Pakistan - The Land of Pure
Situated in the heart of the South Asian sub-continent, it is a country with its own fascinating history and cultural heritage. Pakistan was the site for one of the world's earliest human settlements, the great prehistoric Indus Valley Civilization, the crucible of ancient empires, religions and cultures.
Pakistan traces its history back to 2,500 years B.C. when a highly developed civilization flourished in the Indus Valley. Excavations at Harappa, Moenjodaro, Kot Diji and Mehr
Garh have brought to light, the evidence of an advanced civilization existing even in more ancient times.
The landscape of Pakistan ranges from lofty mountains in the north, the Karakoram and the Himalayas, through dissected plateaus to the rich alluvial plains of the Punjab. Then follows desolate barrenness of Balochistan and the hot dry deserts of Sindh blending into miles and miles of golden beaches of Mekran coast.
Government
Pakistan is an Islamic Republic with its capital at Islamabad. It has four provinces: Balochistan, North West Frontier Province (NWFP), Punjab and Sindh. Their respective capitals are: Quetta, Peshawar, Lahore and Karachi. In addition to provinces, are the Federally Administered Northern Areas (FANA) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Pakistan has a federal structure of govern ment.
Location And Geography
Pakistan is situated between latitude 24 and 37 degrees North and longitude 62 and 75 degrees East. The country borders Iran on the West, India on the East, Afghanistan in the North-West, China in the North and the A rabian Sea in the South. The great mountain ranges of the Himalayas, the Karakoram and the Hindukush form Pakistan's northern highlands of North West Frontier Province and the Northern Area; Punjab province is a flat, alluvial plain with five major rivers dominating the upper region eventually joining the Indus River flowing south to the Arabian Sea; Sindh is bounded on the east by the Thar Desert and the Rann of Kutch and on the west by the Kirthar range; the Balochistan Plateau is an arid tableland, encircled by dry mountains. Its total area is 803,940 Sq.Km and total land area is 778,720 Sq.Km. (including FATA and FANA).
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Population (1998 Census)
Total Population: 130.58 million. Growth Rate: 2.61% per annum.
Density: 164 person per Sq. Km. Sex Ratio: 108 males to 100 females
Climate
Pakistan has well defined seasons; Winter (December - February), Spring (March - April), Summer (May - September) and Autumn (October - November). During summer in central and southern parts of the country, the temperature may go as hi
gh as 45C. However, the Northern regions have very pleasant weather during summers. Between July and August, the monsoon brings an average 38 to 51 cm of rain to plains and 152 to 203 cm in lower Himalayan valleys of Murree, Kaghan, Swat and Azad Kashmir.
Religions And Languages
Muslim (97%), Hindu (1.5%), Christian (1%) and several other minorities
National Language: Urdu
Official Language: English
Main Regional Languages: Sindhi, Balochi, Punjabi and Pashto
Nature and Adventure
From the mighty stretches of the Karakorams in the North to the vast alluvial del
ta of the Indus River in the South, Pakistan remains a land of high adventure and nature. Trekking, mountaineering, white water rafting, wild boar hunting, mountain and desert jeep safaris, camel and yak safaris, trout fishing and bird watching, are a few activities, which entice the adventure and nature lovers to Pakistan.
Pakistan is endowed with a rich and varied flora and fauna. High Himalayas, Karakoram and the Hindukush ranges with their alpine meadows and permanent snow line, coniferous forests down the sub-mountain scrub, the vast Indus plain merging into the great desert, the coast line and wetla nds, all offer a remarkably rich variety of vegetation and associated wildlife includin
g avifauna, both endemic and migratory. Ten of 18 mammalian orders are repr esented in Pakistan with species ranging from the world's smallest surviving mammals, the Mediterranean Pigmy Shrew, to the largest mammal ever known; the blue whale.
Indus Valley Civilization:
The Indus Valley Civilization was at its peak from the 3rd till the middle of the 2nd millennium BC Discovered in 1922, Moenjodaro was once a metropolis of great importance, forming part of the Indus Valley Civilization together with Harrappa (discovered
in 1923), Kot Diji and recently discovered in Mehr Garh (Balochistan). Moenjodaro is considered as one of the most spectacular ancient cities of the world. It had mud and baked bricks' buildings, an elaborate covered drainage system, a large state granary, a spacious pillared hall, a College of Priests, a palace and a citadel. Harrappa, another major city of the Indus Valley Civilization, was surrounded by a massive brick wall fortification. Other features and plan of the city were similar to that of Moenjodaro. The Kot Diji culture is marked by well-made pottery and houses built of mud-bricks on stone foundations.
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