Travelling Club - Pakistan

Fact Sheet: Pakistan

• Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north
• Geographic coordinates: 30 00 N, 70 00 E
• Area: total: 803,940 sq km
• Climate: mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north
• Terrain: flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest; Balochistan plateau in west
• Natural hazards: frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August)
• Population: 165,803,560 (July 2006 est.)
• Ethnic groups: Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants from India at the time of partition and their descendants)
• Religions: Muslim 97% (Sunni 77%, Shi'a 20%), Christian, Hindu, and other 3%
• Languages: Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Siraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu (official) 8%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2%, Brahui 1%, English (official and lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries), Burushaski, and other 8%
• Government type: federal republic
• Capital: name: Islamabad
• Currency code: Pakistani rupee (PKR)
• Exchange rates: Pakistani rupees per US dollar - 59.515 (2005), 58.258 (2004), 57.752 (2003), 59.724 (2002), 61.927 (2001)
• Internet country code: .pk
• Airports: 139 (2006)