Pakistan History

Pakistan came into being on August 14, 1947 as a result of the partition of British India. On its east and southeast lies India, on the north and northwest is Afghanistan, to the west is Iran, and toward the south is the Arabian Sea. Pakistan shares a common border with China. According to the 1998 Census, its population included 135 million citizens and estimates suggest that number increased to 145 million by 2003. Two-thirds of the population live in rural areas, and engage in agriculture as the main source of livelihood.

The majority of the population is composed of Muslims; the remaining are Hindus, Christians, and Parsees. About twenty languages are spoken in Pakistan. Urdu is the national language of the country, but English continues to be used for education, commercial, and other official purposes. Pakistan’s literacy rate was 47 percent in 1998. Politically, Pakistan is a federation of four provinces (Punjab, Sindh, Northwest Frontier Province, and Balochistan). Administratively, the provinces are comprised of districts, which are divided into small subdivisions (Tehsils). These are further divided into union councils.