| Cities Pakistan
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| Country information |
country code: PK
continent: Asia
capital: Islamabad
languages: Punjabi, Urdu
EU membership: no
NATO membership: no
GSM: 900/1800
GPS: 30 00 N, 70 00 E
electricity: 230V/50Hz
currency:
Pakistani Rupee: PKR
1PKR = 0.017 USD
1PKR = 0.013 EUR
phone code:
+92-51
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Travel advices and warnings Pakistan
| Climate |
Pakistan lies in the temperate zone. The climate is generally varied throughout the country, characterized by hot summers and cool or cold winters. The upper parts of Pakistan usually receive precipitation from the Western Disturbance. From June till September most of the country is lashed by the South West Monsoon. |
| Tourism |
Pakistan is one of the least visited countries on the globe currently, owing to its chronic insurgencies, poor international image as a semi-failed state and lack of security, especially to westerners due to strong anti-West feelings. [citation needed] With its diverse cultures, people and landscapes has attracted 0. 7 million tourists to the country as of 2005, almost double to that of a decade ago. [1] Tourism in Pakistan was in its heyday during the 1970's when Pakistan received unprecedented amounts of foreign tourists, thanks to the Hippie trail. The main destinations of choice for these tourists were the Khyber Pass, Peshawar, Karachi, Lahore, Swat and Rawalpindi. [ |
| Culture |
The society and culture of Pakistan (Urdu: ثقافت پاکستان) comprises numerous diverse cultures and ethnic groups: the Punjabis, Kashmiris, Sindhis in east, Muhajirs, Makrani in the south; Baloch and Pashtun in the west; and the ancient Dardic, Wakhi and Burusho communities in the north. These Pakistani cultures have been greatly influenced by many of the surrounding countries' cultures, such as the Turkic peoples, Persian, Afghan, and Indians of South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. |
| Language |
Languages of Pakistan include two official languages: Urdu, which is also Pakistan's national language and lingua franca, and English. Additionally, Pakistan has four major provincial languages: Punjabi, Pashto, Sindhi, and Balochi, as well as three major regional languages: Saraiki, Hindko and Kashmiri. |
| Cuisine |
Pakistani cuisine (Urdu: پاکستانی پکوان) can be described as a refined blend of various regional cooking traditions of the South Asian subcontinent. Pakistani cuisine is known for its richness and flavour.
Within Pakistan, cuisine varies greatly from region to region, reflecting the country's ethnic and cultural diversity. Food from the eastern provinces of Sindh and the Punjab, as well as the Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir region, is quite similar to the cuisine of Northern India and can be highly seasoned and spicy, which is characteristic of the flavours of the South Asian region. Food in other parts of Pakistan, particularly Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, involves the use of mild aromatic spices and less oil, characterizing affinities to the cuisine of neighbouring Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia. |
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From wikipedia about Pakistan
Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of
Oman in the south and is bordered by
Afghanistan and
Iran in the west,
India in the east and
China in the far northeast. The Kashmir region is claimed by
Pakistan and
India.
Pakistan refers to Indian-administered Kashmir as Indian occupied Kashmir. In the north,
Tajikistan lies adjacent to
Pakistan but is separated by the narrow Wakhan Corridor. In addition,
Oman is also located in maritime vicinity and shares a marine border with
Pakistan. Strategically,
Pakistan is located in a position between the important regions of South Asia, Central Asia and the greater Middle East. Yasmeen (2007), p. 3.
The region forming modern
Pakistan was the site of several ancient cultures including the neolithic Mehrgarh and the bronze era Indus Valley Civilisation. Subsequently it was the recipient of Hindu, Persian, Indo-Greek, Islamic, Turco-Mongol, and Sikh cultures through several invasions and/or settlements. As a result the area has remained a part of numerous empires and dynasties including the Indian empires, Persian empires, Arab caliphates, Mongol, Mughal, Sikh and British Empire.
Pakistan gained independence from the British Empire in 1947 after a struggle for independence, led by Mohammad Ali Jinnah, that sought the partition of
India and the creation of an independent state for the Muslim majority populations of the eastern and western regions of British
India. With the adoption of its constitution in 1956,
Pakistan became an Islamic republic. In 1971, an armed conflict in East
Pakistan resulted in the creation of
Bangladesh.
Pakistan is a federal parliamentary republic consisting of four provinces and four federal territories. With a population exceeding 170 million people, it is the sixth most populous country in the world and has the second largest Muslim population after
Indonesia. It is an ethnically and linguistically diverse country with a similar variation in its geography and wildlife. With a semi-industrialized economy, it is the 27th largest in the world in terms of purchasing power. Since gaining independence, Pakistan's history has been characterised by periods of military rule, political instability and conflicts with neighbouring
India. The country faces challenging problems including terrorism, poverty, illiteracy and corruption.
Pakistan has the eighth largest standing armed force and is the only Muslim-majority nation to possess nuclear weapons. It is designated as a major non-NATO ally of the United States and a strategic ally of
China. It is a founding member of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (now the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) and a member of the United Nations, Commonwealth of Nations, Next Eleven economies and the G20 developing nations.
