Pakistan

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Introduction - Pakistan:
Country	Pakistan
Background	The separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of Pakistan (with two sections West and East) 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 Islamabads 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. The dispute over the state of Kashmir is ongoing, but discussions and confidence-building measures have led to decreased tensions since 2002.
Location - 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: 803,940 sq km land: 778,720 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	182,300 sq km (2003)
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, 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 - Pakistan:
Population	164,741,924 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure	0-14 years: 36.9% (male 31,264,576/female 29,507,174) 15-64 years: 58.8% (male 49,592,033/female 47,327,161) 65 years and over: 4.3% (male 3,342,650/female 3,708,330) (2007 est.)
Median age	total: 20.9 years male: 20.7 years female: 21 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate	1.828% (2007 est.)
Birth rate	27.52 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate	8 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate	-1.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.048 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.901 male(s)/female total population: 1.045 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate	total: 68.84 deaths/1,000 live births male: 68.94 deaths/1,000 live births female: 68.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 63.75 years male: 62.73 years female: 64.83 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate	3.71 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Hiv aids adult prevalence rate	0.1% (2001 est.)
Hiv aids people living with hiv aids	74,000 (2001 est.)
Hiv aids deaths	4,900 (2003 est.)
Nationality	noun: Pakistani(s) adjective: Pakistani
Major infectious diseases	degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and cutaneous leishmaniasis are high risks depending on location animal contact disease: rabies note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified among birds in this country or surrounding region; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2007)
Ethnic groups	Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants from India at the time of partition and their descendants)
Religions	Muslim 97% (Sunni 77%, Shia 20%), other (includes Christian and Hindu) 3%
Languages	Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Siraiki (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: 49.9% male: 63% female: 36% (2005 est.)
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 42 N, 73 10 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**, 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 Northern Areas
Independence	14 August 1947 (from UK)
National holiday	Republic Day, 23 March (1956)
Constitution	12 April 1973; suspended 5 July 1977, restored with amendments 30 December 1985; suspended 15 October 1999, restored in stages in 2002; amended 31 December 2003
Legal system	based on English common law with provisions to accommodate Pakistans status as an Islamic state; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal; joint electorates and reserved parliamentary seats for women and non-Muslims
Executive branch	chief of state: President General Pervez MUSHARRAF (since 20 June 2001) note: following a military takeover on 12 October 1999, Chief of Army Staff and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General Pervez MUSHARRAF, suspended Pakistans constitution and assumed the additional title of Chief Executive; on 12 May 2000, Pakistans Supreme Court unanimously validated the October 1999 coup and granted MUSHARRAF executive and legislative authority for three years from the coup date; on 20 June 2001, MUSHARRAF named himself as president and was sworn in replacing Mohammad Rafiq TARAR; in a referendum held on 30 April 2002, MUSHARRAFs presidency was extended by five more years; on 1 January 2004, MUSHARRAF won a vote of confidence in the Senate, National Assembly, and four provincial assemblies head of government: Prime Minister Shaukat AZIZ (since 28 August 2004) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister elections: the president is elected by an electoral college drawn from the national parliament and provincial assemblies for a five-year term; note - Musharraf was last sworn in as President in November 2002; the prime minister is selected by the National Assembly (next elections to be held in late 2007) election results: AZIZ elected by the National Assembly on 27 August 2004
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; to serve five-year terms) elections: Senate - last held in March 2006 (next to be held in March 2009); National Assembly - last held 10 October 2002 (next to be held in 2007) election results: Senate results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PML 39, MMA 18, PPPP 9, MQM 6, PML/N 4, PkMAP 3, PPP/S 3, ANP 2, BNP/A 1, BNP/M 1, JWP 1, PML/F 1, independents 12; National Assembly results - percent of votes by party - NA; seats by party - PML/Q 126, PPPP 81, MMA 63, PML/N 19, MQM 17, NA 16, PML/F 5, PML/J 3, PPP/S 2, BNP/A 1, JWP 1, PAT 1, PkMAP 1, PML/Z 1, PTI 1, independents 4
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/Hayee Group or BNP/H [Dr. Hayee BALUCH]; Baluch National Party/Awami or BNP/A [Moheem Khan BALOCH]; Baluch National Party-Mengal or BNP/M [Sardar Ataullah MENGAL]; Jamhoori Watan Party or JWP; Jamiat-al-Hadith or JAH [Sajid MIR]; Jamiat-i-Islami or JI [Qazi Hussain AHMED]; Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Fazlur Rehman faction or JUI/F [Fazlur REHMAN]; Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Sami ul-HAQ faction or JUI/S [Sami ul-HAQ]; Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan or JUP [Shah Faridul HAQ]; Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal or MMA [Qazi Hussain AHMED]; Muttahida Qaumi Movement, or MQM [Altaf HUSSAIN]; National Alliance or NA [Ghulam Mustapha JATOI] (merged with PML); Pakhtun Khwa Milli Awami Party or PkMAP [Mahmood Khan ACHAKZAI]; Pakistan Awami Tehrik or PAT [Tahir ul QADRI]; Pakistan Muslim League, Functional Group or PML/F [Pir PAGARO]; Pakistan Muslim League, Nawaz Sharif faction or PML/N [Nawaz SHARIF]; Pakistan Muslim League or PML [Chaudhry Shujaat HUSSAIN]; note - as of May 2004, the PML/Q changed its name to PML and absorbed the PML/J, PML/Z, and NA; Pakistan Peoples Party or PPP/S [Aftab Ahmed Khan SHERPAO]; Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians or PPPP [Benazir BHUTTO]; Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf or PTI [Imran KHAN]; Tehrik-i-Islami [Allama Sajid NAQVI] note: political alliances in Pakistan can shift frequently
Political pressure groups and leaders	military remains most important political force; ulema (clergy), landowners, industrialists, and small merchants also influential
International organization participation	ARF, AsDB, C (reinstated 2004), CP, ECO, FAO, 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, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, SCO (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the us	chief of mission: Ambassador Mahmud Ali DURRANI chancery: 3517 International Court, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 243-6500 FAX: [1] (202) 686-1544 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Sunnyvale (California)
Diplomatic representation from the us	chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge daffaires Peter W. BODDE embassy: Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, Islamabad mailing address: P. O. Box 1048, Unit 62200, APO AE 09812-2200 telephone: [92] (51) 208-0000 FAX: [92] (51) 2276427 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
Economy - Pakistan:
Economy overview	Pakistan, an impoverished and underdeveloped country, has suffered from decades of internal political disputes, low levels of foreign investment, and a costly, ongoing confrontation with neighboring India. However, IMF-approved government policies, bolstered by generous foreign assistance and renewed access to global markets since 2001, have generated solid macroeconomic recovery the last five years. The government has made substantial macroeconomic reforms since 2000, most notably privatizing the banking sector. Poverty levels have decreased by 10% since 2001, and Islamabad has steadily raised development spending in recent years, including a 52% real increase in the budget allocation for development in FY07, a necessary step toward reversing the broad underdevelopment of its social sector. The fiscal deficit - the result of chronically low tax collection and increased spending, including reconstruction costs from the October 2005 earthquake - appears manageable for now. GDP growth, spurred by gains in the industrial and service sectors, remained in the 6-8% range in 2004-06. Inflation remains the biggest threat to the economy, jumping to more than 9% in 2005 before easing to 7.9% in 2006. The central bank is pursuing tighter monetary policy - raising interest rates in 2006 - while trying to preserve growth. Foreign exchange reserves are bolstered by steady worker remittances, but a growing current account deficit - driven by a widening trade gap as import growth outstrips export expansion - could draw down reserves and dampen GDP growth in the medium term.
Gdp purchasing power parity	$437.5 billion (2006 est.)
Gdp official exchange rate	$124 billion (2006 est.)
Gdp real growth rate	6.6% (2006 est.)
Gdp per capita ppp	$2,600 (2006 est.)
Gdp composition by sector	agriculture: 22% industry: 26% services: 52% (2006 est.)
Labor force	48.29 million note: extensive export of labor, mostly to the Middle East, and use of child labor (2006 est.)
Labor force by occupation	agriculture: 42% industry: 20% services: 38% (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate	6.5% plus substantial underemployment (2006 est.)
Population below poverty line	24% (FY05/06 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 4.1% highest 10%: 27.6% (FY96/97)
Distribution of family income gini index	41 (FY98/99)
Inflation rate consumer prices	7.9% (2006 est.)
Investment gross fixed	15.6% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget	revenues: $20.55 billion expenditures: $25.65 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)
Public debt	55% of GDP (2006 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	6% (2006 est.)
Electricity production	80.24 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity consumption	74.62 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity exports	0 kWh (2004)
Electricity imports	0 kWh (2004)
Oil production	63,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil consumption	324,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil exports	NA bbl/day
Oil imports	NA bbl/day
Oil proved reserves	358.9 million bbl (2006 est.)
Natural gas production	27.4 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas consumption	27.4 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas exports	0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas imports	0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas proved reserves	759.7 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
Current account balance	-$5.486 billion (2006 est.)
Exports	$19.24 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Exports commodities	textiles (garments, bed linen, cotton cloth, yarn), rice, leather goods, sports goods, chemicals, manufactures, carpets and rugs
Exports partners	US 21.2%, UAE 9.1%, Afghanistan 7.7%, China 5.4%, UK 5.1% (2006)
Imports	$26.79 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports commodities	petroleum, petroleum products, machinery, plastics, transportation equipment, edible oils, paper and paperboard, iron and steel, tea
Imports partners	China 13.7%, Saudi Arabia 10.4%, UAE 9.7%, US 6.4%, Japan 5.7%, Kuwait 4.7%, Germany 4.1% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold	$13.29 billion (2006 est.)
Debt external	$42.38 billion (2006 est.)
Economic aid recipient	$2.4 billion (FY01/02)
Currency code	Pakistani rupee (PKR)
Exchange rates	Pakistani rupees per US dollar - 60.35 (2006), 59.515 (2005), 58.258 (2004), 57.752 (2003), 59.724 (2002)
Communications - Pakistan:
Fiscal year	1 July - 30 June
Telephones main lines in use	5.24 million (2006)
Telephones mobile cellular	63.16 million (2007)
Telephone system	general assessment: the telecom infrastructure is improving dramatically with foreign and domestic investments into fixed-line and mobile networks; mobile cellular subscribership has skyrocketed, approaching 50 million in late 2006, up from only about 300,000 in 2000; fiber systems are being constructed throughout the country to aid in network growth; main line availability has risen only marginally over the same period and there are still difficulties getting main line service to rural areas. domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable, cellular, and satellite networks international: country code - 92; 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 (2006)
Radio broadcast stations	AM 31, FM 68, shortwave NA (2006)
Television broadcast stations	20 (5 state-run channels and 15 privately-owned satellite channels) (2006)
Internet country code	.pk
Internet hosts	72,765 (2006)
Internet users	12 million (2006)
Transportation - Pakistan:
Airports	139 (2006)
Airports with paved runways	total: 91 over 3,047 m: 14 2,438 to 3,047 m: 21 1,524 to 2,437 m: 33 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 8 (2006)
Airports with unpaved runways	total: 48 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 23 (2006)
Heliports	18 (2006)
Pipelines	gas 10,257 km; oil 2,001 km (2006)
Railways	total: 8,163 km broad gauge: 7,718 km 1.676-m gauge (293 km electrified) narrow gauge: 445 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)
Roadways	total: 258,340 km paved: 167,146 km (includes 711 km of expressways) unpaved: 91,194 km (2004)
Merchant marine	total: 16 ships (1000 GRT or over) 397,740 GRT/657,656 DWT by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 10, container 1, petroleum tanker 4 registered in other countries: 11 (Comoros 2, North Korea 3, Malta 1, Nigeria 1, Panama 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2006)
Ports and terminals	Karachi, Port Muhammad Bin Qasim
Military - Pakistan:
Military branches	Army (includes National Guard), Navy (includes Marines and Maritime Security Agency), Pakistan Air Force (Pakistan Fizaya) (2007)
Military service age and obligation	16 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers cannot be deployed for combat until age of 18; the Pakistani Air Force and Pakistani Navy have inducted their first female pilots and sailors (2006)
Manpower available for military service	males age 16-49: 39,028,014 females age 16-49: 36,779,584 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service	males age 16-49: 29,428,747 females age 16-49: 28,391,887 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually	males age 18-49: 1,969,055 females age 16-49: 1,849,254 (2005 est.)
Refugees and internally displaced persons	refugees (country of origin): 1,084,208 (Afghanistan) IDPs: undetermined (government strikes on Islamic militants in South Waziristan), 34,000 (October 2005 earthquake; most of those displaced returned to their home villages in the spring of 2006) (2006)
Military expenditures percent of gdp	3.2% (2006; 3% 2007 est.)
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 worlds 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 (UNMOGIP) has maintained a small group of peacekeepers since 1949; India does not recognize Pakistans 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 stand-off in the Siachen glacier region; Pakistan protests Indias 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 Indias 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 proposed and Afghanistan protests construction of a fence and laying of mines along portions of their porous border; Pakistan has sent troops into remote tribal areas to monitor and control the border with Afghanistan and to stem terrorist or other illegal activities