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Pakistan Country Guide
Explore Pakistan in Asia
The landscape offers flat Indus plain in east with mountains in north and northwest and Balochistan plateau in west. The average density of population is approximately 209 per km². The notable climate conditions in Pakistan can be described as mostly hot, dry desert with temperate in northwest and arctic in north. Potential threats by nature are frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west or flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August).
To reach someone in Pakistan dial +92 prior to a number. There are 4,058,000 installed telephones. And there are 103,000,000 registered mobile phones. The cellular networks commonly support frequencies of 900/1800 MHz. Websites registered in this country end with the top level domain ".pk". If you want to bring electric equipment on your trip (e.g. laptop power supply), note the local power outlet of 230V - 50Hz.
About the flag and history of Pakistan
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.
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 Quick-Facts
| Summary | Continent: Asia Neighbours: China, Afghanistan, Iran, India Capital: Islamabad |
| Size | 803,940 square kilometers (km² or sqkm) or 310,402 square miles (mi² or sqmi) slightly less than twice the size of California |
| Population | 167,762,000 |
| Currency | Name Rupee, Currency Code:PKR |
| Country Top Level Domain (cTLD) | .pk |
| Telephone Country Prefix | +92 |
| Mobile Phone Connections | 103,000,000 |
| Landline Phone Connections | 4,058,000 |
Country Position in World Rankings
Information about single country attributes and how these compare against the rest of the world. The information below is compiled with data from 2013. As such, it may differ a bit to the Information above in the text (which is from 2010).
Geography
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 796,095 (sq km) | 36 |
People and Society
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 193,238,868 | 6 |
| Population growth rate | 1.52 (%) | 76 |
| Birth rate | 23.76 (births/1,000 population) | 68 |
| Death rate | 6.69 (deaths/1,000 population) | 141 |
| Net migration rate | -1.84 (migrant(s)/1,000 population) | 159 |
| Maternal mortality rate | 260.00 (deaths/100,000 live births) | 43 |
| Infant mortality rate | 59.35 (deaths/1,000 live births) | 25 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 66.71 (years) | 167 |
| Total fertility rate | 2.96 (children born/woman) | 62 |
| Health expenditures | 2.20 (% of GDP) | 188 |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | 0.10 (%) | 152 |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | 98,000 | 42 |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | 5,800 | 35 |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 5.50 (%) | 153 |
| Children under the age of 5 years underweight | 30.90 (%) | 14 |
| Education expenditures | 2.40 (% of GDP) | 161 |
| Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 | 7.70 (%) | 121 |
Economy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | 523,900,000,000 | 28 |
| GDP - real growth rate | 3.70 (%) | 92 |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | 2,900 | 178 |
| Labor force | 60,360,000 | 10 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.60 (%) | 52 |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 30.60 | 113 |
| Investment (gross fixed) | 10.90 (% of GDP) | 145 |
| Taxes and other revenues | 12.70 (% of GDP) | 201 |
| Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | -6.30 (% of GDP) | 180 |
| Public debt | 50.40 (% of GDP) | 63 |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 11.30 (%) | 203 |
| Central bank discount rate | 14.00 (%) | 13 |
| Commercial bank prime lending rate | 14.12 (%) | 55 |
| Stock of narrow money | 60,680,000,000 | 44 |
| Stock of broad money | 76,160,000,000 | 58 |
| Stock of domestic credit | 92,060,000,000 | 55 |
| Market value of publicly traded shares | 38,170,000,000 | 55 |
| Industrial production growth rate | 3.00 (%) | 95 |
| Current account balance | -4,632,000,000 | 163 |
| Exports | 24,660,000,000 | 71 |
| Imports | 40,820,000,000 | 61 |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | 13,500,000,000 | 69 |
| Debt - external | 55,980,000,000 | 58 |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | 22,380,000,000 | 68 |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | 1,482,000,000 | 73 |
Energy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 94,650,000,000 (kWh) | 35 |
| Electricity - consumption | 70,100,000,000 (kWh) | 39 |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 20,200,000 (kW) | 37 |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels | 65.20 (% of total installed capacity) | 127 |
| Electricity - from nuclear fuels | 2.30 (% of total installed capacity) | 27 |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 32.50 (% of total installed capacity) | 67 |
| Crude oil - production | 63,080 (bbl/day) | 56 |
| Crude oil - imports | 183,000 (bbl/day) | 36 |
| Crude oil - proved reserves | 480,900,000 (bbl) | 52 |
| Refined petroleum products - production | 215,900 (bbl/day) | 53 |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 426,700 (bbl/day) | 35 |
| Refined petroleum products - exports | 26,830 (bbl/day) | 70 |
| Refined petroleum products - imports | 195,700 (bbl/day) | 26 |
| Natural gas - production | 42,900,000,000 (cu m) | 24 |
| Natural gas - consumption | 42,900,000,000 (cu m) | 24 |
| Natural gas - proved reserves | 753,800,000,000 (cu m) | 30 |
| Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy | 151,600,000 (Mt) | 34 |
Communications
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | 5,722,000 | 30 |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 111,000,000 | 9 |
| Internet hosts | 365,813 | 57 |
| Internet users | 20,431,000 | 20 |
Transportation
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Airports | 151 | 37 |
| Railways | 7,791 (km) | 27 |
| Roadways | 260,760 (km) | 20 |
| Merchant marine | 11 | 112 |
Military
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Military expenditures | 3.10 (% of GDP) | 38 |
Data based on CIA facts book 2010 & 2013, wikipedia, national statistical offices and their census releases
List of current world heritage sites
| Name | Since |
|---|---|
| Archaeological Ruins at Moenjodaro The ruins of the huge city of Moenjodaro – built entirely of unbaked brick in the 3rd millennium B.C. – lie in the Indus valley. The acropolis, set on high embankments, the ramparts, and the lower town, which is laid out according to strict rules, pr ... | 1980 |
| Buddhist Ruins of Takht-i-Bahi and Neighbouring City Remains at Sahr-i-Bahlol The Buddhist monastic complex of Takht-i-Bahi (Throne of Origins) was founded in the early 1st century. Owing to its location on the crest of a high hill, it escaped successive invasions and is still exceptionally well preserved. Nearby are the ruins ... | 1980 |
| Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore These are two masterpieces from the time of the brilliant Mughal civilization, which reached its height during the reign of the Emperor Shah Jahan. The fort contains marble palaces and mosques decorated with mosaics and gilt. The elegance of these sp ... | 1981 |
| Historical Monuments at Makli, Thatta The capital of three successive dynasties and later ruled by the Mughal emperors of Delhi, Thatta was constantly embellished from the 14th to the 18th century. The remains of the city and its necropolis provide a unique view of civilization in Sind. ... | 1981 |
| Rohtas Fort Following his defeat of the Mughal emperor Humayun in 1541, Sher Shah Suri built a strong fortified complex at Rohtas, a strategic site in the north of what is now Pakistan. It was never taken by storm and has survived intact to the present day. The ... | 1997 |
| Taxila From the ancient Neolithic tumulus of Saraikala to the ramparts of Sirkap (2nd century B.C.) and the city of Sirsukh (1st century A.D.), Taxila illustrates the different stages in the development of a city on the Indus that was alternately influenced ... | 1980 |