Explain the Dress Culture of Pakistan.
The word ‘Pakistan’ is derived from the word ‘Pak’ – a Persian word denoting pure or clean and ‘Istan’ – a Hindi word which refers to place. As such, Pakistan means the ‘Pure Place’ or ‘Pure Land’.
Pakistan as we know it today is situated in a part of the world that was previously home to the ancient ‘Indus Valley’ civilisation which dates to the Bronze age. When the civilisation started to collapse, circa 1,900AD, the area became subject to ongoing invasions by groups such as the Arabs, Parthians, Kushans, White Huns, Greeks, Persians and Turks.
The modern history of Pakistan was shaped by the British who arrived as traders with the British East India company in the 18th century. This period of imperialism was a time of great violence and gave way to Indian Uprisings against the British oppressors. Demands were made for both independence and the creation of a Muslim state, to which Britain acceded prior to their withdrawal in 1947. The process of departure was not straightforward however and the ensuing bloodshed was greatly due to the poor management of the carving up of the region in to India and Pakistan by a UK based civil servant who had never previously visited the region.
FACTS AND STATISTICS
Location: Southern Asia, bordering Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km, India 2,912 km, Iran 909 km
Capital: Islamabad, located in North-eastern Pakistan
National anthem: ‘Qaumi Taranah’ which translates as ‘The Sacred Land’. The music was composed by Ahmad Chagla in 1949 and the lyrics were written by Hafeez Jullundhri in 1952. It was adopted as the official national anthem for Pakistan in 1954.
Ethnic Make-up: Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants from India at the time of partition and their descendants)
Population: 201,995,540 (July 2016 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.45% (2016 est.)
Climate: Although there are some distinct climatic differences depending on where you are in Pakistan, the climate is generally temperate and consists of three seasons which include Summer, Winter and Monsoon. The extremes of these seasons vary depending on location. If visiting, avoid the Monsoon period as the rain can play havoc with the local infrastructure and prevent you getting around as easily as you might wish. It is typically dry and hot in the south of the country and mild in the northern parts of the country.
Time Zone: Pakistan is UTC +5 hours with no daylight saving.
Currency: The Rupee
Government: Pakistan is a federal parliamentary republic. The government serves on a five-year term basis and is headed by the President (the official Head of State) and the Prime Minister. There are 342 members of the National Assembly, 79% of whom are elected to their positions on the basis of popular vote. Of these seats, 22% are reserved for women. The four provinces of Pakistan have their own legislative assembly and members are again elected by popular vote.
Internet penetration: At 18% (est. 2016), Pakistan has one of the lowest internet penetration rates in the world.