Pakistan - Pakistan Travel Information

Pakistan displays some of Asia’s most magnificent landscapes as it stretches from the Arabian Sea, 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 word’s earliest settlements rivaling those of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.

Pakistan borders Afghanistan in the north-west, Iran in the west, India in the east, China in the north-east and Arabian Sea in the south.

Islamic republic of Pakistan

Area: 796,095 sq km (307,374 sq miles) excluding data for the disputed territories of Jammu and Kashmir.

Population: 137,510,000 (official estimate 2000).

Population Density: 172.7 per sq km.

Capital: Islamabad.

Population: 799,000 (1998).

Government: Federal Islamic Republic since 1973. Gained independence from the UK in 1947.

Head of State: General Pervez Musharraf since 2001. Head of Government: Following a military coup in October 1999, General Pervez Musharraf took over as the leader of the new military regime. Prime Minister: Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali since 2002.

Langugage: Urdu is the national language. English is widely spoken. Regional languages include Punjabi, which is spoken by 48 per cent of the population (1981), Pushto, Sindhi, Saraiki, and Baluchi. There are numerous local dialects.

Religion: Ninety-seven per cent Muslim, the remainder are Hindu or Christian.