Conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Pakistan conventional short form: Pakistan local long form: Jamhuryat Islami Pakistan local short form: Pakistan former: West Pakistan
Capital:
Islamabad
Independence:
14 August 1947 (from UK)
People Population: 164,741,924 (July 2007 est.)
Location: Geography Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north
Geographic coordinates: 30 00 N, 70 00 E
Area: total: 803,940 sq km land: 778,720 sq km water: 25,220 sq km
Area - comparative:
Slightly less than twice the size of California
Land boundaries:
total: 6,774 km
Border countries: Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km, India 2,912 km, Iran 909 km
Coastline: 1,046 km
Maritime claims: Territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate: Mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north
Terrain: Flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest; Balochistan plateau in west Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611 m
Natural resources: Land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum, poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone
Land use: arable land: 24.44% permanent crops: 0.84% other: 74.72% (2005) Irrigated land: 182,300 sq km (2003)
