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Geography,
agriculture and the economy of Pakistan
Pakistan is situated in the western part of the Indian subcontinent. It is bounded by India to the east, Iran and Afghanistan to the west and China to the north. Its territory stretches from the Arabian Sea and the flat Indus River plains across the eastern desert and the Baluchistan Plateau to the mountain ranges of the north, home to some of the world’s highest peaks. The climate is mainly hot and dry, varying from temperate in the northwest to arctic in the north. The population is about 152 million and is growing at a rate of 2.4 per cent yearly. Agriculture is the backbone of the country’s economy. It employs 48 per cent of the labour force and accounts for 60 per cent of export earnings. Cotton, wheat and rice are among the main export crops. In the last 30 years investment in agriculture has contributed to an average annual growth rate of 4 per cent. A massive irrigation canal system makes it possible to farm about 26 per cent of the country’s total land area. Much of Pakistan’s agriculture relies on this irrigation system. Yet the amount of productive farmland is declining. The continuing demand for more food crops has led to an expansion of dryland farming on fragile marginal lands. Growth in human and livestock populations has led to deforestation and heavy grazing of rangelands, putting pressure on natural resources and ecosystems. In recent years drought and disease have also affected yields, particularly those of rice. Economy Pakistan was created as a Muslim state when the Indian subcontinent was partitioned and became an independent country in 1947. Since then it has made significant development progress. Sustained economic growth was followed by a period of economic stagnation in the 1990s. In 2000 the government of Pakistan initiated a vigorous reform programme, and the country is showing clear signs of economic recovery. Sound macroeconomic policies and structural reforms have resulted in strong economic growth. Public debt has fallen considerably and in 2004 gross domestic product (GDP) grew by over 8 per cent. On 8 October 2005 a massive earthquake struck close to Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir. About 73,000 people were killed and 2.8 million were left homeless. The damage caused to the city as well as towns, villages and infrastructure may take as much as a decade to repair. Source: IFAD |
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