Includes bibliographical references and index.

pt. 1. Narrative section -- 1. Geography and history of Pakistan -- Physical and human geography -- Regional division -- The Northern and Western mountains -- The Balochistan Plateau -- The Indus River Plain -- Deserts -- High mountain valleys -- Climate and rainfall -- Population -- Distribution, density, and growth -- Age-sex composition and dependency ratio -- Religious-ethnic composition -- Population planning -- Internal and foreign migration -- Afghan refugees -- Migration to the Middle East -- Growth of major cities and urbanization -- History -- Prehistoric cultures -- Indus Valley civilization -- Invasions and empires -- The arrival of Islam in India -- The Delhi Sultanate -- The Mughal Period -- Babur -- Humayun -- Akbar -- Jahangir -- Shah Jahan -- Aurangzeb -- Company rule, colonialism, and British Raj -- Independence movements and the rise of the Muslim League -- Sir Syed Ahmad Khan -- Founding of the Muslim League -- Jinnah and the Lucknow Pact -- The Khilafat Movement -- The Montague-Chelmsford Reforms -- The Nehru Report and the Calcutta Convention -- Sir Muhammad Iqbal -- The 1937 elections -- The Lahore Resolution -- World War II -- The elections of 1946 -- Interim government and Direct Action Day -- Creation of Pakistan and partition. 2. The economy of Pakistan -- Overview of economic performance -- The early years and the ISI (Import-Substituting Industrialization) strategy : 1947-1958 -- Ayub Khan's decade of development : 1958-1969 -- Nationalization and authoritarian populism under Bhutto : 1971-1977 -- Islamization and liberalization of the economy under the military government of Ziaul Haq : 1977-1988 -- Structural adjustment, return to democracy, corruption, and mismanagement : 1988-1999 -- Liberalization and IMF conditionality under Pervez Musharraf : 1999-present -- Some key economic sectors -- Agriculture -- Land use and irrigation -- Landownership and farm size -- Major crops and other subsectors -- Land reforms -- Industry -- Services -- Conclusion : challenges and future prospects. 3. Political development since 1947 -- Political instability of the early years : 1947-1958 -- Ayub Khan : first military rule, decade of development, and civil war : 1958-1969 -- Nationalization and authoritarian populism under Bhutto : 1971-1977 -- The military government of Ziaul Haq : self-preservation, the Afghan War, and Islamization : 1977-1988 -- The first phase : 1977-1979 -- The second phase : 1979-1983 -- The third phase : 1983-1988 -- Return to democracy, instability, corruption, and mismanagement : Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif : 1988-1999 -- First Benazir Bhutto government (1988-1990) -- Caretaker government of 1990 -- First Nawaz Sharif government (1990-1993) -- Caretaker government of Moeen Qureshi (1993) -- Second Benazir Bhutto government (1993-1996) -- Second Nawaz Sharif government (1997-1999) -- Accountability, war on terrorism, development, and stability under Pervez Musharraf : 1999-present -- Conclusion : challenges and future prospects. 4. Pakistani institutions and contemporary culture -- Religion and society -- Language and ethnic groups -- Punjabis -- Sindhis -- Muhajirs -- Pakhtuns -- Balochi -- Others -- Family and kinship -- Status of women -- Women's work in rural and urban areas -- Pay equity and occupational segregation -- Education.

pt. 2. Reference section -- Key events in Pakistani history -- Significant people, places, and events -- Pakistani language, food, and etiquette -- Language -- Food and beverages -- Common Pakistani dishes -- Common Pakistani beverages -- Etiquette -- Pakistan-related organizations -- Business and economics -- Culture, education, and exchange -- Pakistan's government representatives in the United States -- International development agencies and NGOs in Pakistan -- Tourism -- National nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) -- Annotated bibliography of recommended works on Pakistan.