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Head of the state:
President (Pervez Musharaf)
Head of government: Prime Minister (Shaukat Aziz)
Budget 2005:
1090 billion Pak
rupees
Urban population:
36.5
Rural population:
63.5
Forest cover:
4.8 percent
Large cities:
Lahore, Rawalpindi, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta and Islamabad, Multan
Fasailabad.
Major regional Languages:
Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Siraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu
(official) 8%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2%, Brahui 1%, and others 8%.
Agriculture:
Sugarcane, wheat, rice, cotton lint, Tobacco, corn, livestock, Oil seeds,
Fruits include mango, Orange, apple, grapes and apricot.
Minerals: Gypsum,
Barite, Rock salt, magnesite, soapstone, Fluorite, Sulphur gemstones marble
clays, Limestone, Chromite, copper and Iron.
Manufacturing:
Textiles, food products, petroleum products, consumer goods, fertilizers,
chemicals, cement.
Major exports:
Cotton yarn, raw cotton,
Rice, cotton towels, sheets, cotton, Fish, garments, sports goods, Fruits,
carpets and rugs, and products, surgical instruments.
Major imports :Petroleum
and petroleum products,machinery,chemicals,transport equipment,palmoil and
other edible oils, iron and steel products, tea , electrical goods.
Energy Sources used in
Pakistan: Oil 46%,
Gas 37%, Hydroelectricity12%, Coal 4%, LPG 0.7%, Nuclear 0.3.
Dams:
Warsak, Mangla, Khanpur,
Tarbela, Rawal, Bolan and Hub.
Main rivers:
Ravi, Sutlej, Chenab, Indus and Jhelum.
Barrages:
Kotri, Chasma, Taunsa,
Guddu, Sukkur and Panjnad in which the five mighty rivers tributes
contribute.
National parks:
Lal Suhanra, Deosia,
Kunjerab, Chitral Gol, Ayubia and the Kirthar National park.
Famous desert:
Cholistan, Thar, Thal, Kharan and Makran are the famous deserts located in
the province of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan.
Mountain Ranges:
Himalaya, Karakorum, Pamir, Hindu Kush, Kirthar, Safed Koh, Waziristan
Hills, Suleiman, Ras Koh Hills,Chagai Hills,Saihen range, Central Makran
range,Makran Coastal Range are the Mountain Ranges found in Pakistan.
Passes:
Khyber Pass(1617m), Bolan Pass(890m), Babusar pass(4173), Baroghil
Pass,Lowari Pass(3188), Kunjerab pass(4733), Shimshal Pass, Mintika Pass,
Krumbar Pass(4730), Karakorum Pass(5575) are the famous passes in Pakistan
and many of them are known to be in the list of the highest passes in the
world.
Glaciers:
Siachen 75km, Biafo 68, Boltoro 62, Batura 59 and Hispar 53 are the five
longest glaciers outside the Polar region.
Peaks:
Of the fourteen 8000 meters high peaks on earth, four occupy an area on the
Baltoro Glacier. These are K-2 (8611 m), Gasherbrum-1 (8068 m), Broad Peak
(8047m) and Gasherbrum-II (8035) .Of
Lakes:
Lake Saif-ul-Maluk, Satpara Lake,Haramosh Lake,Kachura Lake,Rama
Lake,Phander Lake,Hunderab Lake,Rawal Lake,Heleji Lake,Keenjhar Lake,Hana
Lake.
Wildlife in
Pakistan:
Black Bear, Brown Bear, Siberean Ibex, Tibetan Wolf, Snow Leopard, Blue
Sheep, Leopard, deer, and black buck are common. Fox, jackals, hares,
porcupines, blue bull, mongoose, arks, owls and hawks are also found.
Festivals and Holidays:
1. Shab-e-Barat
(October)
2. Eid-ul-Fitr
(December)
3. Sibi Festival
(February)
4. Sindh Horse and Cattle
Show (February)
5. Nauroze
(21st March)
6. Pakistan
Day (23rd March)
7. Mela Chiraghan
(March)
8. Basant
(Mid-February)
9. Eid-ul-Azha
(Eid-ul-Azha)
10. Joshi or Chilimjust,
Kalash Festival (14th -15th May)
11. Shandur Polo
Festival (July)
12. Utchal, Kalash
(15th -16th July)
13. Eid-ul-Milad-un-Nabi
(12th Rabi-ul-Awwal)
14. Indepenence Day
(14th August)
15. Defence Day of
Pakistan
(6th September)
16. Phool, Kalash,
(20th- 25th September)
17. Lok Mela
(October)
18. Chowmas, Kalash
(18th -21st October)
19. National Horse and
Cattle Show and National Industrial Exhibition Lahore (November)
20. Birth Day of
Quaid-e-Azam and Christmas (25 December)
Reference:
Nicholas Horsburg,2003 New
Oxford
Social Studies for Pakistan 5,Oxford University Press
Asghar Anwar Awan, Social
Studies 7(revised),Gaba Educational Books
Pakistan
Guide Map,2002,Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation
Doreen Crawford, Geography
for Pakistan 2,Peak Publishing
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