Pakistan

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Pakistan

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Population statistics

Pakistan has the world's sixth largest population, more than Russia, but less than Brazil. Because of Pakistan's high growth rate, it is expected to overtake Brazil in population before 2025. Based on the high fertility rates of the 1980s, demographers had projected that Pakistan would be the third most populous nation by 2050. However, from 1988 onward, Pakistan's fertility rate has fallen faster than that of any other country except China (Feeney and Alam, 2003, PDF). It is now projected that its population will stabilize at a more sustainable level.

Related Topics:
Russia - Brazil - 2025 - 2050 - 1988

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Religion

The majority of the people of Pakistan are Muslim, professing Islam to be their faith. Most muslims in Pakistan are Sunni (>75%) Shia (20%), although a number of smaller sects exist.

Related Topics:
Muslim - Sunni - Shia

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Pakistan has a small non-Muslim population, mostly consisting of Christians 2.5%, Hindus, Buddhists, Zoroastrians, Sikhs, Jews, and Animists in Chitral 1.2%. Pakistan's religious demographics were altered by partition which led to a higher Muslim majority than had previously existed.

Related Topics:
Christian - Hindu - Buddhist - Zoroastrian - Sikhs - Jew - Animist

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Pakistan is also the birthplace of two major world religions, Sikhism and Mahayana Buddhism. Although today there are few Sikhs in Pakistan, Pakistani Punjab was the birthplace of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism as well the Sikh conqueror Ranjit Singh. In addition, Pakistan is also the birthplace of Mahayana Buddhism, the form of Buddhism practiced by most Buddhists today, including those in China, India, Japan, Vietnam, and Korea. It is also the birthplace of Vajrayana (Tantric) Buddhism.

Related Topics:
Sikhism - Mahayana Buddhism - Guru Nanak - Ranjit Singh - Buddhism - China - India - Japan - Vietnam - Korea

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Languages

Urdu and English are both recognized as the official languages of Pakistan. English is used in government and corporate business and by the educated urban elite. Public universities use English as the medium of instruction. Urdu is the lingua franca of the people, being widely spoken as a second language, although it is the mother tongue of only 8% of the population — mainly Muhajirs (Indian Refugees) and educated Punjabis, and mostly in Karachi.

Related Topics:
Urdu - English - Official languages - Lingua franca - Muhajir - Punjabi - Karachi

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Besides these, nearly all Pakistanis speak mutually related provincial Indo-European languages, of which the most widely spoken is Punjabi, followed by Pashto, Sindhi, and Balochi. Other Indo-European languages spoken in Pakistan include Seraiki, Dari, Hindko, Shina, Wakhi, Kashmiri, Khowar and many others. In addition, small groups of non-Indo-European languages are also spoken including Brahui which is a Dravidian language and Burushaski which is a language isolate.

Related Topics:
Indo-European languages - Punjabi - Pashto - Sindhi - Balochi - Seraiki - Dari - Hindko - Shina - Wakhi - Kashmiri - Brahui - Dravidian - Burushaski

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Ethnic groups

Punjabis comprise the largest ethnic group in the country. Other important ethnic groups include: Pashtun/Afghans, Sindhis, Balochis, Muhajirs and Seraikis. Numerous other ethnic groups are mainly found in the northern parts of the country such as Turwalis, Kafiristanis, Hindko, Brahui, Kashmiris, Khowar, Shina and so forth. There are also sizeable numbers of refugees from neighboring Afghanistan, who are found mainly in the NWFP and Baluchistan - in the 1980s, Pakistan accommodated over three million Afghan refugees - the largest refugee population in the world, which includes Pashtuns, Tajiks, and Hazaras among others. A sizeable number of Bengali immigrants are mainly concentrated in Karachi.

Related Topics:
Pashtun - Afghan - Sindhi - Balochi - Muhajir - Seraikis - NWFP - Pashtuns - Tajiks - Hazara - Bengali - Karachi

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