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 and a limited conflict - in 1947-48, 1965, and 1999 respectively - 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 mid-1998. India-Pakistan relations improved in the mid-2000s but have been rocky since the November 2008 Mumbai attacks and have been further strained by attacks in India by militants suspected of being backed by Pakistan. Nawaz SHARIF took office as prime minister in 2013, marking the first time in Pakistani history that a democratically elected government completed a full term and transitioned to a successive democratically elected government. Following a series of bomb and suicide attacks by the Tehrik-e Pakistan Taliban (TTP) begun in 2007, the Pakistan Government and TTP representatives agreed to a cease-fire in early 2014. However, by mid-year 2014 the talks collapsed and the TTP resumed attack plotting against Pakistani targets.

Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north

30 00 N, 70 00 E

Asia

slightly more than five times the size of Georgia; slightly less than twice the size of California

1,046 km

mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north

divided into three major geographic areas: the northern highlands, the Indus River plain in the center and east, and the Balochistan Plateau in the south and west

highest point: K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611 m

arable land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum, poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone

arable land 27.6%; permanent crops 1.1%; permanent pasture 6.5%

202,000 sq km (2012)

the Indus River and its tributaries attract most of the settlement, with Punjab province the most densely populated

frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August)

water pollution from raw sewage, industrial wastes, and agricultural runoff; limited natural freshwater resources; most of the population does not have access to potable water; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification

controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion routes between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent

201,995,540 (July 2016 est.)

Punjabi 44.68%, Pashtun (Pathan) 15.42%, Sindhi 14.1%, Sariaki 8.38%, Muhajirs 7.57%, Balochi 3.57%, other 6.28%

Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Saraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashto (alternate name, 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%

Muslim (official) 96.4% (Sunni 85-90%, Shia 10-15%), other (includes Christian and Hindu) 3.6% (2010 est.)

1.45% (2016 est.)

22.3 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)

6.4 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)

-1.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)

the Indus River and its tributaries attract most of the settlement, with Punjab province the most densely populated

Karachi 16.618 million; Lahore 8.741 million; Faisalabad 3.567 million; Rawalpindi 2.506 million; Multan 1.921 million; ISLAMABAD (capital) 1.365 million (2015)

23.4

178 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

2.68 children born/woman (2016 est.)

35.4% (2012/13)

2.6% of GDP (2014)

0.83 physicians/1,000 population (2010)

0.6 beds/1,000 population (2012)

urban: 93.9% of population

rural: 89.9% of population

total: 91.4% of population

urban: 6.1% of population

rural: 10.1% of population

total: 8.6% of population (2015 est.)

urban: 83.1% of population

rural: 51.1% of population

total: 63.5% of population

urban: 16.9% of population

rural: 48.9% of population

total: 36.5% of population (2015 est.)

0.09% (2015 est.)

102,000 (2015 est.)

3,600 (2015 est.)

4.8% (2014)

31.6% (2013)

2.5% of GDP (2014)

federal parliamentary republic

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

14 August 1947 (from British India)

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

several previous; latest endorsed 12 April 1973, passed 19 April 1973, entered into force 14 August 1973 (suspended and restored several times); amended many times, last in 2015 (2016)

common law system with Islamic law influence

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt

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

Awami National Party or ANP [Mian Iftikhar HUSSAIN]

Balochistan National Party-Awami or BNP-A [Mir Israr Ullah ZEHRI]

Balochistan National Party-Mengal or BNP-M [Sardar Akhtar Jan MENGAL]

Jamaat-i Islami or JI [Sirajul HAQ]

Jamiat-i Ulema-i Islam Fazl-ur Rehman or JUI-F [Fazlur REHMAN]

Muttahida Qaumi Movement or MQM [Farooq SATTAR]

Pakhtun khwa Milli Awami Party or PkMAP [Mahmood Khan ACHAKZAI]

Pakistan Muslim League-Functional or PML-F [Pir PAGARO or Syed Shah Mardan SHAH-II]

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz or PML-N [Nawaz SHARIF]

Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians or PPPP [Bilawal Bhutto ZARDARI and Asif Ali ZARDARI]

Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaaf or PTI [Imran KHAN]

Pak Sarzameen Party or PSP [Mustafa KAMAL]

Quami Watan Party or QWP [Aftab Ahmed Khan SHERPAO]

ADB, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), C, CICA, CP, D-8, ECO, FAO, G-11, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, SCO (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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

star and crescent, jasmine; national colors: green, white

Decades of internal political disputes and low levels of foreign investment have led to slow growth and underdevelopment in Pakistan. Pakistan has a large English-speaking population. Nevertheless, a challenging security environment, electricity shortages, and a burdensome investment climate have deterred investors. Agriculture accounts for more than one-fourth of output and two-fifths of employment. Textiles and apparel account for most of Pakistan's export earnings, and Pakistan's failure to diversify its exports has left the country vulnerable to shifts in world demand. Pakistan’s GDP growth has gradually increased since 2012. Official unemployment was 6.5% in 2015, but this fails to capture the true picture, because much of the economy is informal and underemployment remains high. Human development continues to lag behind most of the region.

In coordination with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Pakistan embarked on an economic reform program in 2013. While the reform process has been mixed, and issues like privatization of state-owned enterprises remain unresolved, Pakistan has restored macroeconomic stability, improved its credit rating, and boosted growth. The Pakistani rupee, after heavy depreciation, remained relatively stable against the US dollar in 2014-15. Remittances from overseas workers, averaging more than $1.5 billion a month, are a key revenue source for Pakistan, partly compensating for a lack of foreign investment and a slowdown in portfolio investment. Falling global oil prices in 2015 contributed to a narrowing current account deficit and lower inflation, despite weak export performance. Pakistan’s program with the IMF – a three-year, $6.7 billion Extended Fund Facility focusing on reducing energy shortages, stabilizing public finances, expanding revenue, and improving the external balance – is slated to conclude in September 2016. While passing most quantitative targets, Pakistan has missed targets on structural reforms and performance criteria throughout the program.

Pakistan remains stuck in a low-income, low-growth trap, with growth averaging about 3.5% per year from 2008 to 2013. Pakistan must address long-standing issues related to government revenues, with the tax base being narrow at 11% of GDP. Given demographic challenges, Pakistan’s leadership will be pressed to implement economic reforms, promote further development of the energy sector, and attract foreign investment to support sufficient economic growth necessary to employ its growing and rapidly urbanizing population, much of which is under the age of 25. Other long-term challenges include expanding investment in education and healthcare, adapting to the effects of climate change and natural disasters, improving the country’s business climate, and reducing dependence on foreign donors. Pakistan and China are implementing the “China-Pakistan Economic Corridor”, a $46 billion investment program targeted towards the energy sector and other infrastructure project that Islamabad and Beijing had agreed on in early 2014.

$931 billion (2015 est.)

$893.1 billion (2014 est.)

$858.5 billion (2013 est.)

$270 billion (2015 est.)

4.2% (2015 est.)

4% (2014 est.)

3.7% (2013 est.)

$5,000 (2015 est.)

$4,900 (2014 est.)

$4,800 (2013 est.)

14.7% of GDP (2015 est.)

13.4% of GDP (2014 est.)

12.3% of GDP (2013 est.)

cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; milk, beef, mutton, eggs

textiles and apparel, food processing, pharmaceuticals, construction materials, paper products, fertilizer, shrimp

4.8% (2015 est.)

63.34 million

6.4% (2015 est.)

6.3% (2014 est.)

22.3% (FY2005 est.)

29.6 (FY2011)

31.4 (FY2008)

14.2% of GDP (2015 est.)

-5.3% of GDP (2015 est.)

57.3% of GDP (2015 est.)

56% of GDP (2014 est.)

1 July - 30 June

2.5% (2015 est.)

7.2% (2014 est.)

6% (15 November 2015)

9.5% (18 December 2014)

8.37% (31 December 2015 est.)

10.51% (31 December 2014 est.)

$89.3 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$79.67 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$107 billion (31 October 2015 est.)

$97.95 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$127.5 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$119.4 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$43.68 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$32.76 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$38.17 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

-$2.627 billion (2015 est.)

-$3.13 billion (2014 est.)

$22.73 billion (2015 est.)

$24.78 billion (2014 est.)

textiles (garments, bed linen, cotton cloth, yarn), rice, leather goods, sporting goods, chemicals, manufactures, carpets and rugs

US 13.1%, UAE 9.1%, Afghanistan 9.1%, China 8.8%, UK 5.4%, Germany 4.9% (2015)

$39.29 billion (2015 est.)

$42.65 billion (2014 est.)

petroleum, petroleum products, machinery, plastics, transportation equipment, edible oils, paper and paperboard, iron and steel, tea

China 28.1%, Saudi Arabia 10.9%, UAE 10.8%, Kuwait 5.6% (2015)

$20.05 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$14.29 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$60.91 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$62.18 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$31.82 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$32.64 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$2.009 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$1.784 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Pakistani rupees (PKR) per US dollar -

102.769 (FY2015 est.)

101.1 (FY2014 est.)

101.1 (FY2013 est.)

93.4 (2012 est.)

86.3434 (2011 est.)

100 billion kWh (2014 est.)

82 billion kWh (2014 est.)

0 kWh (2013 est.)

400 million kWh (2014 est.)

24 million kW (2014 est.)

67.1% of total installed capacity (FY2014 est.)

3.2% of total installed capacity (FY2014 est.)

29.2% of total installed capacity (FY2014 est.)

0.4% of total installed capacity (FY2014 est.)

90,210 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

150,800 bbl/day (2013 est.)

400 million bbl (1 January 2016 es)

235,300 bbl/day (2013 est.)

450,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)

17,120 bbl/day (2013 est.)

228,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)

39.07 billion cu m (2014 est.)

39.97 billion cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

669.4 billion cu m (1 January 2016 es)

145 million Mt (2013 est.)

media is government regulated; 1 dominant state-owned TV broadcaster, Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV), operates a network consisting of 8 channels; private TV broadcasters are permitted; to date 69 foreign satellite channels are operational; the state-owned radio network operates more than 40 stations; nearly 100 commercially licensed, privately owned radio stations provide programming mostly limited to music and talk shows (2015)

.pk

AP (2016)

151 (2013)

23 (2013)

gas 12,646 km; oil 2,576 km; refined products 1,087 km (2013)

Pakistan Army (includes National Guard), Pakistan Navy (includes Maritime Security Agency), Pakistan Air Force (Pakistan Fiza'ya) (2015)

16-23 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; the Pakistan Air Force recruits aviation technicians at age 15; service obligation (Navy) 10-18 years; retirement required after 18-30 years service or age 40-52 (2012)

3.5% of GDP (2013)

3.5% of GDP (2012)

3.2% of GDP (2011)

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 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 standoff 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; since 2002, with UN assistance, Pakistan has repatriated 3.8 million Afghan refugees, leaving about 2.6 million; Pakistan has sent troops across and built fences along some remote tribal areas of its treaty-defined Durand Line border with Afghanistan, which serve as bases for foreign terrorists and other illegal activities; Afghan, Coalition, and Pakistan military meet periodically to clarify the alignment of the boundary on the ground and on maps

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