3. country located in the mountainous region
adjoining Central Asia and the Middle East.
Has a 1,046 kilometer (650 mile) coastline along
the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south,
and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the
west, the Republic of India in the east and the
People's Republic of China in the far northeast.[
Pakistan has been called part of the
New Middle East.
4. Capital- Islamabad
Largest city- Karachi
Currency- Pakistani Rupee
The estimated population of Pakistan is
172,800,000. making it the world's sixth most-
populous country, behind Brazil and ahead of Russia
.
7. Pakistan covers 340,403 square miles (881,640 km2)
Apart from the 1,046-kilometre (650 mi)
Arabian Sea coastline,
Pakistan's land borders total 6,774 kilometres—
2,430 kilometres (1,509 mi) with Afghanistan to the NW
523 kilometres (325 mi) with China to the NE,
2,912 kilometres (1,809 mi) with India to the E and
909 kilometres (565 mi) with Iran to the SW
8. The northern and western highlands of
Pakistan contain the towering Karakoram
and Pamir mountain ranges, which include
some of the world's highest peaks: K2 (28,250
ft; 8,611 m) and Nanga Parbat (26,660 ft;
8,126 m).
9. The Baluchistan Plateau lies to the west, and
the Thar Desert and an expanse of alluvial
plains, the Punjab and Sind, lie to the east.
The 1,000-mile-long (1,609-km) Indus River
and its tributaries flow through the country
from the Kashmir region to the Arabian
10. multilingual country
English is the official language
Urdu is the national language.
Punjabi is the most commonly spoken
language of Pakistan. The following are
major languages spoken in Pakistan
11. The following are major languages spoken in
Pakistan:
Punjabi (Panjabi) 61 million
Pashto (three major varieties) 19 million
Sindhi 19 million
Seraiki (Saraiki) 14 million
Urdu 11 million
Balochi (three major varieties) 6 million
12. second-most populous
Muslim-majority country
also has the second-largest Shi'a population
in the world.
About 95% of the Pakistanis are Muslim.
Almost 85% of Pakistani Muslims are
Sunni Muslims and 15% are Shi'a Muslims
13. The Religious breakup of the country is as
follows:
Islam 173,000,000 (95%) (nearly 85% are
Sunni Muslims and 15% are Shi'a Muslims).
Hinduism 3,200,000 (1.85%)
Christianity 2,800,000 (1.6%)
Sikhs Around 20,000 (0.04%)
14. Pakistan politics has taken place in the framework of
a federal republic
system of government has at times been
parliamentary, presidential, or semi-presidential.
In the current semi-presidential system, the
President of Pakistan is the head of state, the
Prime Minister is head of government, and there is a
multi-party system.
Executive power is exercised by the government.
Legislative power is largely vested in the Parliament.
15. is the 26th largest economy in the world in
terms of purchasing power, and the
47th largest in absolute dollar terms.
Pakistan's economy mainly encompasses
textiles, chemicals, food processing,
agriculture and other industries.
16. The economy has suffered in the past from
decades of internal political disputes, a fast
growing population, mixed levels of foreign
investment, and a costly, ongoing
confrontation with neighboring India.
17. Pakistan has four seasons:
- a cool, dry winter from December through
February;
- a hot, dry spring from March through May
- the summer rainy season, or southwest monsoon
period, from June through September;
- the retreating monsoon period of October and
November.
Rainfall can vary radically from year to year, and
successive patterns of flooding and drought are also
not uncommon.
18. Salwar kameez (shalwar qameez) is the national
dress of Pakistan.
Salwars are loose trousers designed in various
styles.
The salwar kameez is important especially during
the festivals celebrated in Pakistan, for men as well
as women.
Salwar kameez is also popular due to the comfort
factor.
19. The kameez is large and loose fitting tunic
worn with the baggy salwar.
Although the sherwani originated in India
during the 18th century, it is also the national
dress for men in Pakistan.
20. The achkan is yet another important dress of
Pakistan.
An achkan is a long jacket, which also
originated in the 19th century in India.
These are long sleeved coats reaching all the
way to the knees. At times, achkan can even
go lower.
23. Alternative therapies have been utilized by
people in Pakistan who have faith in spiritual
healers, clergymen, hakeems, homeopaths or
even many quacks
traditional medicine sector has become an
important source of health care, especially in
rural and tribal areas of the country
24. half the population (66%) lives in the rural
part of the country
Poverty, compounded by illiteracy, low status
of women, and inadequate water and
sanitation facilities, has a deep impact on
health indicators
two main divisions: the public domain and
the private domain