Pakistan

Table of Contents

Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
- Relief and drainage
  - The Himalayan and Karakoram ranges
  - The Hindu Kush and the western mountains
  - The Balochistan plateau
  - The submontane plateau
  - The Indus River plain
  - The desert areas
- Soils
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
People
- Ethnic composition
- Linguistic composition
- Religion
- Settlement patterns
  - Traditional regions
  - Rural settlement
  - Urban settlement
- Demographic trends
Economy
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
- Resources and power
  - Minerals
  - Hydrocarbons and power
- Manufacturing
- Finance
- Trade
- Services
- Labour and taxation
- Transportation and telecommunications
Government and society
- Constitutional framework
- Local government
- Justice
- Political process
- Security
- Health and welfare
- Housing
- Education
Cultural life
- Daily life and social customs
- The arts
- Cultural institutions
- Sports and recreation
- Media and publishing
History
- Background to partition
  - The Muslim League and Mohammed Ali Jinnah
  - Birth of the new state
- The early republic
  - Liaquat Ali Khan
  - Political decline and bureaucratic ascendancy
  - Military government
- From disunion through the Zia-ul-Haq era
  - Civil war
  - Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
  - Zia-ul-Haq
- Political and social fragmentation
  - The first administration of Benazir Bhutto
  - The first administration of Nawaz Sharif
  - The caretaker government of Moeen Qureshi
  - The second administration of Benazir Bhutto
  - The second administration of Nawaz Sharif
    - Continuing challenges: conflict, a stalled economy, and nuclear tests
    - Growing unrest, tension with the military, and Sharif’s ouster
  - The Pervez Musharraf government
    - Relations with the United States, consolidation of Musharraf’s rule, and meetings with India
    - Hesitant rejection of Islamist militants
    - Reinstated constitution
    - Electoral losses and resignation
  - Pakistan under Zardari
    - U.S. drone strikes, floods of 2010, and religious tensions
    - Osama bin Laden discovered and killed
    - Defeat at the polls
  - The third administration of Nawaz Sharif
    - Domestic and foreign policy
    - Disqualification from office
    - Arrest and party defeat
  - The government of Imran Khan
  - The government of Shehbaz Sharif

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images

Mohammed Ali Jinnah

tomb of Mohammed Ali Jinnah

Gilgit-Baltistan: Hunza River valley

Physical features of Pakistan

Karakoram Range: K2 (Mount Godwin Austen)

For Students

Pakistan summary

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Pakistan: Facts & Stats

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

News •

Passion, politics and patriotism meld as Pakistan and India clash in cricket's fiercest rivalry • Feb. 22, 2025, 5:19 AM ET (AP)

Pakistan security forces kill 6 militants in a raid in the northwest • Feb. 21, 2025, 8:10 AM ET (AP)

Pakistan steps up arrests of Afghans without papers. Kabul says it's a move to expel all refugees • Feb. 19, 2025, 2:43 PM ET (AP)

Gunmen kill police officer assigned to guard polio workers in northwestern Pakistan • Feb. 19, 2025, 10:00 AM ET (AP)

Police in disputed Kashmir raid bookstores, seizing books related to Islamic group • Feb. 19, 2025, 4:45 AM ET (AP)

Facts

Also Known As	Islamic Republic of Pakistan • Islām-ī Jamhūrīya-e Pākistān • Pakstan
Head Of Government	Prime Minister: Shehbaz Sharif
Capital	Islamabad
Population	(2025 est.) 255,749,000
Currency Exchange Rate	1 USD equals 278.392 Pakistani rupee
Head Of State	President: Asif Ali Zardari
Form Of Government	federal republic with two legislative houses (Senate [100]; National Assembly [336])
Official Languages	English; Urdu
Official Religion	Islam
Official Name	Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Total Area (Sq Km)	796,096
Total Area (Sq Mi)	307,373
Monetary Unit	Pakistani rupee (PKR)
Population Rank	(2023) 5
Population Projection 2030	242,564,000
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi	(2025) 832
Density: Persons Per Sq Km	(2025) 321.3
Urban-Rural Population	Urban: (2020) 36.8% • Rural: (2020) 63.2%
Life Expectancy At Birth	Male: (2020) 64.5 years • Female: (2020) 65.5 years
Literacy: Percentage Of Population Age 15 And Over Literate	Male: (2019) 69% • Female: (2019) 46%
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000)	(2023) 360,729
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$)	(2023) 1,500

Photos

Mohammed Ali Jinnah

tomb of Mohammed Ali Jinnah

Gilgit-Baltistan: Hunza River valley

Physical features of Pakistan

Karakoram Range: K2 (Mount Godwin Austen)

Pakistan: Hindu Kush

National anthem of Pakistan

See All Images, Audio and Interactives →

Topics

member states of the Commonwealth Kargil War British raj partition of India Commonwealth Southeast Asia Treaty Organization Organization of the Islamic Cooperation Delhi Pact Central Treaty Organization South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation United States India United Kingdom China Canada Russia Germany Australia Japan France

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