Introduction
::Pakistan
Background::
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.
Geography
::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
|
|
|
Area:
|
total: 796,095
sq km
country
comparison to the world: 36
land: 770,875
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:
|
Current
Weather
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)
|
|
Total
renewable water resources:
|
233.8 cu km
(2003)
|
|
Freshwater
withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
|
total: 169.39
cu km/yr (2%/2%/96%)
per capita: 1,072
cu m/yr (2000)
|
|
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; most 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:
|
184,404,791
(July 2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 6 |
|
Age
structure:
|
0-14 years: 36.7%
(male 33,037,943/female 31,092,572)
15-64 years: 59.1%
(male 53,658,173/female 49,500,786)
65 years and
over: 4.2%
(male 3,495,350/female 3,793,734) (2010 est.)
|
|
Median age:
|
total: 21.2
years
male: 21.2
years
female: 21.2
years (2010 est.)
|
|
Population
growth rate:
|
1.589% (2010
est.)
country
comparison to the world: 77 |
|
Birth rate:
|
25.3
births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 62 |
|
Death rate:
|
7.06
deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 130 |
|
Net
migration rate:
|
-2.36 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 179 |
|
Urbanization:
|
urban
population: 36%
of total population (2008)
rate of
urbanization: 3%
annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
|
|
Sex ratio:
|
at birth: 1.05
male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.06
male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.09
male(s)/female
65 years and
over: 0.92
male(s)/female
total
population: 1.07
male(s)/female (2010 est.)
|
|
Infant
mortality rate:
|
total: 65.32
deaths/1,000 live births
country
comparison to the world: 27
male: 68.59
deaths/1,000 live births
female: 61.89
deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
|
|
Life
expectancy at birth:
|
total
population: 65.63
years
country
comparison to the world: 166
male: 63.84
years
female: 67.5
years (2010 est.)
|
|
Total
fertility rate:
|
3.28 children
born/woman (2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 53 |
|
HIV/AIDS -
adult prevalence rate:
|
0.1% (2007
est.)
country
comparison to the world: 129 |
|
HIV/AIDS -
people living with HIV/AIDS:
|
96,000 (2007
est.)
country
comparison to the world: 47 |
|
HIV/AIDS -
deaths:
|
5,100 (2007
est.)
country
comparison to the world: 44 |
|
Major
infectious diseases:
|
degree of risk:
high
food or
waterborne diseases: bacterial
diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne
diseases: dengue
fever and malaria
animal contact
disease: rabies
note: highly
pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been
identified in this country; it poses a negligible
risk with extremely rare cases possible among US
citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)
|
|
Nationality:
|
noun: Pakistani(s)
adjective: Pakistani
|
|
Ethnic
groups:
|
Punjabi 44.68%,
Pashtun (Pathan) 15.42%, Sindhi 14.1%, Sariaki
8.38%, Muhajirs 7.57%, Balochi 3.57%, other 6.28%
|
|
Religions:
|
Muslim 95%
(Sunni 75%, Shia 20%), other (includes Christian
and Hindu) 5%
|
|
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.)
|
|
School life
expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
|
total: 7
years
male: 8
years
female: 6
years (2008)
|
|
Education
expenditures:
|
2.9% of GDP
(2008)
country
comparison to the world: 153
|
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**, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
(formerly 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 Gilgit-Baltistan
|
|
Independence:
|
14 August
1947 (from British India)
|
|
National
holiday:
|
Republic
Day, 23 March (1956)
|
|
Constitution:
|
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 on 15 December 2007; amended 19
April 2010
|
|
Legal
system:
|
based on
English common law with provisions to
accommodate Pakistan's 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
Asif Ali ZARDARI (since 9 September 2008)
head of
government: Prime
Minister Syed Yousuf Raza GILANI (since 25
March 2008)
cabinet: Cabinet
appointed by the president upon the advice
of the prime minister
elections:
the
president elected by secret ballot through
an Electoral College comprising the members
of the Senate, National Assembly, and the
provincial assemblies for a five-year term;
election last held on 6 September 2008 (next
to be held not later than 2013); note - any
person who is a Muslim and not less than 45
years of age and is qualified to be elected
as a member of the National Assembly can
contest the presidential election; the prime
minister selected by the National Assembly;
election last held on 24 March 2008
election
results: Asif
Ali ZARDARI elected president; ZARDARI 481
votes, SIDDIQUE 153 votes, SYED 44 votes;
Syed Yousuf Raza GILANI elected prime
minister; GILANI 264 votes, Pervaiz ELAHI 42
votes; several abstentions
|
|
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; members serve five-year terms)
elections:
Senate
- last held on 3 March 2009 (next to be held
in March 2012); National Assembly - last
held on 18 February 2008 with by-elections
on 26 June 2008 (next to be held in 2013)
election
results: Senate
- percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - PPPP 27, PML-Q 21, MMA 9, PML-N 7,
ANP 6, MQM 6, JUI-F 4, BNP-A 2, JWP 1, NPP
1, PKMAP 1, PML-F 1, PPP 1, independents 13;
National Assembly - percent of votes by
party - NA; seats by party as of October
2010 - PPPP 127, PML-N 90, PML 51, MQM 25,
ANP 13, JUI-F 8, PML-F 5, BNP-A 1, NPP 1,
PPP-S 1, independents 18, unfilled seats - 2
|
|
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-Awami or BNP-A [Moheem
Khan BALOCH]; Balochistan National Party-Hayee
Group or BNP-H [Dr. Hayee BALOCH];
Balochistan National Party-Mengal or BNP-M [Sardar
Ataullah MENGAL]; 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 [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); 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]; Tehrik-i Islami [Allama Sajid NAQVI]
note:
political
alliances in Pakistan can shift frequently
|
|
Political
pressure groups and leaders:
|
other: military
(most important political force); ulema
(clergy); landowners; industrialists; small
merchants
|
|
International
organization participation:
|
ADB, ARF,
C, CICA, CP, D-8, 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,
MINURCAT, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS
(observer), OIC, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP,
SCO (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMIT, UNOCI,
UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
|
|
Diplomatic
representation in the US:
|
chief of
mission: Ambassador
Husain HAQQANI
chancery:
3517
International Court, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1]
(202) 243-6500
FAX: [1]
(202) 686-1544
consulate(s)
general: Boston
(Honorary Consulate General), Chicago,
Houston, Los Angeles, New York
consulate(s):
Chicago,
Houston
|
|
Diplomatic
representation from the US:
|
chief of
mission: Ambassador
Cameron MUNTER
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
|
|
National
anthem:
|
name: "Qaumi
Tarana" (National Anthem)
lyrics/music:
Abu-Al-Asar
Hafeez JULLANDHURI/Ahmed Ghulamali CHAGLA
note:
adopted
1954; the anthem is also known as "Pak
sarzamin shad bad" (Blessed Be the
Sacred Land)
|
Economy
::Pakistan
Economy
- overview:
|
Pakistan,
an impoverished and underdeveloped
country, has suffered from decades of
internal political disputes and low
levels of foreign investment. Between
2001-07, however, poverty levels
decreased by 10%, as Islamabad
steadily raised development spending.
Between 2004-07, GDP growth in the
5-8% range was spurred by gains in the
industrial and service sectors -
despite severe electricity shortfalls
- but growth slowed in 2008-09 and
unemployment rose. Inflation remains
the top concern among the public,
jumping from 7.7% in 2007 to 20.3% in
2008, and 14.2% in 2009. In addition,
the Pakistani rupee has depreciated
since 2007 as a result of political
and economic instability. The
government agreed to an International
Monetary Fund Standby Arrangement in
November 2008 in response to a balance
of payments crisis, but during 2009
its current account strengthened and
foreign exchange reserves stabilized -
largely because of lower oil prices
and record remittances from workers
abroad. Textiles account for most of
Pakistan's export earnings, but
Pakistan's failure to expand a viable
export base for other manufactures
have left the country vulnerable to
shifts in world demand. Other long
term challenges include expanding
investment in education, healthcare,
and electricity production, and
reducing dependence on foreign donors.
|
|
GDP
(purchasing power parity):
|
$432.9
billion (2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 28
$415
billion (2008 est.)
$400.6
billion (2007 est.)
note:
data
are in 2009 US dollars
|
|
GDP
(official exchange rate):
|
$162
billion (2009 est.)
|
|
GDP
- real growth rate:
|
4.3%
(2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 41
3.6%
(2008 est.)
1.6%
(2007 est.)
|
|
GDP
- per capita (PPP):
|
$2,400
(2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 178
$2,300
(2008 est.)
$2,300
(2007 est.)
note:
data
are in 2009 US dollars
|
|
GDP
- composition by sector:
|
agriculture:
21.6%
industry:
24.3%
services:
54.2%
(2009 est.)
|
|
Labor
force:
|
53.78
million
country
comparison to the world: 10
note:
extensive
export of labor, mostly to the Middle
East, and use of child labor (2009
est.)
|
|
Labor
force - by occupation:
|
agriculture:
43%
industry:
20.3%
services:
36.6%
(2005 est.)
|
|
Unemployment
rate:
|
14%
(2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 145
12.6%
(2008 est.)
note:
substantial
underemployment exists
|
|
Population
below poverty line:
|
24%
(FY05/06 est.)
|
|
Household
income or consumption by percentage
share:
|
lowest
10%: 3.9%
highest
10%: 26.5%
(2005)
|
|
Distribution
of family income - Gini index:
|
30.6
(FY07/08)
country
comparison to the world: 109
41
(FY98/99)
|
|
Investment
(gross fixed):
|
17.4%
of GDP (2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 118 |
|
Budget:
|
revenues:
$22.65
billion
expenditures:
$30.98
billion (2009 est.)
|
|
Public
debt:
|
49.3%
of GDP (2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 47
53.7%
of GDP (2008 est.)
|
|
Inflation
rate (consumer prices):
|
13.6%
(2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 214
20.3%
(2008 est.)
|
|
Central
bank discount rate:
|
12.5%
(31 December 2009)
country
comparison to the world: 22
15%
(31 December 2008)
|
|
Commercial
bank prime lending rate:
|
NA%
|
|
Stock
of narrow money:
|
$45.8
billion (31 December 2009)
$41.97
billion (31 December 2008)
|
|
Stock
of broad money:
|
$64.26
billion (31 December 2009)
$59.62
billion (31 December 2008)
|
|
Stock
of domestic credit:
|
$NA
(31 December 2009)
$66.82
billion (31 December 2008 est.)
|
|
Market
value of publicly traded shares:
|
$32.21
billion (31 December 2009)
country
comparison to the world: 59
$23.49
billion (31 December 2008)
$70.26
billion (31 December 2007)
|
|
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:
|
-1.9%
(2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 83 |
|
Electricity
- production:
|
90.8
billion kWh (2007 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 33 |
|
Electricity
- consumption:
|
72.2
billion kWh (2007 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 37 |
|
Electricity
- exports:
|
0
kWh (2008 est.)
|
|
Electricity
- imports:
|
0
kWh (2008 est.)
|
|
Oil
- production:
|
59,140
bbl/day (2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 59 |
|
Oil
- consumption:
|
373,000
bbl/day (2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 35 |
|
Oil
- exports:
|
30,090
bbl/day (2007 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 87 |
|
Oil
- imports:
|
319,500
bbl/day (2007 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 33 |
|
Oil
- proved reserves:
|
436.2
million bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 49 |
|
Natural
gas - production:
|
37.5
billion cu m (2008 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 23 |
|
Natural
gas - consumption:
|
37.5
billion cu m (2008 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 21 |
|
Natural
gas - exports:
|
0
cu m (2008 est.)
country
comparison to the world: |
|
Natural
gas - imports:
|
0
cu m (2008 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 105 |
|
Natural
gas - proved reserves:
|
840.2
billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 29 |
|
Current
account balance:
|
-$3.583
billion (2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 164
-$15.66
billion (2008 est.)
|
|
Exports:
|
$18.33
billion (2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 68
$21.21
billion (2008 est.)
|
|
Exports
- commodities:
|
textiles
(garments, bed linen, cotton cloth,
yarn), rice, leather goods, sports
goods, chemicals, manufactures,
carpets and rugs
|
|
Exports
- partners:
|
US
15.87%, UAE 12.35%, Afghanistan 8.48%,
UK 4.7%, China 4.44% (2009)
|
|
Imports:
|
$28.53
billion (2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 59
$38.22
billion (2008 est.)
|
|
Imports
- commodities:
|
petroleum,
petroleum products, machinery,
plastics, transportation equipment,
edible oils, paper and paperboard,
iron and steel, tea
|
|
Imports
- partners:
|
China
15.35%, Saudi Arabia 10.54%, UAE 9.8%,
US 4.81%, Kuwait 4.73%, Malaysia
4.43%, India 4.02% (2009)
|
|
Reserves
of foreign exchange and gold:
|
$13.77
billion (31 December 2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 63
$8.903
billion (31 December 2008 est.)
|
|
Debt
- external:
|
$53.62
billion (31 December 2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 52
$49.34
billion (31 December 2008 est.)
|
|
Stock
of direct foreign investment - at home:
|
$28.09
billion (31 December 2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 61
$25.7
billion (31 December 2008 est.)
|
|
Stock
of direct foreign investment - abroad:
|
$1.017
billion (31 December 2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world: 73
$1.031
billion (31 December 2008 est.)
|
|
Exchange
rates:
|
Pakistani
rupees (PKR) per US dollar - 81.41
(2009), 70.64 (2008), 60.6295 (2007),
60.35 (2006), 59.515 (2005)
|
|
|
|
Communications
::Pakistan
Telephones
- main lines in use:
|
4.058
million (2009)
country
comparison to the world: 38 |
|
Telephones
- mobile cellular:
|
103
million (2009)
country
comparison to the world: 9 |
|
Telephone
system:
|
general
assessment: the
telecommunications
infrastructure is improving
dramatically with foreign and
domestic investments in
fixed-line and mobile-cellular
networks; system consists of
microwave radio relay, coaxial
cable, fiber-optic cable,
cellular, and satellite
networks;
domestic:
mobile-cellular
subscribership has skyrocketed,
exceeding 100 million in 2009,
up from only about 300,000 in
2000; approximately 90 percent
of Pakistanis live within areas
that have cell phone coverage
and more than half of all
Pakistanis have access to a cell
phone; fiber systems are being
constructed throughout the
country to aid in network
growth; fixed line availability
has risen only marginally over
the same period and there are
still difficulties getting
fixed-line service to rural
areas
international:
country
code - 92; landing point for the
SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4
submarine cable systems that
provide links to Asia, the
Middle East, and Europe;
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
(2009)
|
|
Broadcast
media:
|
media
is government regulated; 1
dominant state-owned TV
broadcaster, Pakistan Television
Corporation (PTV), operates a
network consisting of 6
channels; private TV
broadcasters are permitted and
some foreign satellite channels
are carried by cable TV
operators; the state-owned radio
network operates more than 40
stations; privately-owned radio
stations mostly limit
programming to music and talk
shows (2007)
|
|
Internet
country code:
|
.pk
|
|
Internet
hosts:
|
330,466
(2010)
country
comparison to the world: 57 |
|
Internet
users:
|
20.431
million (2009)
country
comparison to the world: 20
Transportation
::Pakistan
Airports:
|
148
(2010)
country
comparison to the world:
38 |
|
Airports
- with paved runways:
|
total:
101
over
3,047 m: 15
2,438
to 3,047 m: 20
1,524
to 2,437 m: 39
914
to 1,523 m: 18
under
914 m: 9
(2010)
|
|
Airports
- with unpaved runways:
|
total:
47
1,524
to 2,437 m: 11
914
to 1,523 m: 11
under
914 m: 25
(2010)
|
|
Heliports:
|
20
(2010)
|
|
Pipelines:
|
gas
10,402 km; oil 2,011 km;
refined products 787 km
(2009)
|
|
Railways:
|
total:
7,791
km
country
comparison to the world:
28
broad
gauge: 7,479
km 1.676-m gauge (293 km
electrified)
narrow
gauge: 312
km 1.000-m gauge (2007)
|
|
Roadways:
|
total:
259,197
km
country
comparison to the world:
20
paved:
172,827
km (includes 711 km of
expressways)
unpaved:
86,370
km (2007)
|
|
Merchant
marine:
|
total:
10
country
comparison to the world:
115
by
type: bulk
carrier 1, cargo 4,
petroleum tanker 5
registered
in other countries: 14
(Comoros 3, Georgia 1,
Marshall Islands 1, Panama
5, Saint Kitts and Nevis
3, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines 1) (2010)
|
|
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 Fiza'ya) (2010)
|
|
Military
service age and obligation:
|
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
(2009)
|
|
Manpower
available for military
service:
|
males
age 16-49: 45,829,360
females
age 16-49: 41,716,682
(2010 est.)
|
|
Manpower
fit for military service:
|
males
age 16-49: 35,774,936
females
age 16-49: 34,572,451
(2010 est.)
|
|
Manpower
reaching militarily
significant age annually:
|
male:
2,144,574
female:
2,000,479
(2010 est.)
|
|
Military
expenditures:
|
3%
of GDP (2007 est.)
country
comparison to the world:
46
Transnational
Issues ::Pakistan
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
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 (UNMOGIP)
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
stand-off 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
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
|
|
Refugees
and internally
displaced persons:
|
refugees
(country of origin):
1,043,984
(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)
(2007)
|
|
Illicit
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|