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.

Climate

The climate of Pakistan varies widely with topography, but is generally continental in type. In the mountain regions of the north and west, temperatures fall below freezing during the winter. In the Indus Plain area, temperatures range between about 32° and 49° C (90° and 120° F) in summer; the winter average is about 13° C (55° F). Throughout most of Pakistan rainfall is scarce. The Punjab region receives the most precipitation-more than 508 mm (20 in) per year. The arid regions of the south-east and south-west receive less than 127 mm (5 in) annually. Most rain falls between July and September.

Population

The ethnic background of Pakistan's population is extremely varied, largely because the country lies in an area that has been repeatedly invaded since earliest times. The people come from such ethnic stocks as Dravidian, Indo-Aryan, Greek, Scythian, Hun, Arab, Mongol, Persian, Turkish, and Afghan.

Population Characteristics

Pakistan, a highly populated country, has a population (1995 estimate) of about 129,808,000 (not including the disputed territories of Jammu and Kashmir), yielding an average population density of about 163.1 people per sq km (422 per sq mi). The birth rate in Pakistan in 1995 was 38.4 births for every 1,000 people. Average life expectancy is 62 years for men and 64 years for women. About 32 per cent of the people live in urban areas. There were an estimated 1.5 million refugees from Afghanistan in the country in 1994.

Religion

Islam is the faith of about 97 per cent of the people. Some 77 per cent of Muslims are Sunni; 20 per cent are Shiite. Hinduism and Christianity form the leading minority religions; other religious groups include Sikhs, Parsees, and a small number of Buddhists. The constitution defines Pakistan as an Islamic nation and, as amended in 1986 and 1991, makes Islamic Shari'ah law the supreme law of Pakistan. Freedom of religion is guaranteed, however, by the constitution.