CHAPTER 1 Introduction The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is wedged between central Asia and the Indian subcontinent It is flanked by Afghanistan and Iran on the west and China and India on the east This large country occupies what has always been strategically important land controlling access through the mountains between central Asia and the Indian subcontinent For hundreds of years the history of this region has been shaped by waves of foreign invaders Ever since the modern state of Pakistan was founded in 1947 it has had to make alliances with its neighbors and other powerful nations This history has had a big impact on Pakistan It has made it a country with many diverse ethnic groups with their own religious beliefs languages and ways of life All these factors and recent economic growth make Pakistan a land of sharp contrasts and social tensions Landscape The north and west of Pakistan are dominated by the Karakoram and Hindu Kush mountain ranges One of the most famous peaks is K2 the world’s second-highest mountain at 28,244 feet 8,611 metres m More mountain ranges lie to the southwest in Balochistan In the central area of the country the mountain ranges end and the fertile Indus plain is the key feature of the landscape Farther to the east lie three areas of 6 COMPARING COUNTRIES HOW BIG IS PAKISTAN Pakistan is roughly four times larger than the United Kingdom UK and only 8 percent the size of the US It has the world’s sixth-largest population and the second biggest Muslim population Country Land area in square miles 3,832,386 1,282,160 313,537 213,330 139,230 95,480 US India Pakistan France Germany UK Note 1 square mile 2 60 square kilometers Source CIA World Factbook Population in millions 307 1,148 166 65 82 60 desert the Thar Desert in Sindh and the Thal and Cholistan deserts in Punjab The Indus River flows into the Arabian Sea south of Karachi forming a swampy delta and floodplain Climate Pakistan’s climate is generally dry and arid but there are big differences between the north and south of the country More than 75 percent of Pakistan has less than 9 8 inches 25 centimeters cm of rainfall per year which means irrigation is needed for agriculture Summer
INTRODUCTION TURKMENISTAN UZBEKISTAN TAJIKISTAN H I M KARAKORAM A RANGE A Administered L Pakistan Kashmir CHINA Y A S Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Swat Valley Khyber Pass Peshawar Islamabad capital Administered Indian Kashmir Rawalpindi AFGHANISTAN FATA Quetta PUNJAB Gujranwala Lahore Faisalabad Multan THAL DESERT PAKISTAN IRAN BALOCHISTAN ive r r s u d n I CHOLISTAN DESERT THAR DESERT INDIA MAKRAN RANGE ARABIAN SEA Hyderabad SINDH Karachi Key Cities over 1 million people Cities between 500,000 and 1 million people Disputed borders 0 0 miles 300 kilometers 300 temperatures in the southern plains are usually 95 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit ºF 35 to 40 degrees Celsius ºC but can reach 122 ºF 50ºC Between June and October much of the country undergoes the rainy monsoon season In winter temperatures in the south are around 84ºF 29ºC Pakistan is made up of four main provinces Balochistan in the south Sindh to the southeast Punjab to the east and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the north In the mountains it is very cold and the temperature can drop to 20ºF 29 ºC 7
PAKISTAN A variety of cultures Pakistan is divided into four main provinces see map page 7 and three smaller territories the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas FATA the Northern Areas and the Islamabad Capital Territory These provinces and territories are home to a great diversity of ethnic groups Predominant are the Punjabis but there are other important ethnic groups such as the Pashtuns Sindhis Muhajirs and Balochis All of these ethnic groups can be subdivided and there are many smaller groups Punjabis The Punjabis make up the largest ethnic group accounting for 44 percent of the population of Pakistan The Punjab is situated in eastern 8 Main ethnic groups Balochis 3 7 Muhajirs 7 5 Others 4 7 Seraikis 10 5 Sindhis 14 1 Punjabis 44 1 Pashtuns 15 4 Source Government of Pakistan Federal Bureau of Statistics Pakistan but the region also extends across the border into northwest India Traditionally the Punjabis have been farmers and solidiers dominating the officer class of Pakistan’s army The Pashtuns The Pashtuns or Pathans live in northeast Pakistan and are thought to originate from eastern Iran Pashtuns are the second-largest ethnic group in Pakistan although many also live in Afghanistan Many Pashtuns serve in the armed forces Sindhis Muhajir and Baloch Sindhis come from southern Pakistan and many such as the Bhutto family have prominent roles in political life Another important group is the Muhajir an Urdu This elderly Pashtun man comes from the mountains of northern Pakistan and is dressed for the cold winter Pashtun men often dye their beards orange using henna
INTRODUCTION speaking group that migrated to Pakistan when it became an independent state in 1947 This group has often dominated official positions within the state administration The Baloch live in the southwest near Iran Balochistan is the largest province in Pakistan although many people in the region have sought independence from Pakistan for some time Languages The fact that there are about six main languages and a total of approximately 80 languages spoken in Pakistan gives some idea of the diversity of cultures within the country Most Pakistanis speak or understand the official language Urdu as well as one other language English is used as the official administrative language further complicating matters Language has often been a matter of considerable political importance in Pakistan In 1962 Sindhis protested when Urdu was made a compulsory subject in elementary schools In 1972 Prime Minister Zulfikar Bhutto made the study of Sindhi compulsory provoking protests by Urdu-speaking Mujahirs In 1947 many Bengalis in East Pakistan wanted Bengali to be the joint national language alongside Urdu Protests and riots followed when Urdu was declared the sole national language Despite all these differences the languages of Pakistan have many shared elements Most of the languages are written using the Arabic alphabet and have common linguistic roots These women are from the Sindh province of southern Pakistan Like most Pakistani women they wear the national dress of shalwar kameez pajama-like pants and a long shirt with a head scarf called a dupatta
