Water Wars: Ethiopia and Kenya
Notable Entry, Interactive Narratives. 2008 Knight-Batten Awards for Innovations in Journalism.
Pulitzer Gateway: Water Wars
Visit the interactive Water Wars Web Portal, sponsored by the Pulitzer Center On Crisis Reporting.
Kibera: Not a Drop to Drink
The long rainy season in Kenya has begun and sudden storms regularly burst over Nairobi. Many welcome the downpours, which signal the end of another dry summer and wash the steamy crowded capital clean each morning.
As featured in Women's eNews, 1h2o.org, and Living on Earth. Produced in association with the Pulitzer Center On Crisis Reporting.
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Country Fact Sheets from the CLP
Because we believe that good journalism must be contextualized, we've decided to share with our readers some of the more interesting and lesser known facts about the countries we've reported on. While these are in no way comprehensive descriptions of these complex places, this is the information that we've found most helpful in placing these countries in a global framework and underscoring the broader implications of the issues we've covered. In developing these Fact Sheets, we've worked to incorporate both the official facts and statistics reported by government sources as well as our own observations through reporting in each country. If you have any suggestions or requests for information you'd like to see included, write to us at info@clpmag.org
Pakistan
Pakistan was created by the partition of British Colonial India in 1947 and has been defined by military enmity with its more populous neighbor ever since. A strong military influence has dominated Pakistani politics since their inception, culminating in the current rule of General Perves Musharraf. Though almost entirely Muslim, Pakistan is internally divided by numerous religious sects, ethnic groups, and an extreme polarization of wealth. Lacking a strong democratic tradition, both human rights and the civil sector have suffered, with much of the government's attention and resources directed toward military concerns such as the War on Terror, nuclear development, and conflicts in Kashmir, Balochistan and Waziristan. Despite the many challenges that face Pakistan, a number of courageous and committed people are working to effect change in the country.
Size: About twice the size of California.
Population: About 166 million, with one of the highest population growth rates in the world: Pakistan's population is expected to nearly double within 20 years.
Languages Spoken: Urdu is the national language and English is the official language, used within the government. 60 million Pakistanis speak Punjabi; other spoken languages include Sindhi and Pashtun.
Type of Government: Officially a federal republic, Pakistan has been under military rule for all but 16 years of its existence. Transfers of power in Pakistan have almost invariably been violent or non-democratic. Pakistan ranks at almost the lowest level of the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index, at 144th of 158, along with, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Paraguay, Somalia, Sudan, and Tajikistan.
Religion: Ninety-seven percent of Pakistan's population identifies as Muslim (Sunni 77%, Shi'a 20%). The remaining 3%, largely Christians and Hindus, are overrepresented among the country's poorest people. Recent years have seen a rise in religious extremism, and CLP journalists observed a growing divide between secular and fundamentalist Muslims. The majority of charities in Pakistan are Islamic, and the inadequacy of the public education system means that many Pakistanis rely heavily on religious schools called Madrassas.
Gender and Health Issues: While the government reports overall literacy at 48.7%, many in the NGO sector estimate it at closer to 20% of the total population. Both sources agree that literacy among women is half that among men. Abortion laws are restrictive, the fertility rate is one of the highest in the region, at an average of 5.1 births per woman, and only 20% of women of childbearing age use a modern form of contraception. Infant mortality is also high for the region, at 74 deaths per 1,000 live births - one and a half times that of India, and twelve times that of the United States. AIDS and HIV prevalence is reported at only 0.1% of the adult population, just one sixth that of the United States. Life expectancy is 63 years. While the gender divide in Pakistan is huge, it is interesting to note that a certain percentage of Parliamentary seats are reserved for women (as well as religious minorities), and that the Pakistani Air Force recently inducted its first female combat pilots.
Environment and Resources: Like its neighbor India, resources are short for this overpopulated country. A majority of Pakistan's population does not have access to potable water. Population strains on the environment have resulted in deforestation, erosion, and desertification. Industrial waste and air and water pollution are also major concerns.
GDP: $393.4 billion
International Aid Received: $2.4 billion
Receives US Counterterrorism Assistance: Yes
Death Penalty: In use for ordinary crimes
Top Five Industries: Textiles and apparel, food processing, pharmaceuticals, construction materials, paper products
Poverty Rate: 32% of Pakistanis live below the official poverty line, defined at $12.45 per month.
McDonald's Restaurants: Since 1998; 31 stores currently in operation. Though there has been a recent increase in the prevalence of western chains in Pakistan, they have also been some of the first targets of vandalism and arson in political protests.
Currency: Pakistani Rupee - about 60 to the dollar
Media: Pakistan ranks a low 150th out of 167 on the Reporters without Borders Press Freedom Index. CLP reporters spoke with Pakistani journalists who reported intimidation, arrests and threats as a regular part of their job, though these experiences seem to have decreased in recent years and President Musharraf has gained a reputation for having somewhat improved press freedom. Some say that self-censorship among reporters remains a hindrance. 4.5% of the population are internet users.
Posted: 2006
Country Fact Sheet Sources
- General Statistics - CIA World Factbook: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/
- Abortion Legal Status, Maternal Mortality, Infant Mortality, Contraception: http://www.medicationabortion.com
- Abortion Legal Status: http://www.crlp.org/pub_fac_abortion_laws.htm
- Contraceptive Use: http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/contraceptive2005/WCU2005.htm
- Maternal Mortality: http://www.childinfo.org/areas/maternalmortality/countrydata.php
- McDonald’s Country List: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_with_McDonald%27s_franchises
- Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=19388
- The Economist Intelligence Unit Quality of Life Index: http://www.economist.com/media/pdf/QUALITY_OF_LIFE.pdf
- Human Development Index: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index
- 2005 Environmental Sustainability Index: www.yale.edu/esi/
- General Statistics - World Atlas: http://www.geographyiq.com
- Counterterrorism Funding Information - State Dept. Country Reports: http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/crt
- Death Penalty Status: http://web.amnesty.org/pages/deathpenalty-countries-eng
- Human Trafficking information: http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2006/
- BBC Country Profiles: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/country_profiles/default.stm
- Department For International Development: http://www.dfid.gov.uk/countries/allcountries.asp?view=region
- United Nations Development Programme: http://www.undp.org/
- The World Bank: http://www.worldbank.org/
Note: Population growth projections are often controversial. To calculate them for these fact sheets, we simply used the current population and population growth rate provided by the CIA World Factbook.