Pakistan

PAKISTAN

Information about travelling to Pakistan

Pakistan 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
Population172,800,048 (July 2008 es
CapitalIslamabad
Time zoneUTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Location Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north

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 Pakistan

adilpur     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    


Airports in Pakistan
AbbottabadAAW
AttockATG
TalharBDN
BahawalpurBHV
Bhagatanwala AptBHW
BannuBNP
ChilasCHB
ChitralCJL
CampbellporeCWP
DalbandinDBA
DaduDDU
Dera Ghazi KhanDEA
Dera Ismail KhanDSK
GilgitGIL
GujratGRT
GwadarGWD
HyderabadHDD
MansehraHRA
Islamabad InternationalISB
JacobabadJAG
JiwaniJIW
KalatKBH
KadanwariKCF
KhuzdarKDD
SkarduKDU
Quaid-E-Azam InternationalKHI
LahoreLHE
FaisalabadLYP
MuzaffarabadMFG
Mirpur KhasMPD
MultanMUX
MianwaliMWD
NushkiNHS
KohatOHT
OrmaraORW
PeshawarPEW
PanjgurPJG
PasniPSI
ZhobPZH
Rawala KotRAZ
SibiSBQ
Saidu SharifSDT
Sargodha AptSGI
SialkotSKT
SukkurSKZ
SuiSUL
SahiwalSWN
ShikarpurSWV
TarbelaTLB
TurbatTUK
QuettaUET
WanaWAF
BahawalnagarWGB
NawabshahWNS


Beer in Pakistan (0.33l)
Islamabad~ 3.1 EUR
Lahore~ 2.1 EUR

Articles about Pakistan
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