Pakistan is a nation in Southern Asia sharing borders with India, China, Iran and Afghanistan. Formed after the religious and ethnic division of India following the end of British rule on the Indian subcontinent in 1947, Pakistan has since become a modern military power as it is one of the few nations on Earth to possess nuclear weapons.
According to UN reports, during the week of May 5, 2009, tens of thousands Pakistanis have fled their homes in the Swat Valley after a militant-government peace pact collapsed earlier in the week. On the way to refugee camps and hospitals, Pakistanis also had to dodge Taliban roadblocks.ABC News: Thousands of Civilians Flee Pakistani War Zone (May 7, 2009)
Fast Facts:
Brief History
Under British rule, India contained both Muslim and Hindu populations, although the Muslim population of India was most concentrated to the northeast and northwest of the subcontinent. When British rule ended in 1947, these two regions broke away in a bloody schism from India to become West Pakistan and East Pakistan. In 1971, as a result of the Indo-Pakistan War, East Pakistan became the independent nation of Bangladesh. India and Pakistan have repeatedly battled over the disputed province of Kashmir, and tensions remain high as both nations now possess nuclear weapons technology.
Indian Terror Attacks
Amid rising tensions with India following the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks, Pakistan began redeploying thousands of additional troops to the Indian border in late-December 2008. While some reports stated that as many as 20,000 troops were redeployed, Pakistani officials said that no more than 5,000 troops were moved.WashingtonPost.com: Pakistan Sends Troops to Indian Border (December 26, 2008)
For the first time Pakistani government officials are admitting that at least some of the planning for the attacks took place on Pakistan's soil. However, government officials are also pointing to non-state entities that provided logistical support during the attacks.CSMonitor: Pakistan admits links to Mumbai... (February 12, 2009)
Smuggle Migrants
On April 4, 2009, several migrants were rescued, though at least 62 suffocated to death and dozens more were unconscious, after a tip led Pakistani police to a truck holding a 40-foot-long shipping container which was packed full of over 100 smuggled migrants near the border of Afghanistan. The shipping container was on its way to Iran from Afghanistan. The majority of the victims were Afghans.The Huffington Post: Pakistan: 62 Migrants Suffocated To Death Inside Shipping Container
War on Terror
The United States invasion of Afghanistan in October of 2001, in response to the Taliban's support for Al Qaeda, made Pakistan an important U.S. strategic ally. Since 1999, Pakistan has been ruled by General Pervez Musharraf, who seized power in a military coup. Osama Bin Laden and other leaders of Al Qaeda are believed to be hiding in mountains on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
Pakistan Maps and Geography
Creative Commons image by "CIA World Factbook"Wikipedia: Geography of Pakistan
Commonwealth Secretariat: Pakistan- Geography
Mongabay.com: Pakistan: Geography
VISTA Tourism Management Services: Map of Pakistan | Geography of Pakistan
