Pakistan, officially Islamic Republic of Pakistan, republic in south Asia, bordered on the north and north-west by Afghanistan, on the north-east by Jammu and Kashmir, on the east and south-east by India, on the south by the Arabian Sea, and on the west by Iran. The status of Jammu and Kashmir is a matter of dispute between India and Pakistan. Pakistan became an independent state in 1947. Until December 1971 it included the province of East Pakistan (previously East Bengal), which, after its secession from Pakistan, assumed the name Bangladesh. The area of Pakistan is 796,095 sq km (307,293 sq mi), excluding the section of Jammu and Kashmir under its control. The capital of Pakistan is Islamabad; Karachi is the largest city.

General Information

AREA: 803,950 sq km (310,405 sq miles).
POPULATION: 122,802,000 (1993 estimate).
POPULATION DENSITY: 152.7 per sq km.
CAPITAL: Islamabad. Population: 400,000 (1993).
 

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 far north 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 flowing south to the Makran coast; Sindh is bounded 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.

LANGUAGE: Urdu and English with regional languages of Sindhi, Baluchi, Punjabi and Pashtu. There are numerous local dialects.

Religion: 97% Muslim, 2% Hindu, 1% Christian.

TIME: GMT + 5.

ELECTRICITY: 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Round 2- or 3-pin plugs are in use.

COMMUNICATIONS:

Telephone:

IDD is available. Country code: 92. Outgoing international code: 00.

Fax:

A service was introduced in 1986 by the Pakistan telephone and telegraph department

Telex/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 Lahore, Karachi 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 Baluchistan Times, The Financial Post, The Leader, The Pakistan Times, The Star, The Nation, The News, The Frontier Post, The Muslim, The Business Recorder and Dawn

.

BBC World Service and Voice of America frequencies:
From time to time these change. See the contents for more information. BBC:
MHz 17.79   15.31   9.605    7.205
A service is also available on 1413kHz. Voice of America:
MHz 21.55   15.43   9.760    6.070
 

[History]        [National Anthem]        [National Days]        

History:

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan emerged as an independent state on 14th August, 1947. It comprises of four provinces: Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan, North-West Frontier Province, besides the federally administered tribal areas. Islamabad is the federal capital. Over 95% of the population is Muslim.

Located in South Asia, Pakistan shares an eastern border with India and a north-eastern border with China. Iran makes up the country's southwest border, and Afghanistan runs along its western and northern edge. The Arabian Sea is Pakistan's southern boundary with 1,064 km of coastline. The country has a total area of 796,095 sq. km with a land area of 778,720 sq. km and is nearly four times the size of the United Kingdom. From Gwadar Bay in its south-eastern corner, the country extends more than 1,800 km to the Khunjerab Pass on China's border.

Pakistan covers an area of 796,095,000 Sq. km. lying between latitude 24 degree to 75 degrees east. Pakistan displays some of Asia's most significant landscapes as it stretches from the Arabian Sea to its southern border, to some of the world's most spectacular mountain ranges in the north. Pakistan is also home to sites that date back to world's earliest settlements rivaling those of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.

Climatically, Pakistan enjoys a considerable measure of variety. North and North Western high mountains are extremely cold in winters while the summer months from April to September are very pleasant. The vast plains of the Indus Valley are extremely hot in the summer and have cold weather in winters. The coastal strip in the south has a temperate climate. There is generally deficiency in the rainfall. In the Himalayas region, rainfall is monsoonal in origin and fall late in summers.

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National Anthem:

[ Play ]       [ Lyrics ]

National Anthem of Pakistan

Latin Translation               English Translation

Pak sarzamin shad bad                                 Blessed be the sacred land,

Kishware haseen shad bad                           Happy be the bounteous realm,

Tunishane azmealishan                                  Symbol of high resolve

Arze Pakistan                                               Land of Pakistan

Markazeyaqin shadbad.                                Blessed be thou citadel of faith.

Pak sarzamin ka nizam                                  The Order of this Sacred Land

quwate akhuwati awam                                 Is the might of the brotherhood of the people.

Qaum, mulk, Sultanat                                    May the nation, the country, and the State

Painda ta binda bad                                      Shine in glory everlasting

shad, bad man zele murad.                            Blessed be the goal of our ambition.

Parchame sitarao hilat                                    This flag of the Crescent and the Star

Rahbare tarraqio kamal                                  Leads the way to progress and perfection,

Tarjumane mazishane hal                                Interpreter of our past, glory of our present,

Jane istaqbal                                                  Inspiration of our future,

Sayyai, khudae zul jalal.                                 Symbol of Almighty's protection.

Lyrics: Abul Asar Hafeez Jallandhri, 1951

Music: Ahmed Chagla, 1950

Music instruments used: 21

Tones used: 21

Playing time: 1:20 minutes

First time released on Radio Pakistan: August 13th, 1954

Singers: Ahmad Rushdi, Shamim Bano, Kokab Jehan, Rasheeda Begum, Najam Ara, Naseema Shaheen, Zwar Hussain, Akhtar Abbas, Ghulam Dastgir, Anwar Zaheer and Akhtar Wassi.

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National Days:

14 August 1947      Independence Day
23 March  1947      Resolution of Pakistan was passed
28 May     1999      Pakistan became first Muslim Nuclear Power.
25 Dec.     1876      Birth of Qauid-e-Azam, the founder of Pakistan
11 Sept.    1948      Death Anniversary of Qauid-e-Azam.

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