Pakistan

Region: South Asia

Official language: Urdu, English

Population: 252,363,571 (2024 est.)

Nationality: Pakistani(s) (noun), Pakistani (adjective)

Land area: 770,875 sq km (297,636 sq miles)

Water area: 25,220 sq km (9,737 sq miles)

Capital: Islamabad

National anthem: "Qaumi Tarana" (National Anthem), by Abu-Al-Asar Hafeez Jullandhuri/Ahmed Ghulamali Chagla

National holiday: Pakistan Day (also referred to as Pakistan Resolution Day or Republic Day), March 23 (1940); note - commemorates both the adoption of the Lahore Resolution by the All-India Muslim League during its March 22–24, 1940 session, which called for the creation of independent Muslim states, and the adoption of the first constitution of Pakistan on March 23, 1956 during the transition to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan

Population growth: 1.86% (2024 est.)

Time zone: UTC +5

Flag: The flag of Pakistan features a white vertical band on its hoist (left) side; the remaining three quarters of the flag is green. Centered in the green section is a white crescent moon and star, which are symbols of Islam.

Motto: “Iman, Aktad, Nizam” (Faith, Unity, Discipline)

Independence: August 14, 1947 (from British India)

Government type: federal republic

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal; note - there are joint electorates and reserved parliamentary seats for women and non-Muslims

Legal system: common law system with Islamic law influence

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan, bordered by Afghanistan, China, India, and Iran, is considered one of the cradles of human civilization due to the long history of recorded human settlement there. Following independence from British colonial rule, it was partitioned from India as a home for Muslim peoples.

In the early twenty-first century, Pakistan has experienced ethnic and sectarian violence, allegations of corrupt leadership, and tensions with India over the disputed territory of Kashmir. With both countries possessing nuclear capabilities, the situation between India and Pakistan has approached disaster several times. Some degree of reconciliation has occurred over the years, but tensions returned to fever pitch following the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, by Pakistan-based militants; the countries largely continued their adversarial relationship in subsequent decades. In addition, Pakistan’s relationship with the United States, its nominal ally, remains complex. Despite these challenges and controversies, the country's history in the decades after its independence was also marked by periods of strong economic growth, and it retained its characteristically high levels of ethnic and linguistic diversity.

Note: unless otherwise indicated, statistical data in this article is sourced from the CIA World Factbook, as cited in the bibliography.

People and Culture

Population: Pakistan has a young and growing population, the fifth largest in the world in 2023. Life expectancy at birth was 70.3 years in 2024. Pakistan ranked 164 out of 193 countries and territories on the 2022 on the United Nations Human Development Index.

The population is concentrated in the east and southeast, in the Indus River Valley. In 2023 about 38 percent of the population lived in urban centers, several of which have populations of more than 1 million. Karachi is the largest, with an estimated 17.236 million people, followed by Lahore (13.979 million), and Faisalabad (3.711 million) [2023]. The capital, Islamabad, had about 1.232 million inhabitants in 2023.

Centuries of invasion and migration have given Pakistan an extremely complex ethnic composition. Among the major classifications are the Punjabis (an estimated 44.7 percent of the population), the Pashtun (15.4 percent), the Sindhi (14.1 percent), the Sariaki (8.4 percent), the Muhajirs (7.6 percent), and the Balochis (3.6 percent). These groups are further divided according to classifications such as caste, occupation, and tribe. Each group is concentrated in one of the country's four provinces—Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Balochistan—or autonomous territories or tribal areas.

Urdu, a language related to Hindi with many loan words from Arabic, was designated the official language in 1978. Although it is the native language of only the Muhajir people, it was chosen as a means to unite the country's diverse population. Most people in Pakistan speak at least two languages: their own, which is tied to their ethnicity, and Urdu. Punjabi, Pashto, Sindhi, and Balochi, plus numerous dialects and several other minority languages, complete the linguistic picture. English is commonly used in government and is also widely spoken, due to the country's past as a colony of the British Empire.

Pakistan is an Islamic republic, and the vast majority of the population is Muslim. An estimated 85–90 percent are Sunni and 10–15 percent Shia. Hinduism and Christianity are the largest minority religions. The country's constitution guarantees freedom of worship.

Indigenous People: Except for Pashtun refugees, who fled Afghanistan, and the Muhajirs, who settled in Pakistan after the partition of India, the country's ethnic groups have long histories in the region. Some ethnic groups have been traditionally underrepresented in the power structure, while others exercise influence out of proportion to their size. This is one factor that has led to violence in Pakistan. Another source of the conflict with the country has been religious differences, with fighting breaking out between Sunni and Shia Muslims. Sindh, Balochistan, and Punjab are the provinces most beset by strife.

Education: Pakistan faces significant challenges in its education system. In 2019 an estimated 58 percent of the country’s total population above fifteen years of age was literate, and the literacy rate is significantly higher for men than for women (69.3 percent for men, 46.5 percent for women). Both government-funded schools and private schools exist in Pakistan, and both stress the tenets of Islam as well as basic academic subjects.

Government-funded schools provide free education, but traditionally attendance was not compulsory and many children worked to help support their family instead of studying. Primary and secondary school lasts for twelve years. Male students outnumber female students by far, with fewer than half of school-age girls in attendance. The National Assembly passed the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Bill in 2012, and in 2021 Pakistan devoted an estimated 2.4 percent of GDP to education expenditures.

Only a small percentage of college-age Pakistanis obtain a higher education. In addition to numerous vocational schools and professional schools, there are several institutions of higher education, both public and private. Prestigious public universities include Quaid-e-Azam University in the capital, and the University of Peshawar. The Aga Khan University Medical College in Karachi and the National University of Sciences and Technology in Rawalpindi are major private universities.

Health Care: The health care system of Pakistan struggles to meet the basic needs of the population and suffers from a shortage of medical practitioners, facilities, and funds. Despite these problems, some progress has been made in primary health care to reduce infant mortality, improve pre- and postnatal care, and carry out immunization campaigns. The 2024 infant mortality rate was 51.5 deaths out of every 1,000 live births.

Prevalent illnesses, many of them derived from poor sanitation practices and exacerbated by structural inequities, include gastroenteritis, hepatitis A and E, typhoid fever, malaria, tuberculosis, and dengue fever; childhood malnutrition is also a serious problem.

Food: Pakistan's cuisine reflects the influence of India and the Middle East, both in individual dishes and in the array of spices used to flavor them. Popular dishes include meat and lentil curries as well as grilled meats cooked in a clay oven. Lamb, chicken, goat and beef are commonly eaten, though poorer people can only afford meat on special occasions.

Bread is integral to every meal; the most common type is called naan, which is a flat bread baked in a clay oven. Tea, usually prepared with spices, milk and sugar, is the most popular drink; other drinks include lassi, made from yogurt, fresh fruit juices, and sugar cane juice.

Arts & Entertainment: Over the centuries, Islam has fostered some of Pakistan's highest expressions of culture. In architecture, this influence can be seen in the country's mosques, gardens, palaces, and tombs. Intricate geometric designs and Koranic inscriptions written in calligraphy figure heavily in religious buildings. These designs also carry over into traditional crafts such as pottery- and carpet-making.

Traditional music is another widely practiced art and is one of the most common vehicles for the country's beloved poetry. The two dominant, lyrically rich types are the romantic ghazal and the Sufi devotional music called qawwali. Among the many Pakistani musicians, few are as revered in his native country and abroad as the singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (1948–1997), who specialized in qawwali yet frequently collaborated with Western musicians in the latter part of his career to create a more modern sound.

The British left behind a passion for several sports in Pakistan, including squash, polo, and cricket. Football (soccer) is popular as well, but cricket is considered the preeminent national sport.

Holidays: Islamic holidays predominate in Pakistan. Among the most significant are Ramadan, the month of dusk-to-dawn fasting, Eid-al-Fitr which concludes Ramadan, and Eid-al-Adha which commemorates Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son to God. These holidays are celebrated with feasts, visits to family and friends, the wearing of new clothes, gift-giving, and the distribution of food and alms to the poor.

Secular holidays center on Pakistan's nationhood. These include Republic Day (March 23), Independence Day (August 14, marking the country's independence from Britain), and the anniversary of the death of Pakistan's founder, Mohammed Ali Jinnah (September 11).

Environment and Geography

Topography: Pakistan has nine ecological zones, but its terrain is largely comprised of mountains, a broad river plain, and an arid western plateau. Mountains predominate in the north and the northwest. The northern ranges, which include portions of the Hindu Kush and the Himalayas, contain thirteen of the world's highest peaks. The highest in Pakistan, and the second highest in the world, is K2, which rises in the Karakoram Range of the Himalayas to an elevation of 8,611 meters (28,251 feet). Numerous glaciers and glacial lakes are found in these ranges. Two of the most historically significant mountain passes which link Pakistan to its neighbors are the Khyber Pass on the border with Afghanistan, and the Karakoram Pass on the border with China.

The Indus River rises in the Chinese Himalayas and courses along the length of Pakistan for 2,900 kilometers (1,800 miles). The river branches into five major tributaries, creating a fertile plain from which the country draws its sustenance, and then empties into the Arabian Sea. The southern coastline is dominated by the broad Indus River delta and the Makran Mountains, which stretch for three-quarters of the 1,046-kilometer (650-mile) coastline.

Natural Resources: Pakistan's most valuable natural resources are arable land and wetlands. Though many minerals are present, most of them are either difficult to access, of poor quality, or occur in small quantities. Chromite is the most widely exploited; other minerals include coal, copper, iron ore, gypsum, limestone, marble, silica sand, anhydrite, dolomite, and onyx. The country also has significant reserves of natural gas and potential reserves of oil.

Pakistan suffers from a host of environmental problems and has done relatively little to counteract them. Poor conservation practices remain problematic. The country has one of the fastest rates of deforestation in the world. Deforestation has led to soil erosion. Poor agricultural practices have caused groundwater degradation and a decrease in available water sources, and also threaten the country's fragile wetlands. Air pollution in major cities is also a problem.

Plants & Animals: Pakistan's natural zones support a variety of plant and animal life. In the northern mountains, trees such as pine, polar, cedar, and spruce are found. In the west, only grass, hearty plants, and scattered trees survive the arid climate except in the hills, where juniper and cedar trees are also found. The Indus Valley plain, also arid outside of the monsoon season, is covered with grass and thorn trees. Forests grow along the banks of the Indus River, and stands of mangrove grow along the coast.

Mammals commonly found in Pakistan include wild sheep, wolves, hyena, bear, boar and deer. The wetlands are particularly rich in animal life and provide habitats for otters, dolphins, and crocodiles as well as numerous migrating birds. Reptiles include the python, the cobra, the horned viper and the Afghan tortoise. The Indus River and the Arabian Sea support numerous species of fish.

Hunting and stress on their habitats threaten several species, among which are the snow leopard, the ibex, the Marco Polo sheep, the Asiatic black bear, the wild goat, and the Eurasian otter.

Climate: Pakistan experiences four distinct seasons: dry and cool between December and March, hot and humid between April and June, wet between July and September, and dry and hot in October and November. The higher elevations are colder in winter, cooler in summer, in contrast to the lower elevations of the Indus plains.

In the lowlands, temperatures average 13° Celsius (55° Fahrenheit) in winter, and fall between 32° and 49° Celsius (about 90° and 120° Fahrenheit) in summer. Temperatures in the mountains fall well below freezing during the winter; some peaks remain snow-capped throughout the year and numerous glaciers are present.

Pakistan receives less than 25 centimeters (10 inches) of precipitation annually. In the mountains, it falls in the form of snow; on the plains, monsoon winds bring torrential rains that cause rivers to flood and measure 500 millimeters (20 inches) annually. The more arid southwest and southeast receive a quarter of that amount.

Monsoon seasons can pose serious danger. For example, from June to October 2022, as a result of particularly intense monsoons as well as glacial melting, Pakistan experienced catastrophic floods which killed over 1,700 people and caused over US$15 billion in damage. These floods, in addition to being one of the most expensive disasters in recorded history, were also considered some of the worst in Pakistan's modern history up to that point.

In addition to the floods in July and August, Pakistan is susceptible to frequent earthquakes. The worst occur in the north and west of the country. A major earthquake occurred in the Kashmir region in 2005, killing over 80,000 people.

Economy

Market reforms have benefited Pakistan's economy, and international investment increased after the government began cooperating with Western countries to clamp down on terrorism. Nonetheless, widespread poverty and lack of economic opportunity still afflict huge portions of the population. The gross domestic product (GDP, purchasing power parity) in 2023 was US$1.347 trillion and per capita GDP was $5,600. The unemployment rate was 5.5 percent in 2023, in addition to significant underemployment. These figures do not include the underground economy, which is thought to constitute 30 percent of the total economy.

Industry: Much of the industrial sector depends on the agricultural sector for raw materials. Textiles and clothing, construction materials, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and paper products are all manufactured in Pakistan. Traditional craftwork, especially handmade carpets and pottery, is also important.

Pakistan does not produce enough energy to satisfy its needs. Efforts to increase energy supplies using hydropower, nuclear power, and thermal power continue. The country imports far more oil than it exports.

Agriculture: Pakistan has a significant agricultural sector which comprises a fairly small portion of GDP but employs a large share of the country's workforce. Much of the country's cultivated land is irrigated with water from the Indus River.

Cotton, rice, sugarcane, wheat, rice, corn, fruit and vegetables are the country's major crops. Livestock is also important for milk, meat, and eggs; sheep, cattle, water buffalo, goats, and poultry are all raised in Pakistan. The fishing sector, working mostly in the Indian Ocean, is growing.

Tourism: Pakistan's tourism sector has untapped potential. A basic but developing infrastructure combined with fears of terrorism and political instability has contributed to the industry's slow growth. Around 1.4 million international arrivals were expected in 2019, and travel and tourism accounted for 5.9 percent of GDP in 2019. However, international travel fell sharply in 2020 due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the country's tourism sector remained relatively limited throughout the early 2020s.

Pakistan boasts both extensive natural beauty and cultural riches. The rugged northern terrain, which includes several of the highest mountain peaks in the world, attracts climbers and hikers. Several national parks protect the natural scenery as well as rare wildlife. Culturally, Pakistan offers architecture from three major religions: Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam. In addition, there are ancient archaeological sites, bazaars, and well preserved examples of British colonial architecture. Significant development of the country’s tourism industry remains challenged by security and safety concerns.

Government

Pakistan was partitioned from India and gained its independence from Britain in 1947. Disputed land claims and the mass movement of refugees brought India and Pakistan into conflict in 1948 and 1965; the disputed territory of Kashmir remains an unresolved issue between the countries.

In 1971, the eastern wing of Pakistan seceded and became Bangladesh. Internally, Pakistan has undergone major political upheavals, including periods of martial law and several coups. In 1999, General Pervez Musharraf and the military seized control of the government. Musharraf won a controversial referendum on his presidency in 2002, which extended his rule until 2007. He resigned in August 2008, under threat of impeachment.

Officially, Pakistan is a parliamentary federal republic. According to its 1973 constitution, executive power is vested in a president, who is elected to a five-year term by the legislature and the provincial assemblies. The prime minister is elected by the National Assembly, the lower house of the legislature. The government cabinet is appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister. Amendments made to the constitution in 2002 granted the president wide-ranging powers, including dismissal of the legislature and the prime minister.

Pakistan's legislative branch is bicameral. The Senate consists of 104 seats, which are filled for six-year terms by vote of the national and provincial legislatures. The National Assembly consists of 342 seats. Members are elected by direct vote to five-year terms, and women and minorities are allotted set numbers of seats.

The Supreme Court presides over the judicial branch; its justices are appointed by the president. At the federal level, there is also a court based on Sharia, or Islamic law. High courts hear cases at the provincial level. Both secular and religious law are binding.

Pakistan is divided into four provinces, two autonomous territories, and a capital territory. The president is responsible for appointing a governor to each province. Power at the provincial level has been sharply curtailed since the 1999 coup. Pakistan administers portions of the disputed Kashmir territory. India administers other parts of this territory.

Major political parties include the Pakistan People's Party and the Pakistan Muslim League. There are, in addition, numerous parties representing ethnic groups. It is common for parties to splinter and for new coalitions to be formed.

Following the inconclusive February 2024 elections, Pakistan's parliament elected Shehbaz Sharif as prime minister for a second term.

Interesting Facts

• After several attempts by climbers of various nationalities, Italian climbers Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni became the first to reach the summit of the mountain known as K2, in 1954. K2 is the second-highest mountain in the world.
• The Faisal Mosque in Islamabad and the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore are among the largest mosques in the world.
• Pakistan's Karakoram Highway is considered the highest paved international road in the world.

Bibliography

Akbar, Maha. "Over a Year after Pakistan Floods, Survivors Battle Climate Anxiety." Al Jazeera, 24 Oct. 2023, www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2023/10/24/photos-over-a-year-after-pakistan-floods-survivors-battle-climate-anxiety. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.

Human Development Insights, United Nations Development Programme, 13 Mar. 2024, hdr.undp.org/data-center/country-insights#/ranks. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025

Official Gateway to the Government of Pakistan, www.pakistan.gov.pk/. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.

"Pakistan." The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 2 Jan. 2025, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/pakistan/. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.

"Pakistan Country Profile." BBC News, 15 Mar. 2024, www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12965779. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.