Pakistan (Urdu: پاکستان Pākistān), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia.[5][6] It has a 1,046 kilometre (650 mile) coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south, and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, the Republic of India in the east and the People's Republic of China in the far northeast.[7] Tajikistan also lies adjacent to Pakistan but is separated by the narrow Wakhan Corridor. In recent times, Pakistan has been called part of the Greater Middle East.[8]
Islamic Republic of Pakistan اسلامی جمہوریہ پاکستان
Islāmī Jomhuri-ye Pākistān
Flag State Emblem Motto: اتحاد، تنظيم، يقين محکم
Ittehad, Tanzim, Yaqeen-e-Muhkam (Urdu)
"Unity, Discipline and Faith"Anthem: "Qaumi Tarana" Capital Islamabad
33°40′N 73°10′E / 33.667°N 73.167°ELargest city Karachi Official languages Urdu (National)
English (Government)Regional languages Punjabi, Pashto, Sindhi, SeraikiBalochi and Demonym Pakistani Government Semi-presidential federaldemocratic republic - President Asif Ali Zardari (PPP) - Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani (PPP) - Chair of Senate Farooq Hamid Naek (PPP) - House Speaker Fahmida Mirza (PPP) - Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry Formation - Independence from the British Empire - Declared 14 August 1947 - Islamic republic 23 March 1956 Area - Total 803,940 km2 (36th)
340,403 sq mi- Water (%) 3.1 Population - 2008 estimate 172,900,000[1] (6th) - 1998 census 132,352,279[2] - Density 206/km2 (55th)
534/sq miGDP (PPP) 2008 estimate - Total $439.558 billion[3] - Per capita $2,738[3] GDP (nominal) 2008 estimate - Total $167.640 billion[3] (47th) - Per capita $1,044[3] Gini (2002) 30.6 (medium) HDI (2006) ▲ 0.562[4] (medium) (139th) Currency Pakistani Rupee (Rs.) ( PKR)Time zone PST (UTC+5) - Summer (DST) PDT (UTC+6) Drives on the left Internet TLD .pk Calling code 92
The region forming modern Pakistan was home to the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation and then, successively, recipient of ancient Vedic, Persian, Turco-Mongol, Indo-Greek and Islamic cultures. The area has witnessed invasions and/or settlement by the Aryans, Persians, Greeks, Arabs, Turks, Afghans, Mongols, Sikhs and the British.[9] In addition to the Indian independence movement (led by Mahatma Gandhi of the Indian National Congress), the Pakistan Movement (led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah of the Muslim League) demanded an independent state for the majority Muslim populations of the eastern and western regions of British India. In compulsion the British granted independence and also the creation of the Muslim majority state of Pakistan that comprised the provinces of Sindh, North-West Frontier Province, West Punjab, Balochistan and East Bengal. With the adoption of its constitution in 1956, Pakistan became an Islamic republic. In 1971, a civil war in East Pakistan resulted in the creation of Bangladesh. Pakistan's history has been characterized by periods of military rule and political instability.
Pakistan is the sixth most populous country in the world and has the second largest Muslim population in the world after Indonesia. It also has the second largest Shia Muslim population in the world. The country is listed among the Next Eleven economies, is a founding member of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, G20 developing nations, Asia Cooperation Dialogue and the Economic Cooperation Organisation. It is also a member of the United Nations, Commonwealth of Nations, World Trade Organisation, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, G33 developing countries, Group of 77 developing nations, major non-NATO ally of the United States and is a nuclear state.
