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Country Guide > Indian Subcontinent > Pakistan | |
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General Information Area 796,095 sq km (307,374 sq miles) excluding data for the disputed territories of Jammu and Kashmir.
Population 149,030,000 (official estimate 2003). Population Density 187.2 per sq km. Capital Islamabad. Population: 524,500 (1998). Geography Pakistan has borders to the north with Afghanistan, to the east with India and to the west with Iran; the Arabian Sea lies to the south. In the northeast is the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir, bounded by Afghanistan, China and India. Pakistan comprises distinct regions. The northern highlands – the Hindu Kush – are rugged and mountainous; the Indus Valley is a flat, alluvial plain with five major rivers dominating the upper region, eventually joining the Indus River and flowing south to the Makran coast; Sindh is bounded on the east by the Thar Desert and the Rann of Kutch, and on the west by the Kirthar Range; the Baluchistan Plateau is an arid tableland encircled by mountains. Government Federal Islamic Republic since 1973. Gained independence from the UK in 1947. Head of State: President Pervez Musharraf since 2001. Head of Government: Following a military coup in October 1999, General Pervez Musharraf took over as the leader of the new military regime. Prime Minister: Former finance minister Shaukat Aziz was made prime minister in August 2004. Language Urdu is the national language. English is widely spoken. Regional languages include Punjabi, which is spoken by 48 per cent of the population (1981), Pushto, Sindhi, Saraiki, and Baluchi. There are numerous local dialects. Religion 97 per cent Muslim, the remainder are Hindu or Christian. Time GMT + 5. Electricity 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Round two- or three-pin plugs are in use. Communications Telephone IDD is available. Country code: 92. Outgoing international code: 00. Mobile Telephone GSM 900 networks available. Main network providers include Mobilink (website: www.mobilinkgsm.com), Pakistan Communications Mobile Ltd (website: www.ufonegsm.com), Paktel Limited (website: www.paktel.com), Telenor Pakistan (website: www.telenor.com/pakistan) and Warid Telecom. Coverage is largely limited to main cities. Fax Services are operated by the Pakistani telephone and telegraph department. Internet Main ISPs include Pak Net (website: www.paknet.com.pk) and Pakistan Online (website: www.pol.com.pk). Internet cafes exist in many urban areas. Telegram There are services at post offices, telegraph offices and main hotels. The Central Telegraph Offices provide a 24-hour service. Post Airmail takes four to five days to reach Western Europe. There are poste restante facilities in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi. General post offices in major cities offer 24-hour services. Important letters should be registered or insured. Press The English-language press enjoys a great deal of influence in business circles. Dailies include Business Recorder, Dawn, Financial Post, Frontier Post, Leader, Pakistan Observer, Pakistan Times, Star, The Nation and The News. Radio BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online. |
