A Brief Description

In 1947, as British rule came to an end in India, Pakistan was created when the Muslim-dominated parts of India (to the west and east) of Hindu India, were given autonomy.

Those two partitions were called East and West Pakistan and they were separated (right down the middle) by India.

The city of Islamabad, with its mix of traditional Islamic architecture styles and modern features, became the capital city when it was officially moved here from Karachi in 1959.

Then, in 1971, East Pakistan demanded independence, and after a bloody civil war it was transformed into what is now called the country of Bangladesh.

West Pakistan, now present-day Pakistan, has been in constant dispute with India over the Kashmir Region, and after many wars and border disputes, the status of the area remains in limbo.

In response to Indian nuclear weapons testing, Pakistan conducted its own tests in 1998. Today, the long-term goal of both nations is military stability, and promising discussions continue.

As one of the most populous countries in the world, Pakistan and its friendly, hopeful people, face enormous economic and social problems; fortunately it possesses immense natural resources, and when mixed with its low labor costs, the future potential is positive for this ever-changing country.

Facts and Figures

Name: Pakistan

(long form) Islamic Republic of Pakistan

Population: 162,419,900

Capital City: Islamabad (965,000)

Currency :Pakistani Rupee (PKR)

Languages Punjabi (48%), Sindhi (12%), Siraiki (10%), Pashtu (8%), Urdu (8%), others



National: Day March 23

Religions: Sunni Muslim (77%), Shi'a Muslim (20%)

Geographic Coordinates

Latitude/Longitude (Capital City)
33º 40' N, 73º 08' E

Relative Location Pakistan, part of the Indian Subcontinent, and positioned in the Middle East, a recognized geographical region of southwestern Asia, is in both the northern and eastern hemispheres. The country is bordered by Iran, Afghanistan, China, India and the Arabian Sea.

Land Statistics

Coastline: 650 miles (1,046 km)

Land Areas

(land) 300,665 sq miles (778,720 sq km)

(water) 9,738 sq miles (25,220 sq km)

(TOTAL) 310,403 sq miles (803,940 sq km)

Land Area (all countries) here

Landforms The heartland of Pakistan, the Punjab Plain, is disected by the Indus River and fronts its border with India; southwest, the arid and dry Baluchistan Plateau extends to its border with Iran.

The country's most dramatic landscape is north, as the western edges of the Himalayas, including the (Hindu Kush,) is home to some of the tallest peaks in the world.

The highest point in the country of Pakistan, K2, or (Mount Godwin-Austen), is the second tallest mountain on the planet.

The mountainous areas of the west-central, along the border with Afghanistan, include the Ras Koh, Safed Koh and Toba Kakar ranges

The Indus River and its numerous tributaries (one of the world's most significant waterways) drain the entire country.

Highest Point K2 - 28,250 ft. (8.611 m)

Lowest Point Arabian Sea - (0 ft.) (0 m)

Land Divisions 5 provinces, including Balochistan, North-West Frontier Province, Punjab, Sindh and Gilgit-Baltistan. It also includes the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and the Islamabad Capital Territory.

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