :
bulk 5, cargo 17, container 3, oil tanker 1 (1996 est.)

Airports

102 (1996 est.)

Heliports

6 (1996 est.)

Military

Army, Navy, Air Force, Civil Armed Forces, National | Guard

7 fields

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, Civil Armed Forces, National Guard

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 31,456,430 (1997 est.)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Disputes - international

status of Kashmir with India; water-sharing problems with upstream riparian India over the Indus (Wular Barrage)

Illicit drugs

  • illicit producer of opium and hashish for the international drug trade (produced 75 metric tons in 1996, down from 155 metric tons in 1995);
  • major center for processing Afghan heroin and key transit area for Southwest Asian heroin moving to Western markets PALAU

Central Intelligence Agency. “Pakistan.” The World Factbook 1997. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/pakistan/1997.

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