The status of Jammu and Kashmir is a matter of dispute between India and Pakistan. Until December 1971 Pakistan included the province of East Pakistan, at that time, however, East Pakistan seceded from Pakistan and assumed the name Bangladesh. The area of Pakistan is 796,095 sq km (307,374 sq mi), not including the section of Jammu and Kashmir under its control. The capital of Pakistan is Islamabad, the largest city of the country is Karachi.

The Pakistan is founded by Jinnah, Mohammad Ali (1876-1948), Indian politician, longtime leader of the All Indian Muslim League, who became the founding father of Pakistan and its first governor-general (1947-48). Jinnah was born in Karachi on December 25, 1876.

NATURAL RESOURCES
The resources of Pakistan are primarily agricultural. The country's mineral resources include salt, chromite, coal, gypsum, limestone, manganese, sulfur, clay, graphite, copper, petroleum, and natural gas.

Vegetation in Pakistan varies according to elevation. Alpine flora grows on the higher slopes. Forests of spruce, evergreen oak, chir or cheer pine, and a cedar known as the deodar are found at lower elevations.
Animal life abounds in Pakistan, including deer, boar, bear, crocodile, and waterfowl. In the freshwater and saltwater areas, fish of many varieties are found. Marine life includes herring, mackerel, sharks, and shellfish.

POPULATION
The ethnological background of the population of Pakistan is extremely varied, largely because the country lies in an area that was invaded repeatedly during its long history. The people come from such ethnic stocks as the Dravidian, Indo-Aryan, Greek, Scythian, Hun, Arab, Mongol, Persian, and Afghan.
The population of Pakistan (1996 estimate) is about 129,275,660, yielding an average population density of about 162 persons per sq km (about 421 per sq mi). The country's population was increasing in the mid-1990s at a rate of approximately 2.7 percent a year. Only about 35 percent of the people live in urban areas.

PROVINCES
For administrative purposes, Pakistan is divided into four provinces (Balauchistan, North-West Frontier Province, Punjab, and Sindh); the Federal Capital Territory, which consists of the capital city of Islamabad; and six federally administered tribal areas.

Pakistan's largest city is Karachi. Other significant urban centers are Lahore, an industrial center; Faisalabad, a center of the cotton industry; Rawalpindi, an industrial city; Hyderabad, a manufacturing center; Multan; and Peshawar, a hub of trade with Afghanistan. Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan.

LANGUAGES
The official language of Pakistan is Urdu, but less than one-tenth of the people use it as their first language. Punjabi is spoken by about one-half of all households, and Pashto, Sindhi, Saraiki, and Baluchi are also spoken by many people. In addition, English is extensively used by people in government, the military, and higher education.

CURRENCY AND BANKING
The basic monetary unit is the Pakistani rupee, consisting of 100 paisa (56.5 rupees equal U.S.$1; 2001). The State Bank of Pakistan, established in 1948, issues banknotes; manages currency and credit, the public debt, and exchange controls; and supervises the commercial banks. Pakistani banks were nationalized in 1974, but in the early 1990s the country transferred two banks to private ownership and issued licenses for ten new commercial banks. A number of major foreign banks maintain offices in the country. In conformity with Islamic doctrine, domestic banks in Pakistan have abandoned the payment and collection of interest. Investment partnerships between the bank and the customer have replaced loans at interest.