There were two parts to the country, either side
of India. These became known as West Pakistan and East Pakistan. In 1971,
these two parts separated. West Pakistan became Pakistan and East Pakistan
became Bangladesh.
| Area | 803,950 square kilometers |
| Population | 100,000,000 (25% Urban, 75% Rural) |
| Capital City | Islamabad |
| Main Cities | Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Rawalpindi |
| Borders | North(Afghanistan), East(India,Kashmir), West(Iran) |
| Main Languages | Urdu and English |
| Currency | Pakistani Rupee = 100 Paisa |
| Rainfall(average) | 4-25 inches a year |
| Main Religion | Islam (97%) |
| Main Exports | Carpets, clothing, cotton fabrics, cotton yarn, leather, rice |
| Main Imports | Electrical goods, iron, machinery, oil products, steel, transport equipment |
| Main Trading | Germany, Japan, Saudi Arabia, UK, USA |
| Main Airports | Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi |
| Railways | 8,160 km of track |
| Roads | 111,430 km (53% all-weather roads) |
| Rivers | R. Indus (main), R. Chenab, R. Jhelum, R. Ravi, R. Sutlej |
| Temperature | Summer - upto 50c. Winter - as low as 0c |
| 4500BC | Moenjodaro built. |
| 2500BC | Harappa built. |
| 1500BC | Aryans invade valley of the River Indus. |
| 530BC | The Persian emperor, Cyrus the Great, conquers part of Punjab. |
| 330BC | Alexander the Great conquers the north of Pakistan. |
| 100AD | Peshawar becomes an important trading centre of the Kushan Empire. |
| 711AD | Arabs arrive, bringing Islam with them. |
| 1000AD | Arabs overthrown by the Turks.
Lahore becomes an important centre of Islamic culture. |
| 1206AD | Most of Pakistan becomes part of the Delhi Sultanate. |
| 1526AD | Moguls become rulers and Islam spreads. |
| 1740AD | The Mogul Empire begins to decline. |
| 1756AD | Start of British rule. |
| 1800AD | Sikh kingdoms begin to gain power in Punjab. |
| 1857AD | Indian mutiny. The Moguls defeated by the British. |
| 1858AD | The British government assumes direct control of India. |
| 1876AD | Mohammed Ali Jinnah, "founder of Pakistan", born in Karachi, on December 25th. |
| 1877AD | Allama Iqbal, muslim scholar, born in Sialkot, on November 9th. |
| 1891AD | Mohammed Ali Jinnah leaves for England, to study law. |
| 1896AD | Mohammed Ali Jinnah completes his studies and returns to India. |
| 1903AD | Allama Iqbal leaves for Europe, studying at Cambridge and Munich. |
| 1906AD | Mohammed Ali Jinnah joins All India National Congress. |
| 1907AD | Allama Iqbal graduates with a Phd from Munich and returns to Lahore. |
| 1909AD | Mohammed Ali Jinnah elected to the Imperial Legislative Council. |
| 1912AD | Mohammed Ali Jinnah attends a meeting of the All India Muslim League. |
| 1913AD | Mohammed Ali Jinnah joins the All India Muslim League. |
| 1919AD | British troops fire into a crowd demonstrating for independence. Over 400 killed. |
| 1930AD | Allama Iqbal suggests the idea of a seperate muslim country. |
| 1933AD | The name Pakistan first suggested. |
| 1938AD | Allama Iqbal dies on April 21st. Buried near the Badshahi Mosque,Lahore. |
| 1947AD | Pakistan gains independance on 14th August. East and West Pakistan formed. |
| 1948AD | Pakistan and India fight war over control of Kashmir.
Mohammed Ali Jinnah dies on September 11th. Buried in Karachi. |
| 1956AD | Pakistan becomes a republic. |
| 1958AD | Pakistan ruled by parliament till now. General Ayub Khan and the army take over. |
| 1965AD | Pakistan and India go to war again over control of Kashmir. |
| 1969AD | General Yahya Khan takes over from General Ayub Khan. |
| 1970AD | Elections held to choose a government to replace the army. Zulfikar Bhutto wins. |
| 1971AD | East Pakistan separates to become Bangladesh.
General Yahya Khan hands over government to Zulfikar Bhutto. Pakistan leaves commonwealth. |
| 1977AD | General elections. Zulfikar Bhutto accused of cheating. General Zia ul-Haq steps in. |
| 1979AD | Zulfikar Bhutto executed. |
| 1981AD | Oppostion Movement for the Restoration of Democracy
formed.
Islamisation process pushed forward. |
| 1985AD | Nonparty elections held, amended constitution adopted, martial law and ban on political parties lifted. |
| 1986AD | Agitation of free elections launched by Benazir Bhutto. |
| 1988AD | President Zia ul-Haq introduces Islamic Legal Code,
the Shari'a.
President Zia ul-Haq killed in plane crash. Ghulam Ishaq stands in as president. Benazir Bhutto, daughter of Zulfikar Bhutto voted into power. |
| 1989AD | Pakistan rejoins commonwealth. |
| 1990AD | Army mobilised in support of Muslims in Kashmir.
Nawaz Sharif, Islamic Democratic Alliance (IDA), wins October general election. |
| 1991AD | Sharia'a bill enacted. Privatisation and economic deregulation programme launched. |
| 1992AD | Floods devastate the northern area, in September. |
| 1993AD | Nawaz Sharif resigns, in July.
Benazir Bhutto elected prime minister, in October. Farooq Leghari elected prime minister, in November. Promises to restore full parliamentary political system. |
