Pakistan's economy is heavily dependent upon agriculture, which accounts for 32 percent of its gross national product and employs nearly three-quarters of the country's population. The natural resources are arable land, natural gas, petroleum, coal, iron ore and hydropower potential. Wheat is the main food crop, followed by rice, millet, maize, barley and pulses. Cotton is by far the most important cash crop and accounts for five percent of world production. High-quality Basmati rice, grown mainly in Lahore area, is also a major export.
Hydroelectric power is the largest source of energy in the country.
There is also oil in the Potwar Plateau, and there have been some new finds in southern Sind. Nearly half of Pakistan's foreign exchange earnings come from remittances sent home by the country's estimated two to there million expatriates, who work mainly in the Middle East. This money makes a considerable difference to the lives of the poorer families in Pakistan, many of whom have at least one member working in the Gulf. Major trade partners are Japan, the US, the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia. The tourism industry remains almost totally undeveloped, although its great potential is recognized.