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List All Cities Pakistan Listing cities Pakistan database :
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Description Pakistan by rbd.me
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The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world and dating back at least 5,000 years, spread over much of what is presently Pakistan. During the second millennium B.C., remnants of this culture fused with the migrating Indo-Aryan peoples. The area underwent successive invasions in subsequent centuries from the Persians, Greeks, Scythians, Arabs (who brought Islam), Afghans, and Turks. The Mughal Empire flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries; the British came to dominate the region in the 18th century. The separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of Pakistan (with West and East sections) and largely Hindu India was never satisfactorily resolved, and India and Pakistan fought two wars - in 1947-48 and 1965 - over the disputed Kashmir territory. A third war between these countries in 1971 - in which India capitalized on Islamabad's marginalization of Bengalis in Pakistani politics - resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. In response to Indian nuclear weapons testing, Pakistan conducted its own tests in 1998. The dispute over the state of Kashmir is ongoing, but discussions and confidence-building measures have helped the two countries begin to work through their issues. In February 2008, Pakistan held parliamentary elections and in September 2008, after the resignation of former President MUSHARRAF, elected Asif Ali ZARDARI to the presidency. Pakistani government and military leaders are struggling to control domestic insurgents, many of whom are located in the tribal areas adjacent to the border with Afghanistan. India-Pakistan relations have been rocky since the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, but both countries are taking small steps to put relations back on track.
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Location
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Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north
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Area - comparative
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slightly less than twice the size of California
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Natural resources Pakistan
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land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum, poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone
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Population Pakistan
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177,276,594 (July 2010 est.)
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Religions Pakistan
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Muslim 95% (Sunni 75%, Shia 20%), other (includes Christian and Hindu) 5%
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Languages
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Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Siraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu (official) 8%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2%, Brahui 1%, English (official; lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries), Burushaski, and other 8%
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Education Pakistan expenditures
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2.6% of GDP (2006)
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Government Pakistan type
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federal republic
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Independence
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14 August 1947 (from British India)
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Pakistan Economy - overview
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$449.3 billion (2009 est.)
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Investment Pakistan
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45.3% of GDP (2009 est.)
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Industries Pakistan
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textiles and apparel, food processing, pharmaceuticals, construction materials, paper products, fertilizer, shrimp
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Airports Pakistan
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226,236 (2009)
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