Pakistan was founded as an Islamic state. The crescent moon of Islam dominates the country's flag.

Predominantly Muslim, Pakistan was founded as a separate country from India in 1947 — when the British left South Asia — to make sure that Muslims had a country of their own. And indeed, Pakistan is very much a Muslim country. Only a very small percentage of the population follow any other religion.

Pakistan's K2 is the second-tallest mountain on Earth.

Although they share the Islamic faith, the people of Pakistan represent a wide variety of ethnic and linguistic backgrounds. There is no single Pakistani language, and although most official business is conducted in Urdu, many people don't speak that language, and most speak at least one or two others.

The people's ethnic backgrounds are diverse, as well, because dozens of different groups have settled in the region over the last 2,500 years.

With so many groups packed in its borders, Pakistan's population sometimes has a hard time achieving a sense of unity. Some Pakistani leaders believe that the Islam faith joins the different ethnic and linguistic groups together. The official religion of the country is therefore legally Islam, and people who follow different religions are treated with scorn.

Democracy versus Dictatorship

Mohammad Ali Jinnah is known in Pakistan as Father of the Nation.

The Pakistani constitution requires that the prime minister, the president, and most elected officials be Muslim.

The Economic Landscape

Some of the world's oldest temples stand in the Salt Range of northern Pakistan.

Pakistan has met with considerably more success than other regions of South Asia in its efforts to diversify its economy. No longer dependent solely on agriculture, the Pakistani economy includes manufacturing, industrial, and financial businesses that account for more than half of the country's wealth.

Unfortunately, along with the rest of South Asia, Pakistan suffers from a serious population problem. Although more money comes into the country, there are always more people among whom that money must be shared. Still, the government has done a fair job of easing the worst poverty. Pakistan stands forth among the developing countries of the world as a success story, its economic growth rivaling that of many developed countries.

Wealth does not necessarily mean happiness, however. One out of every ten children born in Pakistan dies before reaching one year of age.

Women in Pakistan

Benazir Bhutto was the first female prime minister of Pakistan.

Despite these barriers, the country has had a female head of government — a feat still yet unknown in the United States. Benazir Bhutto has served as the nation's leader.

The law requires that women stay largely separate from men. When they go outside, they must cover themselves almost completely so no man can see any part of their body.

The national commitment to Islam means that the Hindu traditions that once dominated the area are all but gone. The caste system, absolutely central to India's culture, is absent in Pakistan. Islamic ideals and beliefs dominate the culture there. The region's artistic history focuses on the Muslim religion.

Pakistan and Its Rival

Religious difference accounts for part of this conflict, but Pakistan and India also compete for land — especially the beautiful Kashmir.

Trouble marks Pakistan's relationships with many other countries, as well. The Pakistani people have had trouble trusting non-Muslim countries. Powerful Western countries such as the United States and Great Britain seem decadent and corrupt to the Pakistanis. At the same time, Pakistan envies the wealth and power that the West takes for granted

Pakistan has made some significant achievements in rivaling Western wealth, but international power has remained more elusive. Pakistan's efforts to develop a nuclear arsenal — a move met with fear from Pakistan's neighbors — is one way in which Pakistan hopes to improve its international standing.

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