SHANGHAI, June 14 (Xinhua) -- The Shanghai Cooperation Organization will convene its sixth summit meeting here on Thursday in Shanghai to celebrate the fifth anniversary of its founding.

    The following are basic facts about the four SCO observer states -- Mongolia, Pakistan, India and Iran.

    -- Mongolia

    Area: 1.56 million square km

    Population: 2.55 million

    Capital: Ulan Bator

    Language: Mongolian

    Religions: about 67 percent of the people believe in Lamaism

    Economy: animal husbandry and mining are the major pillars of Mongolia's economy. Its GDP totaled 1.88 billion U.S. dollars in 2005, with a growth rate of 6.2 percent.

    -- Pakistan

    Area: 796,000 square km

    Population: 149 million

    Capital: Islamabad

    Languages: Urdu (state), English (official)

    Religions: Islam. Muslims account for 96 percent of the population

    Economy: Agriculture as a pillar of the economy accounts for 24 percent of the GDP. Thanks to the government's active and prudent economic policy, Pakistan scored 8.4 percent growth in its GDP in the 2004/2005 fiscal year.

    -- India

    Area: about 2.98 million square km (excluding the Indian-occupied area on the Sino-Indian border and the Indian-controlled area in Kashmir)

    Population: 1.09 billion

    Languages: English and Hindi are both official languages

    Religion: about 82 percent of residents believe in Hinduism

    Capital: New Delhi

    Economy: The country is basically self-sufficient in agriculture, and its industry has formed a complete system. The Indian government launched comprehensive economic reforms in July 1991, reducing government control of industry, foreign trade and banking. Its economic growth rate was 7.5 percent in the 2004-2005 fiscal year.

    -- Iran

    Area: 1.65 million square km

    Population: 67.48 million

    Language: Persian

    Religion: Islam

    Capital: Tehran

    Economy: Iran is the fourth largest oil producer, the second largest oil exporter and the fifth largest natural gas producer in the world. Oil exports account for more than 85 percent of Iran's foreign exchange revenues. In 2005, Iran's GDP totaled 175.6 billion U.S. dollars, with a growth rate of 5.5 percent. Enditem