Tourism in Pakistan

Welcome To Pakistan - The Land of Adventure and Nature

From the mighty stretches of the Karakorams in the North to the vast alluvial delta of the Indus River in the South, Pakistan remains a land of high adventure and nature. Trekking, mountaineering, white water rafting, wild boar hunting, mountain and desert jeep safaris, camel and yak safaris, trout fishing and bird watching, are a few activities, which entice the adventure and nature lovers to Pakistan.

Pakistan is endowed with a rich and varied flora and fauna. High Himalayas, Karakoram and the Hindukush ranges with their alpine meadows and permanent snow line, coniferous forests down the sub-mountain scrub, the vast Indus plain merging into the great desert, the coast line and wetlands, all offer a remarkably rich variety of vegetation and associated wildlife including avifauna, both endemic and migratory. Ten of 18 mammalian orders are represented in Pakistan with species ranging from the world's smallest surviving mammals, the Mediterranean Pigmy Shrew, to the largest mammal ever known; the blue whale.

History of Pakistan : - Pakistan has its emergence out of the partition of India in 1947. When British rule divided powers between India and Pakistan, the two independent countries. The word PAKISTAN was derived by a Punjabi student which also means 'Land of Pure'. On 23rd March 1940, a resolution was passed that called for the partition of India which was presented by Mohammad Ali Jinnah, elected president of Muslim League, as Lahore resolution which also became to known as the 'Pakistan resolution'. The 23rd of March is celebrated as 'Pakistan Day'.

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Government & Politics :- There are two houses of parliament , The Senate occupying a largely advisory role and the National Assembly which is responsible for the day to day business of the government in Pakistan. It has a federal democratic structure with President as the supreme power.

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Foreign Exchange / Currency :- Pakistani currency is the Rupee ( Rs ) divided into 100 paisa. Notes come in denominations of Rs 1000,500,100,50,10,2 and 1. US Dollar is the most widely accepted currency, followed by sterling. It is advisable to carry small notes as its difficult to get change and some hard currency or Travelers Cheques instead of cash.

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Population of Pakistan :- Pakistan's population is now estimated at 130.580 million which makes it the ninth most populous country in the world. The average annual growth rate in Pakistan is 2.61% per annum which makes it much closer to the South Asian average of 2.4 percent.

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Religion of Pakistan :- Pakistan is the land with rich history of religions but today it's an Islamic country where 97 percent of the population are Muslim. Muslims again divided into two Sunni and Shi'ia. A number of other religions are also represented in Pakistan, as small minorities; Christian, Hindu, Sikh and Parsee communities are all to be found in different parts of the country.

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Pakistani Language :- Urdu is the official language of Pakistan. All the official work, instructions, signboards, menus and books are in Urdu. But Punjabi is oftenly spoken by 48 percent of the households and at national level.

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Visa :- A valid visa with a valid passport is required by all foreign nationals to visit Pakistan. The validity of tourist visa is up till 90 days, and is available in three forms Single, Double, and Multiple with different validity periods.

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Time :- Pakistan is 5 hrs a head of Greenwich Mean Time and Half an hour behind India.

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Climate :- There are four main climatic regions in Pakistan. Hot summer and mild winter; Hottest temperature 32 degree C, Winter temperature 10-21 degree C. Warm summer and mild winter : Temperature 21- 32 degree C, Winter temperature 10-21 degree C. Warm summer and cool winter : Temperature 21- 32 degree C, Coolest month 0-10 degree C. Mild summer and cold winter : Temperature 10-21 degree C and coolest month below 0degree C to 10 degree C.

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Cities of Pakistan :- The best way to travel Pakistan is slowly and extensively as each city of Pakistan has something different to offer. Some of its highlights are Peshawar, Karachi, Mirpur, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Baluchistan,Faisalabad, Lahore, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Muzaffarabad, Thar Desert, The Salt Range, Harappa, Bahawalpur, poonch and Bagh district, Jhelum Valley, kashgar.

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Restrictions :- Photography of military installations, airports, railway stations, bridges and dams are not allowed . Do not take photos of women without permission. Visit to sensitive or unstable areas in Pakistan are allowed only after a special permit by the relevant authority.