Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pakistan

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The Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) are areas of Pakistan outside the four provinces, comprising a region of some 27,220 km² (10,507 mi²).

1 Introduction
2 Political and social environment
3 Economy
4 See also
5 References

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Introduction

The FATA are bordered by: Afghanistan to the west with the border marked by the Durand Line, the North-West Frontier Province and the Punjab to the east, and Balochistan to the south.

The total population of the FATA was estimated in 2003 to be about 3,138,000 people, or roughly 2% of Pakistan's population. Only 2.7% of the population of the Tribal Areas resides in established towns.

The Tribal Areas comprise seven Agencies: Khyber, Kurram, Bajaur, Mohmand, Orakzai, and North and South Waziristan. The main towns include Miran Shah, Razmak, Bajaur, and Wana.

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Political and social environment

The region is only nominally controlled by the central government of Pakistan. The mainly Pashtun tribes that inhabit the areas are fiercely independent, but until friction following the fall of the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan the tribes had mostly had friendly relations with Pakistan's central government.

After negotiating with tribal maliks, regular Pakistani army troops entered the tribal areas for the first time in Pakistani history - as of 2004, there are about 70,000 troops there. With foreign financial assistance, Pakistan has been involved in improving local infrastructure including the building of roads in the tribal areas. It is believed by some that Osama bin Laden is hiding with some sympathetic tribes in the FATA, but the validity of these claims remains unknown. Due to the capture of various Taliban leaders, many believe that various officials have sought refuge in the FATA and that possibly al-Qaeda fighters have also established a presence in the region following the collapse of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Pakistani troops and U.S. forces have carried out "coordinated operations" in the border region<ref>BBC article on US operations</ref>} that has further antagonized some local tribes. In 2004, Army attacks on local militant groups resulted in civilian casualties, fuelling an insurgency by some Waziri tribal groups<ref>BBC article on the tribal insurgency</ref>. However, some local tribal leaders in the Waziristan area have rejected attempts to politically exploit the casualties<ref>Daily Times article</ref>.

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Economy

Due to the FATA's tribal organization, the economy is chiefly pastoral, with some agriculture practiced in the region's few fertile valleys. Historically, the region has been a major center for opium production and trafficking. Although attempts have been made to significantly suppress drug-related activity by the Pakistani government, opium smuggling from Afghanistan continues to be a problem.

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