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.

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

30 00 N, 70 00 E

Asia

slightly less than twice the size of California

1,046 km

mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north

flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest; Balochistan plateau in west

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

198,700 sq km (2003)

233.8 cu km (2003)

frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August)

water pollution from raw sewage, industrial wastes, and agricultural runoff; limited natural freshwater resources; most of the population does not have access to potable water; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification

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

Punjabi 44.68%, Pashtun (Pathan) 15.42%, Sindhi 14.1%, Sariaki 8.38%, Muhajirs 7.57%, Balochi 3.57%, other 6.28%

Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Saraiki (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%

Muslim (official) 95% (Sunni 75%, Shia 20%), other (includes Christian and Hindu) 5%

190,291,129 (July 2012 est.)

1.551% (2012 est.)

24.3 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)

6.8 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)

-2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)

Karachi 13.125 million; Lahore 7.132 million; Faisalabad 2.849 million; Rawalpindi 2.026 million; ISLAMABAD (capital) 832,000 (2009)

260 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)

3.07 children born/woman (2012 est.)

2.6% of GDP (2009)

0.813 physicians/1,000 population (2009)

0.6 beds/1,000 population (2009)

0.1% (2009 est.)

98,000 (2009 est.)

5,800 (2009 est.)

31.3% (2001)

2.7% of GDP (2009)

federal republic

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

14 August 1947 (from British India)

Republic Day, 23 March (1956)

12 April 1973; suspended 5 July 1977, restored 30 December 1985; suspended 15 October 1999, restored in stages in 2002; amended 31 December 2003; suspended 3 November 2007; restored 15 December 2007; amended 19 April 2010

common law system with Islamic law influence

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt

18 years of age; universal; note - there are joint electorates and reserved parliamentary seats for women and non-Muslims

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; members serve five-year terms)

Supreme Court (justices appointed by the president); Federal Islamic or Sharia Court

Awami National Party or ANP [Asfandyar Wali KHAN]; Balochistan National Party-Awami or BNP-A; Balochistan National Party-Hayee Group or BNP-H [Dr. Hayee BALOCH]; Balochistan National Party-Mengal or BNP-M; Jamaat-i Islami or JI [Syed Munawar HASAN]; Jamhoori Watan Party or JWP; Jamiat Ahle Hadith or JAH [Sajid MIR]; Jamiat Ulema-i Islam Fazl-ur Rehman or JUI-F [Fazl-ur REHMAN]; Jamiat Ulema-i Islam Sami-ul HAQ or JUI-S [Sami ul-HAQ]; Jamiat Ulema-i Pakistan or JUP [Abul Khair ZUBAIR]; Millat-e-Jafferia [Allama Sajid NAQVI]; Muttahida Majlis-e Amal or MMA [Qazi Hussain AHMED]; Muttahida Qaumi Movement or MQM [Altaf HUSSAIN]; National Peoples Party or NPP; Pakhtun Khwa Milli Awami Party or PKMAP [Mahmood Khan ACHAKZAI]; Pakistan Awami Tehrik or PAT [Tahir ul QADRI]; Pakistan Muslim League or PML [Chaudhry Shujaat HUSSAIN]; Pakistan Muslim League-Functional or PML-F [Pir PAGARO]; Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz or PML-N [Nawaz SHARIF]; Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians or PPPP [Bilawal Bhutto ZARDARI, chairman; Asif Ali ZARDARI, co-chairman]; Pakistan Peoples Party-SHERPAO or PPP-S [Aftab Ahmed Khan SHERPAO]; Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaaf or PTI [Imran KHAN]

ADB, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), C, CICA, CP, D-8, ECO, FAO, G-11, 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, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, SCO (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMIT, UNOCI, UNSC (temporary), UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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

star and crescent

Decades of internal political disputes and low levels of foreign investment have led to slow growth and underdevelopment in Pakistan. Agriculture accounts for more than one-fifth of output and two-fifths of employment. Textiles account for most of Pakistan's export earnings, and Pakistan's failure to expand a viable export base for other manufactures has left the country vulnerable to shifts in world demand. Official unemployment is 6%, but this fails to capture the true picture, because much of the economy is informal and underemployment remains high. Over the past few years, low growth and high inflation, led by a spurt in food prices, have increased the amount of poverty - the UN Human Development Report estimated poverty in 2011 at almost 50% of the population. Inflation has worsened the situation, climbing from 7.7% in 2007 to more than 13% for 2011, before declining to 9.3% at year-end. As a result of political and economic instability, the Pakistani rupee has depreciated more than 40% since 2007. The government agreed to an International Monetary Fund Standby Arrangement in November 2008 in response to a balance of payments crisis. Although the economy has stabilized since the crisis, it has failed to recover. Foreign investment has not returned, due to investor concerns related to governance, energy, security, and a slow-down in the global economy. Remittances from overseas workers, averaging about $1 billion a month since March 2011, remain a bright spot for Pakistan. However, after a small current account surplus in fiscal year 2011 (July 2010/June 2011), Pakistan's current account turned to deficit in the second half of 2011, spurred by higher prices for imported oil and lower prices for exported cotton. Pakistan remains stuck in a low-income, low-growth trap, with growth averaging 2.9% per year from 2008 to 2011. Pakistan must address long standing issues related to government revenues and energy production in order to spur the amount of economic growth that will be necessary to employ its growing population. Other long term challenges include expanding investment in education and healthcare, and reducing dependence on foreign donors.

$494.8 billion (2011 est.)

$483.3 billion (2010 est.)

$465.8 billion (2009 est.)

$210.6 billion (2011 est.)

2.4% (2011 est.)

3.8% (2010 est.)

1.7% (2009 est.)

$2,800 (2011 est.)

$2,800 (2010 est.)

$2,800 (2009 est.)

58.41 million

5.6% (2011 est.)

5.6% (2010 est.)

22.3% (FY05/06 est.)

30.6 (FY07/08)

41 (FY98/99)

11.8% of GDP (2011 est.)

12.5% of GDP (2011 est.)

-6.6% of GDP (2011 est.)

60.1% of GDP (2011 est.)

61.4% of GDP (2010 est.)

11.9% (2011 est.)

12.9% (2010 est.)

12% (31 January 2012 est.)

14% (31 December 2010 est.)

14.42% (31 December 2011 est.)

14.12% (31 December 2010 est.)

$56.34 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$62.02 billion (30 June 2010)

$76.16 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$85.22 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$75.06 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$64.53 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$32.76 billion (31 December 2011)

$38.17 billion (31 December 2010)

$33.24 billion (31 December 2009)

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

textiles and apparel, food processing, pharmaceuticals, construction materials, paper products, fertilizer, shrimp

3% (2011 est.)

$268 million (2011 est.)

-$3.94 billion (2010 est.)

$25.35 billion (2011 est.)

$21.47 billion (2010 est.)

textiles (garments, bed linen, cotton cloth, yarn), rice, leather goods, sports goods, chemicals, manufactures, carpets and rugs

US 14.3%, UAE 7.7%, Afghanistan 7.6%, China 7.6%, Germany 5%, UK 4.1% (2011)

$35.82 billion (2011 est.)

$32.92 billion (2010 est.)

petroleum, petroleum products, machinery, plastics, transportation equipment, edible oils, paper and paperboard, iron and steel, tea

China 17.9%, Saudi Arabia 11.2%, UAE 11.1%, Kuwait 5.8%, Malaysia 5.7%, India 4.9%, US 4.3% (2011)

$18.09 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$17.21 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$61.83 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$56.77 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$31.36 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$30.06 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$1.419 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$1.362 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

Pakistani rupees (PKR) per US dollar -

86.343 (2011 est.)

85.194 (2010 est.)

81.71 (2009)

70.64 (2008)

60.6295 (2007)

1 July - 30 June

93.35 billion kWh (2010 est.)

74.35 billion kWh (2010 est.)

0 kWh (2011 est.)

0 kWh (2010 est.)

20.2 million kW (2009 est.)

65.2% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

2.3% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

32.5% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

63,080 bbl/day (2011 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

183,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

280.7 million bbl (1 January 2012 est.)

215,900 bbl/day (2008 est.)

426,700 bbl/day (2011 est.)

26,830 bbl/day (2008 est.)

195,700 bbl/day (2008 est.)

42.9 billion cu m (2011 est.)

42.9 billion cu m (2011 est.)

0 cu m (2010 est.)

0 cu m (2010 est.)

753.8 billion cu m (1 January 2012 est.)

151.6 million Mt (2010 est.)

5.722 million (2011)

111 million (2011)

media is government regulated; 1 dominant state-owned TV broadcaster, Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV), operates a network consisting of 5 channels; private TV broadcasters are permitted; to date 69 foreign satellite channels are operational; the state-owned radio network operates more than 40 stations; nearly 100 commercially-licensed privately-owned radio stations provide programming mostly limited to music and talk shows (2007)

.pk

340,834 (2010)

20.431 million (2009)

151 (2012)

24 (2012)

gas 10,514 km; oil 2,013 km; refined products 787 km (2010)

Karachi, Port Muhammad Bin Qasim

Pakistan Army (includes National Guard), Pakistan Navy (includes Marines and Maritime Security Agency), Pakistan Air Force (Pakistan Fiza'ya) (2010)

17-23 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers cannot be deployed for combat until age 18; the Pakistani Air Force and Pakistani Navy have inducted their first female pilots and sailors; service obligation (Navy) 10-18 years; retirement required after 18-30 years service or age 40-52 (2012)

3% of GDP (2007 est.)

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 world's 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 has maintained a small group of peacekeepers since 1949; India does not recognize Pakistan's 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 standoff in the Siachen glacier region; Pakistan protests India's 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 India's 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 sent troops across and built fences along some remote tribal areas of its treaty-defined Durand Line border with Afghanistan, which serve as bases for foreign terrorists and other illegal activities; Afghan, Coalition, and Pakistan military meet periodically to clarify the alignment of the boundary on the ground and on maps

significant transit area for Afghan drugs, including heroin, opium, morphine, and hashish, bound for Iran, Western markets, the Gulf States, Africa, and Asia; financial crimes related to drug trafficking, terrorism, corruption, and smuggling remain problems; opium poppy cultivation estimated to be 2,300 hectares in 2007 with 600 of those hectares eradicated; federal and provincial authorities continue to conduct anti-poppy campaigns that utilizes forced eradication, fines, and arrests