Pakistan, officially Islamic Republic of Pakistan, republic in south Asia, bordered on the north and north-west by Afghanistan, on the north-east by Jammu and Kashmir, on the east and south-east by India, on the south by the Arabian Sea, and on the west by Iran. The status of Jammu and Kashmir is a matter of dispute between India and Pakistan. Pakistan became an independent state in 1947. Until December 1971 it included the province of East Pakistan (previously East Bengal), which, after its secession from Pakistan, assumed the name Bangladesh. The area of Pakistan is 796,095 sq km (307,293 sq mi), excluding the section of Jammu and Kashmir under its control. The capital of Pakistan is Islamabad; Karachi is the largest city.

Population
	129,808,000
	(1995 estimate)
Population Density
	163 people/sq km
	(422 people/sq mi)
	(1996 estimate)
Urban/Rural Breakdown
	32%Urban
	68%Rural
Largest Cities
	Karachi5,103,000
	Lahore2,922,000
	Faisalabad1,092,000
	(1981 census)
Ethnic Groups
	48%Punjabi
	13%Pashto
	12%Sindhi
	10%Saraiki
	8%Urdu
	9%Other
	including Baluchis and Afghans
Languages
Official Language
	English
National Language
	Urdu
Other Languages
	Punjabi, English, Pashto, Sindhi, Saraiki, Baluchi
Religions
	97%Islam
	3%Other
	including Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism