Located in South Asia, Pakistan is home to around 165 million people who live in an area of 796,095 sq km - nearly four times the size of the United Kingdom. Urdu is the national language, and English is widely spoken and understood, especially in urban areas.

Pakistan shares an eastern border with India and a north-eastern border with China. Iran makes up the country’s south-west border, and Afghanistan runs along its western and northern edge. The Arabian Sea is Pakistan’s southern boundary, with 1,064 km of coastline.

Provinces of Pakistan

Pakistan is divided into four provinces: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Formerly NWFP)., Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan. The tribal belt adjoining Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is managed by the Federal Government and known as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Azad Jammu & Kashmir have their own political and administrative machinery, yet some of their subjects are taken care of by the Federal Government through the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan. Northern Areas (formerly controlled by Azad Jammu & Kashmir Govt) have now been given a separate status off late. The name has also changed to 'Gilgit Baltistan'.

Population and labour force

The total population of Pakistan is 165 million people.

Native/Ex-pat population		Extensive export of labour, mainly to the Middle East. Three million were internally displaced in the October 2005 earthquake.
Age distribution	0-14	39% (male 33,293,428/female 31,434,314)
	15-64	56.9% (male 48,214,298/female 46,062,933)
	65+	4.1% (male 3,256,065/female 3,542,522)
Population growth		2.09% (2006 CIA est.)
Labour force		46.84 million (child labour is also used)

Educational Institutions
Primary schools	155,000
Middle schools	28,728
High schools	16,100
Secondary vocational institutions	1330
Arts and science colleges	1,066
Professional colleges	382
Universities	51

Literacy
Literacy	53%
Literacy (male)	66%
Literacy (female)	39%

GDP
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)	5.8%, $393.4 billion (2005 CIA est.)
GDP per capita	$2,400 (2005 est.)