National Disaster Response Plan (NDRP) March 2010 - NDMA

5
PART- I
PROFILE OF PAKISTAN
1. Geography. Pakistan is located in South Asia, sharing borders with Iran to the southwest,
Afghanistan to the west and north, China to the northeast, and India to the east. The Arabian Sea
marks Pakistan‟s southern boundary. The country has a total area of 880,254 square km, including
Kashmir and the Gilgit-Baltistan 1 .
2. Topography. Pakistan has a diverse landscape spread over nine major ecological zones. Its
territory encompasses portions of the Himalayan, Hindu Kush, and Karakoram mountain ranges,
making it home to some of the world‟s highest mountains, including K2 (8,611 m), the world‟s second-
highest peak. Inter-mountain valleys make up most of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and
rugged plateaus cover much of Balochistan in the west. In the east are located irrigated plains that lie
along the River Indus and cover much of Punjab and Sindh. Both provinces have desert areas as
well: Cholistan and Thal in Punjab and Tharparkar in Sindh. The country‟s main river is the Indus
(2,749 km within Pakistan) and its tributaries: the Chenab (730.6 km), Ravi (680.6 km), and Jhelum
(611.3 km). The navigable proportions of these rivers are generally small and unconnected as a result
of seasonal variation in water flows and the presence of a substantial irrigation infrastructure.
3. Population. Pakistan has an estimated population of 169,300,000 as of July 2007. Between
1981 and 1998, the average population has grown approximately at the rate of 2.7 percent annually.
According to Pakistan‟s 1998 census report, the overall population density was 166.3 persons per
square km, but the provincial population density ranges from 18.9 in Balochistan to 358.5 in Punjab.
Furthermore, the country‟s population is concentrated in the eastern provinces of Punjab and Sindh,
which contain 78.6 percent of the total population. According to the 1998 census, 67.5 percent of the
population lives in rural areas 2 .
4. Demography. Pakistan‟s fast-growing population has a substantial proportion of young
people. In 2006, 40 percent are in the age group of 10-14 years, 56.9% between 15-64 years, and
only 4.1 percent in the age group of 65 and above. According to government statistics, 52 percent of
the population is male and 48 percent female.
5. Languages. Urdu is the national language. Urdu and English are most often used in
business and government offices. Punjabi is the most common language, spoken by 44.2 percent of
the population, followed by Pushto (15.2 percent), Sindhi (14.1 percent), Saraiki (10.5 percent), Urdu
(7.8 percent), and Balochi (3.8 percent). Smaller linguistic groups include the Hindko in NWFP, Farsi-
speaking Hazaras in Balochistan, and Brohi in Sindh and Balochistan. Language often articulates
ethnic identity and provincial boundaries are linguistically based.
6. Economy. Pakistan‟s economy has slowed down and the fiscal year 2007-2008 has been
difficult for the country in comparison to previous years. There are several reasons for this: unstable
1 Profile of Pakistan IC Web.2.loc.gov/frd/profile/Pakistan
2 Population Census Organization, Federal Statistics Division, Government of Pakistan