PAKISTANMore about Pakistan Information about travelling to PakistanPakistan is located in Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Facts about Pakistan
General info about Pakistan
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. The dispute over the state of Kashmir is ongoing, but discussions and confidence-building measures have led to decreased tensions since 2002. Mounting public dissatisfaction with President MUSHARRAF, coupled with the assassination of the prominent and popular political leader, Benazir BHUTTO, in late 2007, and MUSHARRAF's resignation in August 2008, led to the September presidential election of Asif ZARDARI, BHUTTO's widower. Pakistani government and military leaders are struggling to control Islamist militants, many of whom are located in the tribal areas adjacent to the border with Afghanistan. The November 2008 Mumbai attacks again inflamed Indo-Pakistan relations. The Pakistani Government is also faced with a deteriorating economy as foreign exchange reserves decline, the currency depreciates, and the current account deficit widens.
Disease threats degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and t
Languages spoken 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% What about drugs? 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 Ethnic division Punjabi 44.68%, Pashtun (Pathan) 15.42%, Sindhi 14.1%, Sariaki 8.38%, Muhagirs 7.57%, Balochi 3.57%, other 6.28% HIV/AIDS prevalence rate 0.1% (2001 est.) Climate mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north Resources land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum, poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone Economy 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, since 2001, IMF-approved reforms - most notably, privatization of the banking sector - bolstered by generous foreign assistance and renewed access to global markets, have generated macroeconomic recovery. Pakistan experienced GDP growth in the 6-8% range in 2004-07, spurred by gains in the industrial and service sectors. Poverty levels decreased by 10% since 2001, and Islamabad steadily raised development spending in recent years. In 2008 the fiscal deficit - a result of chronically low tax collection and increased spending - exceeded Islamabad's target of 4% of GDP. Inflation remains the top concern among the public, jumping from 7.7% in 2007 to 20.8% during 2008, primarily because of rising world fuel and commodity prices. In addition, the Pakistani rupee has depreciated significantly as a result of political and economic instability. A balance of payment crisis forced the Pakistani government to turn to the IMF for a conditional loan program in late November 2008. Environment water pollution from raw sewage, industrial wastes, and agricultural runoff; limited natural fresh water resources; most of the population does not have access to potable water; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification Cities in Pakistanadilpur ahmadpur east ahmadpur sial akora alipur alizai amangarh arifwala attock badah baddomalhi badin baffa bagarji bahawalnagar bahawalpur bandhi bannu barkhan basirpur bat khela begowala bela berani bhag bhakkar bhalwal bhan bhawana bhera bhit shah bhopalwala bozdar bulri burewala chak chak azam sahu chak jhumra chakwal chaman chambar charsadda chawinda cherat chichawatni chiniot chishtian mandi chitral choa saidan shah chor chuhar kana chunian dadu dajal dalbandin daro darya khan darya khan mari daska daud khel daulatpur daultala daur dera bugti dera ghazi khan dera ismail khan dhadar digri dijkot dina dinga dipalpur diplo dir doaba dokri duki dullewala dunga bunga dunyapur eminabad faisalabad faqirwali faruka fatehpur fazalpur fort abbas gambat garh maharaja garhi khairo garhi yasin gharo ghauspur ghotki gilgit gojra gujar khan gujranwala gujrat gwadar hafizabad hala hangu haripur harnai harnoli harunabad hasan abdal hasilpur haveli havelian hazro hingorja hunza hyderabad isa khel islamkot jacobabad jalalpur jattan jalalpur pirwala jam sahib jampur jand jandiala sherkhan jaranwala jati jatoi jauharabad jhawarian jhelum jhol jiwani johi kabirwala kadhan kahna nau kahror pakka kahuta kalabagh kalaswala kalat kaleke kalur kot kamalia kambar kamir kamoke kamra kandiari kandiaro kanganpur karachi karak kashmor kasur keti bandar khadro khairpur khairpur nathan shah khalabat khanewal khangah dogran khangarh khanpur kharan kharian khewra khipro khurianwala khushab khuzdar kohat kohlu kot addu kot diji kot radha kishan kot samaba kotli loharan kotri kulachi kundian kunjah kunri lachi lahore lakhi lakki marwat lalian larkana liaqatabad liliani lodhran loralai mach madeji mailsi malakwal mamu kanjan mandi bahauddin mangla mankera mansehra mardan mastung matiari matli mehar mehrabpur mian channun mianwali minchinabad mingaora miram shah miro khan mirpur bathoro mirpur khas mirpur mathelo mirpur sakro mirwah mitha tiwana mithi moro multan muridke murree mustafabad muzaffarabad muzaffargarh nabisar nankana sahib narang narowal nasirabad naudero naukot naushahro firoz nawabshah nowshera nushki okara ormara pabbi paharpur pakpattan pano aqil pasni pasrur pattoki peshawar phalia phulji pind dadan khan pindi bhattian pindi gheb pishin pithoro qadirpur ran quetta rabwah radhan raiwind raja jang rajanpur rajo khanani ranipur rasulnagar ratodero rawalpindi renala khurd risalpur rohri rojhan rustam sadiqabad sahiwal sakrand samaro samasatta sambrial sanghar sanjwal sann sarai alamgir sarai naurang sarai sidhu sargodha sarhari sehwan setharja shabqadar shahdadkot shahdadpur shahpur chakar sharqpur shekhupura shikarpur shinpokh shujaabad sialkot sibi sillanwali sinjhoro sita road sodhra sohbatpur sujawal sukheke sukkur surab swabi talagang talhar tandlianwala tando adam tando ghulam ali tando jam tando muhammad khan tangi tangwani tank taunsa thano bula khan thatta thul toba tek singh topi turbat ubauro uch umarkot usta muhammad uthal utmanzai vihari wah wana warah warburton wazirabad yazman zafarwal zahir pir zaida zhob ziarat |
|
Articles about Pakistan Explore countries around the world |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
-Islands.png)
The Cheers Travel World / Pakistan travel