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Area 796,095 sq.km. which includes 83,700 sq.km of the
third of Kashmir controlled by Pakistan. Arid mountains
in the north and west. Sindh desert in southeast. Vast
irrigation schemes in the fertile indus valley. 78.8%
of the people are Indo-Aryan, 18.5% are Indo-Iranian,
1.6% are Dravidian, 0.5% are Tibetan and 0.6% others.
Literacy is officially 38%.
Main exports are sports goods, textiles, garments and
heroin. Much of the agricultural land and commerce is
controlled by a few, very wealthy, families. About 40%
of government income is spent on the military and development
of nuclear weapons. Other factors besieging the economy
include uncontrolled population growth, lack of water
and land, plus the effects of the Afganistan wars and
refugees, and a high level of corruption. THe infastructure
of the country is being eroded through lack of investment.
The extreme Islamist movement is deeply influencing
the state such that economic collapse could be hastened.
(Data extracted from
operation world 2000)
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