Pakistan
Name: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Capital: Islamabad
Area: 796095 million square kilometers (excluding Pakistan-administered Kashmir)
Population: 231 million (2021)
Official languages: Urdu, English
Ethnic groups: Punjabi, Sindh, Pashtun, Baloch
Religion: Islam
Major cities: Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Hyderabad, Peshawar, Quetta
National anthem: "Bless the Sacred Land"
Currency: Pakistani Rupee
history
Pakistan is one of the birthplaces of world civilization. Around 3000 BC, the Indus Valley civilization originated in Pakistan, with the construction of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. Until 2000 BC, the Aryans living in Central Asia came to the Indus Valley of Pakistan and conquered the local Dravidians, and the Indus civilization gradually declined. After the "Vedic era", the political center of the Aryans began to shift eastward to India. From 600 BC, the Persian Empire, which emerged on the Iranian plateau in western Asia, ruled the Indus Valley region of southwestern Pakistan, which Alexander led an army to conquer in 327 BC. In the early 8th century AD, the Arab Empire army on the Arabian Peninsula in southwestern Asia conquered Pakistan and the region west of the Indian subcontinent, established Islamic regimes, and introduced Islam, making large numbers of local residents Muslim. In 1858, it became a British colony with India and became part of British India. In June 1947, Britain announced the "Mountbatten Plan" and divided India and Pakistan. On August 14 of the same year, Pakistan declared its independence and became a Dominion of the British Commonwealth, including the eastern and western parts of Pakistan. On March 23, 1956, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan was officially established and remains a member of the British Commonwealth. In March 1971, East Pakistan proclaimed the People's Republic of Bangladesh, and Bangladesh became officially independent in December of the same year
geographical location
Pakistan is located in the northwest of the subcontinent, bordered by the Arabian Sea to the south, and India, China, Afghanistan and Iran to the east, north and west
The land neighbor is bordered by China to the north, India to the east, Afghanistan and Iran to the west
Geographical environment
Three-fifths of Pakistan is mountainous and hilly, and Chogory Peak is 8611 meters above sea level, which is the highest peak in Pakistan; In the southeast is the Indus Plain, which is low-lying and flat; The southern coastal area is desert. The Himalayas, the Karakoram Mountains and the Hindu Kush – three world-famous mountain ranges converge in northwestern Pakistan to form a peculiar landscape
climate
Pakistan has a subtropical dry and semi-dry climate, and the climate is generally hot and dry, with an average annual rainfall of less than 250 mm, and one-quarter of the region receives less than 120 mm. The hottest months are June and July, when midday temperatures exceed 40°C in most areas, while in parts of Sindh and Balochistan temperatures can reach over 50°C. The northern mountainous areas with an altitude of more than 2 km are relatively cool, and the temperature difference is large, with an average temperature difference of about 14 °C between day and night. The lowest temperatures are from December to February
economy
Pakistan has a diversified economy and is the 42nd largest economy in the world. As of 2007, Pakistan's average annual economic growth reached 7% for four consecutive years. Despite being poor at independence in 1947, Pakistan achieved above-world economic growth over the next 40 years, but unwise policies in the 90s led to a slowdown. However, thanks to IMF assistance and huge debt relief from the United States, the amount of external debt has been significantly reduced. Pakistan's GDP (in purchasing power parity terms) is estimated at $475.4 billion, with an average income per person of $2,542. The poverty rate is estimated at 23 to 28 per cent. Pakistan's economic growth rate has increased steadily over the past five years. However, inflationary pressures and low savings rates may make such high growth rates unsustainable. With an annual growth rate of 4.9 per cent, it will take another 70 years for Pakistan to become a developed country
Administrative divisions
Pakistan is divided into four provinces: Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan; Federally administered tribal areas and the Federal Capital Region of Islamabad, as well as Gilgit-Baltistan and Free Kashmir. Each province has a division, a county, a township and a village association.
Among them, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province was formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province, and Gilgit-Baltistan was formerly known as the Northern Region
National symbol
The flag of Pakistan was inaugurated on 16 August 1947. The flag is rectangular in shape with a ratio of length to width of 3:2. The left side is a white vertical rectangle with 1/4 of the width of the flag, and the right side is a dark green rectangle with a white five-pointed star and a white crescent moon in the center. The white color symbolizes peace and represents the inhabitants and ethnic minorities of Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism in the country; Green symbolizes prosperity and also represents Islam. The crescent moon symbolizes progress and the pentagram symbolizes light; The crescent moon and pentagram also symbolize faith in Islam
The coat of arms of Pakistan is the same color as the flag, dark green and white. At the top is a five-pointed star and a crescent moon, symbolizing faith in Islam as well as light and progress; In the middle is the coat of arms, which is divided into four parts, painted with four crops, cotton, wheat, tea and jute, symbolizing the foundation of the country. The sides of the coat of arms are decorated with flowers and green leaves, symbolizing peace. The green frieze at the lower end reads "piety, unity, precepts" in Urdu
culture
language
The Constitution of Pakistan defines Urdu as Chinese. The main national languages are Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto and Balochi
religion
Pakistan is a very religious country, and according to the constitution, the state religion of Pakistan is Islam, and 97% of the inhabitants practice Islam, of which the majority are Sunni (75%), a minority are Shia (20%), and Ahmadiya (not legally considered Muslim). Another 1.5 percent practiced Hinduism, 1.3 percent Christianity and 0.2 percent other religions such as Zoroastrianism. Religious minorities are often at a great disadvantage in Pakistan
society
educate
The duration of formal education in Pakistan is 16 years, including 5 years of primary education, 3 years of lower secondary education, 3 years of upper secondary education, 2 years of pre-university, 3 years of undergraduate education, and education below high school is free. The more famous universities in Pakistan are Pakistan National University of Science and Technology, Karachi University, Fatima Jinnah Medical College, King Edward Medical College, Pakistan Textile Institute, National Academy of Arts, Peshawar University, Aga Khan Medical University, Lahore University of Engineering and Technology, etc
physical education
The most popular sport in Pakistan should be cricket. A large number of Pakistanis watched Pakistani international matches on television, especially against arch-rivals India. Pakistan is one of the international cricket powerhouses, having won the World Cup in 1992 and several gold medals at the Olympics. In addition, Qabadi is also a popular civil movement among Pakistanis
diplomacy
Pakistan pursues an independent and non-aligned foreign policy, and the development of bilateral relations with the same country will not be at the expense of relations with another country, focusing on the development of relations with Islamic countries and China. It is committed to maintaining peace and stability in South Asia, and developing relations with Western countries while strengthening solidarity and cooperation with developing countries. Support the Middle East peace process. Advocate the destruction of weapons of mass destruction. It calls for the establishment of a fair and rational new international political and economic order. Attach importance to economic diplomacy. Developed countries are required to take practical measures to narrow the gap between the North and the South. Diplomatic and consular relations have been established with more than 120 countries in the world