|RNature and climate:|N The vast plains surrounding the Indus River dominates the country. East of these plains is the Thar Desert. In the north a range of the Himalaya Mountains, with a highest peak within Pakistan, Godwin-Austen, reaching 8611 m.a.s.l. and in the southwest a vast mountainous area with peaks reaching 3600 m.a.s.l.
Average temperature in January 17°C in the southern parts and 10°C in the north. Nightfrost is usual in the northern mountains. Average temperature in July between 30 and 35°C.
Percipitation about 100 mm by the coast in the south and about 1000 mm on the slopes of Himalaya.
|RPeople:|N 65% Punjabi, 13% Sindhi, 9% Pushtun, 8% Urdu and many others. The Indus region is very densely populated while the mountainous southwest is practically uninhabited.
|REconomy:|N 54% of the labour force is occupied in agriculture, 33% in services and 13% in mining and manufacturing.
There is an extensive export of labour force.
Agriculture is extensive in the Indus River Valley area. Thanks to artificial irrigation with watering canals thar were introduced by the British administration at the end of the 19th century. Today the Punjab region has one of the world's largest irrigated areas.
Most important crops are wheat, rice, sugarcane and cotton. Pakistan is also a producer of illegal opium and cannabis.
Stockraizing is extensive in the western parts of the country.
There are vast resources of hydro electrical power.
Pakistan have oil, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper and iron ore.
Most important industries are textiles, food processing, chemicals and petroleum products.
Pakistan have some advanced manufacturing in steel, car assembling, agricultural machinery and mechanical industry.
|RHistory:|N The Indus Valley civilization of the large cities of Harappa and Mohenjo Doro flourished between 4000 and 2500 BC. This civilization used the Indus River for elaborate irrigation systems to cultivate the fertile land.
This culture was overthrown by the Indo-European Aryan people that invaded around 1500 BC. They brought a religious culture that gave rise to Buddhism and Jainism in the 6th century AD and eventually evolved into Hinduism in the early centuries AD.
The area was conquered by the Persians in the 6th century BC, by Alexander the Great at about 350 BC and later by the Mauryan empire of Asoka that in the 3rd century BC ruled the whole South East Asia, except for the most southern part of India.
The Arab invasion in 712 AD introduced Islam. The area was subsequently conquered by Mahmud of Gazni in the 11th century, the Mongols in the 13th century and Timur Leng in the 14th century.
When this empire was dissolved, the Punjab region came under the sultan of Dehli, while the Sind and Multan regions became separate kingdoms.
In 1526 Pakistan and northern India once again were united after the conquest of Babur that established the Mogul empire.
The British expansion on the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century left Pakistan untouched, but in the 19th century Pakistan came under British rule.
In the early 20th century several nationalist movements arouse in the British India. One of the most important was the Moslem League. When the British withdrew from India in 1947 the mainly Hindu India became one dominion and the mainly Muslim East bengal and the Indus Valley-region became another. Millions of Hindus in the Muslim areas fled to India, while Muslims in the Hindu area fled to Pakistan. Hundreds of thousands of these refugees were killed.
In 1956 Pakistan became an independent republic. A military coup ousted the government in 1958.
Ever since creation of the country Pakistan there was great tension between the fairly wealthy western Part in the Indus Valley and the very poor eastern part East Bengal.
In 1970 free democratic elections were held and the Awami League won a majority in the National Assembly. The military postponed the Assembly in early 1971 which was the start of rioting and strikes in East Pakistan. When the government troops attacked the strikers, the independent nation of Bangladesh was proclaimed. The separatists were supported by Indian troops and after months of fierce fighting between government troops and separatists, when some 10 million people fled into India, the Pakistan troops in the east surrendered in December and Bangladesh was recognized as an independent country.
To support the bengali separatists, India opened a western front of war on the Pakistan mainland. Here a cease-fire was signed immediately after the eastern surrender.
However, the elections in 1970 that provoked the eastern separation also brought a democratically elected civilian president to Pakistan. In 1971 Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was installed as president. He was ousted in a military coup in 1977 and finally executed in 1979.
In 1986 his daughter returned to Pakistan from her exile and 1988 she won the elections and became the first woman to lead a Moslem country.
In new elections in 1990 she was defeated and in 1991 Pakistan adopted Islamic law.
