Pakistan, officially Islamic Republic of Pakistan, republic in south Asia, bordered on the north and north-west by Afghanistan, on the north-east by Jammu and Kashmir, on the east and south-east by India, on the south by the Arabian Sea, and on the west by Iran. The status of Jammu and Kashmir is a matter of dispute between India and Pakistan. Pakistan became an independent state in 1947. Until December 1971 it included the province of East Pakistan (previously East Bengal), which, after its secession from Pakistan, assumed the name Bangladesh. The area of Pakistan is 796,095 sq km (307,293 sq mi), excluding the section of Jammu and Kashmir under its control. The capital of Pakistan is Islamabad; Karachi is the largest city.

Population
        129,808,000
        (1995 estimate)
Population Density
        163 people/sq km
        (422 people/sq mi)
        (1996 estimate)
Urban/Rural Breakdown
        32%Urban
        68%Rural
Largest Cities
        Karachi5,103,000
        Lahore2,922,000
        Faisalabad1,092,000
        (1981 census)
Ethnic Groups
        48%Punjabi
        13%Pashto
        12%Sindhi
        10%Saraiki
        8%Urdu
        9%Other
        including Baluchis and Afghans
Languages
Official Language
        English
National Language
        Urdu
Other Languages
        Punjabi, English, Pashto, Sindhi, Saraiki, Baluchi
Religions
        97%Islam
        3%Other
        including Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism