About Pakistan
Pakistan is a country located in South Asia famous for its awe inspiring mountains and its generous population. In recent years more and more foreign nationals have relocated to the country on a permanent basis. In order to help you better understand the country we have provided some general information about Pakistan . Please be advised that the information below is liable to change without warning and that you should consult a professional for further data.
Official Name: The Islamic Republic of Pakistan . Also known as Pakistan or Jamhuryat Islami Pakistan . The Country was so named as it incorporated the former Indian provinces of Punjab, Afghania, Kasmir, Sindh, and Baluchistan . Pakistan means “Land of the Pure” in Urdu, Sindhi, and Persian.
Capital: The capital of Pakistan is Islamabad ; however the largest city in the country is Karachi .
Location : Pakistan is located in Southern Asia . The nation shares land borders with Iran , Afghanistan , China , and India . Pakistan also borders the Arabian sea .
Size: Pakistan occupies a total area of 803,940 Sq Km. In comparative terms this makes the country almost twice the size of the US state of California .
Climate: The geography of Pakistan is extremely diverse, this in turn makes the country home to many different (and almost contradictory) climates. Typically the country experiences very hot weather in the middle of the year (especially in the desert regions) but can be extremely cold from December through January. Typically, the southern costal regions experience the mildest climates.
Population: Pakistan has a total population of approximately 164.74 Million people. This ranks Pakistan as the 53 rd most densely populated country in the world.
Life expectancy at birth: There is a total life expectancy at birth of 63.75 years in Pakistan . This low number reflects the high levels of social imbalance in the country as well as a severe lack in basic healthcare services.
Prevalence of HIV/AIDS: Approximately 74,000 people in Pakistan are living With HIV/Aids. This is equivalent to less than 0.1% of the total population.
Major illnesses: The risk of disease in Pakistan is extremely high due to a number of natural disasters and social problems sanitation and basic healthcare is not of a high standard. Disease risks in Pakistan include, bacterial diarrhea, Hepatitis A through E, Typhoid fever, Dengue fever, Malaria, Rabies, and Polio. There have been cases of Bird Flu reported in remote areas, and the H5N1 virus remains a severe health threat. All residents of Pakistan are advised to be aware of all the potential health threats and take the necessary precautions.
Ethnic Groups: Because Pakistan incorporated a number of different provinces it is home to a myriad of different ethnic groups. The primary ethnicities in Pakistan include Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, and the Muhajir (immigrants from India who were living in the Area of Pakistan at the time of partition).
Languages: As is expected of a nation with such a rich cultural identity there are many languages spoken throughout the country. English is the official lingua franca of Pakistan and is spoken by the upper class and most government ministries. Urdu is also an official language of Pakistan and is spoken by 8% of the total population. The other major languages in Pakistan include Punjabi (48%), Sindhi (12%), Siraiki (10%), Pashtu (8%), Balochi (3%), Hindko (2%), Brahui (1%), Burushaski and other (8%).
Religion: The primary religion of Pakistan is Islam, which is practiced by approximately 97% of the population. Of the practicing Muslims approximately 77% are Sunni's and 20% Shi'a. All other religions (Christian Sects, Hindu, etc.) make up approximately 3% of the population.
Government: Pakistan is a Federal Republic . This is a system of government which allows each individual province, or state, to independently govern itself under a set of national guidelines or legislations. Other notable nations that have a federal republic system of government include the USA and India .
Head of State: President General Pervez Musharraf. President Musharraf also holds the title Chief Executive and is largely responsible for all executive decisions in the country. This has lead to many other government positions being seen as “ceremonial”.
Head of Government: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. This is largely a ceremonial position. Since President Musharraf came to power the office of the prime minister has no real authority.
Military: Due to the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan , Pakistan has spent a significant amount of its total GDP (approximately 3.2% a year) on military buildup. This has lead to Pakistan having one of the largest military forces in the region. In addition to this Pakistan is a nuclear power and has the ability to launch missiles equipped with nuclear warheads. The Pakistani military is a major player in United Nation's peace keeping forces, and along with India , has provided more UN peace keepers than any other 2 nations.
Economy : Pakistan is seen throughout the world as an underdeveloped and impoverished country. However, in recent years a number of executive reforms have improved the sate of the country's economy and have helped the development of economy. Poverty levels across the nation have decreased by almost 10% a year since 2001, this has helped take the strain of the nations social service infrastructure and has allowed the Pakistani government to focus it time and resources on creating schemes that will attract foreign investment to the country. The biggest concern that many overseas businesses and investors have in regards to Pakistan's economy are the high levels of inflation that have been realized since the 2005 earthquake, however with increased interest rates and stable income from the Tourism and Manufacturing industries, there is renewed confidence that the Pakistani economy has a large amount of potential.
GDP: Pakistan has a Purchasing Power parity of US$437.5 Billion and an official GDP of US$124 billion. This ranks Pakistan as the 43 rd richest country in the world.For more information about the Pakistan international health insurance plans that we can offer, or to receive a free quote, please contact us today.
For more information about Pakistan, the international health insurance plans that we can offer there, or to receive a free quote, please contact one of our expert advisers today.
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