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Pakistan
is the site of some of the earliest human settlements, home to an
ancient civilisation rivalling those of Egypt and Mesopotamia, and
the crucible of two of the world's major religions, Hinduism and
Buddhism. It contains some of Asia's most mind-blowing landscapes,
a multitude of cultures and a deeply hospitable people.
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Facts
for the Traveller Visas:
Visas
are required by nationals from most European and English-speaking
countries. A Pakistan visa allows you to enter the country
up to six months from the date you get it, and stay up to
three months from the date you enter. However, if you stay
longer than 30 days you are required to register at a foreigners'
registration office; these are in the larger towns and cities.
Health risks: dengue fever, hepatitis A, malaria and, in rural
areas, Japanese encephalitis.
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Time:
GMT/UTC
plus five hours Electricity:
220V,
50 Hz
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Weights
& measures: metric
Tourism:
424,000
visitors/year |
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Full
country name
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Islamic
Republic of Pakistan
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Area
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887,700
sq km
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Population
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124.8
million
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Capital
city
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People
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56%
Punjabi (also Pathans, Baluch, Mohajir, Sindhis)
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Language
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Urdu
(also Punjabi, English and regional dialects)
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Religion:
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97%
Muslim, 3% Christian and Hindu
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Government
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Democracy
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Chief
Excetive
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Economic
Profile
GDP:
US$282 billion World GDP ranking: 41st GDP per head: US$434 Annual
growth: 4.7% Inflation: 12.2% Major industries: agriculture, textiles,
cement, fertilisers and steel Major trading partners: Japan, USA,
Germany and UK
Currency:
Pakistani
rupee
Exchange
rate: US$1
= Rs 46 (August 1997)
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Travel
to and from Pakistan
Most
flights from European and Asian centres arrive in Karachi at the modern
Quaid-i-Azam International Airport.
Good airport facilities exist, including duty-free shops, bar/restaurant,
post office, bank and shops. Coaches to the city meet all arrivals.
A bus runs from dusk to dawn every 30 minutes. Taxi services to the
city are available. Travel time to the city is 25 minutes.
Departure tax: Rs400 for passengers travelling first class, Rs300
for club class and Rs200 for economy class. There is also an additional
Foreign Travel Tax of Rs700 on tickets issued within Pakistan. Transit
passengers and children under two years of age are exempt.
Travel
Information: AIR: Pakistan's national airline is Pakistan
International Airlines (PIA), linking Pakistan with 47 destinations
around the world.
Lahore
(LHE), 11km (7 miles) southeast of the city (travel time - 20 minutes).
Airport facilities include car hire, bank, restaurant and shops.
Coaches leave every 20 minutes for the city. Buses go every 10 minutes.
Taxi services to the city are also available.
Islamabad
(ISB) (International), 15km (9 miles) east of the city (travel time
- 20 minutes). There are full duty-free facilities. Coach and taxi
services to the city are available.
Peshawar
(PEW), 4km (2.5 miles) from the city (travel time - 10 minutes).
Full bus and taxi services to the city are available.
AIR:
Most
domestic services are operated by PIA. Other airlines are Aero
Asia , Safe Air and Shaheen. There are many daily flights from
Karachi to Lahore, Rawalpindi and other commercial centres. Air
transport is the quickest and most efficient means of travel.
Departure
tax: Rs20
for internal flights.
Weather
Pakistan
has three seasons: cool (October through February); hot (March through
June); and wet (July through September). There are, however, big
regional variations. In the south, the cool season brings dry days
and cool nights, while the northern mountains get drizzle and plummeting
night-time temperatures. The hot season means suffocatingly hot
and humid conditions in the south but pleasant temperatures northwards.
During the wet season, the tail end of the monsoon dumps steady
rain mostly in the narrow belt of the Punjab from Lahore to Islamabad.
But further north, the high mountains block all but the most determined
clouds, which means relatively little rain falls there.
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CHAT
