Pakistan is a Muslim nation in southern Asia. The country's official name is the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. About 97 per cent of its people practise Islam, the Muslim religion. Religion was the chief reason for the establishment of Pakistan as an independent nation.

Pakistan has 12 cities with more than 200,000 people. Karachi, the largest city, has about 5 million people. See the separate articles on Pakistani cities listed in the Related Articles at the end of this article.

About 97 per cent of Pakistan's people are Muslims. Islam, the Muslim religion, is the chief link among the various cultural groups that make up Pakistan's population. Most Pakistanis consider prayers and other religious rituals an important part of everyday life. Muslim holidays are national holidays throughout Pakistan. Christians make up about 11/2 per cent of the population. Pakistan also has a small number of Hindus, Buddhists, and Parsees.

Most of Pakistan has a dry climate, with hot summers and cool winters. Pakistan averages only about 25 centimetres of rain a year. But the amount of rainfall varies greatly from year to year. Long dry spells may be broken by severe rainstorms that cause rivers to overflow and flood the countryside.

Capital: Islamabad.

Official name: The Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Official language: Urdu.

Area: 796,095 sq. km.

National anthem: "Qaumi Tarana" ("National Anthem").Money: Currency unit Pakistani rupee. One rupee = 100 paisas.

Area: 297,600 sq.miles (770,900 sq.km)

Population: 140,500,000

Currency: 1 Pakistan rupee = 100 paisa

Exchange Rate: Rs 24.78 = US$ 1

Capital: Islamabad

Main Cities: Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad

Languages: Urdu, Punjabi

Religions: Sunni Muslim

Total GDP: US$ 214,100,000,000

Imports: US$ 14,170,000,000

Population Growth: 2.83%

Life Expectancy: 61.5 years

Number of Goats: 41,340,000

Per Capita PPP: US$ 1,432

Exports: US$ 8,417,000,000

Population Density: 176 people/sq.km

Birth Rate: 40.9/1000 people

Infant Mortality: 91/1000 live births

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