Introduction
Pakistan is an Islamic Republic (Official name: Islamic Republic of Pakistan) and its capital is Islamabad. Pakistan has four provinces: Baluchistan, North West Frontier Province (NWFP), Punjab and Sindh. Their respective capitals are: Quetta, Peshawar, Lahore and Karachi . In addition to these provinces is the Federally Administered Northern Area (FANA), which is divided into the districts of Diamer, Ghanche, Ghizer, Gilgit and Skardu. There are also seven Federally Administered Tribal Areas. (FATA).
Government
Pakistan has a federal structure. Parliament consists of the Lower House (National Assembly) and the Upper House (Senate). Members of the National Assembly are directly elected and their term of office is five years. The National Assembly determines the major policy issues and passes an annual budget and legislation. It elects the Prime Minister from among its members.
The Prime Minister forms the cabinet from among members of the Assembly and the Senate. Provinces have their own elected legislative assemblies and Chief Ministers. The Provincial Assemblies elect the majority of the members of the Upper House.
Facts and Figures
The national language is Urdu, while the official language is English. Some of the main regional languages include Sindhi, Balochi, Punjabi and Pushto.
Pakistan has a Population of over 200 million. At present, the growth rate is 2.8 percent per annum . The major cities are Karachi (10 million),Lahore (5.5 million), Faisalabad (2 million), Rawalpindi (928,000), Islamabad (340,286). Other cities include Peshawar, Quetta, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, Multan and Sialkot . Major religions are Muslim (97%), Hindu (1.5%), Christian (1%) and several other minorities.
Area
Total Area: 796,095 Sq. Km
Punjab Province: 205,344 Sq. Km
Sindh Province: 140,914 Sq. Km
North West Frontier Province (NWFP): 74,521 Sq. Km
Balochistan Province: 347,190 Sq. Km
Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA): 27,220 Sq. Km
Islamabad (Capital): 906 Sq. Km