The National Anthem of Pakistan
 playing in the background.

Areacomparative: slightly less than twice the size of California

Land boundaries:
total: 6,774 km
border countries: Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km, India 2,912 km, Iran 909 km

Coastline: 1,046 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

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

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611 m

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

Land use:
arable land: 27%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 6%
forests and woodland: 5%
other: 61% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 171,100 sq km (1993 est.)

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

Environmentcurrent issues: water pollution from raw sewage, industrial wastes, and agricultural runoff; limited natural fresh water resources; a majority of the population does not have access to potable water; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification

Environmentinternational agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

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

Population: 138,123,359 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 41% (male 29,423,876; female 27,763,774)
15-64 years: 55% (male 38,533,918; female 36,804,592)
65 years and over: 4% (male 2,768,942; female 2,828,257) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.18% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 33.51 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 10.45 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 91.86 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 59.38 years
male: 58.49 years
female: 60.3 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.73 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Pakistani(s)
adjective: Pakistani

Ethnic groups: Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants from India 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%

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 37.8%
male: 50%
female: 24.4% (1995 est.)

Country name:
conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
conventional short form: Pakistan
former: West Pakistan

Government type: federal republic

Capital: Islamabad

Administrative divisions: 4 provinces, 1 territory*, and 1 capital territory**; Balochistan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas*, Islamabad Capital Territory**, North-West Frontier, Punjab, Sindh
note: the Pakistani-administered portion of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region includes Azad Kashmir and the Northern Areas

Independence: 14 August 1947 (from UK)

Military

Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Civil Armed Forces, National Guard

Military manpowermilitary age: 17 years of age

Military manpoweravailability:
males age 15-49: 33,496,712 (1999 est.)

Military manpowerfit for military service:
males age 15-49: 20,519,762 (1999 est.)

Military manpowerreaching military age annually:
males: 1,553,310 (1999 est.)

Military expendituresdollar figure: $2.48 billion (FY98/99)

Military expenditurespercent of GDP: 4.4% (FY98/99)