Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241 million. having the second-largest Muslim population as of 2023. Islamabad is the nation's capital, while Karachi is its largest city and financial centre. Pakistan is the 33rd-largest country by area. Bounded by the Arabian Sea on the south, the Gulf of Oman on the southwest, and the Sir Creek on the southeast, it shares land borders with India to the east; Afghanistan to the west; Iran to the southwest; and China to the northeast. It shares a maritime border with Oman in the Gulf of Oman, and is separated from Tajikistan in the northwest by Afghanistan's narrow Wakhan Corridor.
Pakistan is the site of several ancient cultures, including the 8,500-year-old Neolithic site of Mehrgarh in Balochistan, the Indus Valley Civilisation of the Bronze Age,[11] and the ancient Gandhara civilisation.[12] The regions that compose the modern state of Pakistan were the realm of multiple empires and dynasties, including the Achaemenid, the Maurya, the Kushan, the Gupta;[13] the Umayyad Caliphate in its southern regions, the Hindu Shahis, the Ghaznavids, the Delhi Sultanate, the Samma, the Shah Miris, the Mughals,[14] and finally, the British Raj from 1858 to 1947.
Geography
Pakistan's diverse geography and climate host a wide array of wildlife.[171] Covering 881,913 km2 (340,509 sq mi),[172] Pakistan's size is comparable to France and the UK combined.[173] It ranks as the 33rd-largest nation by total area,[174] but this varies based on Kashmir's disputed status. Pakistan boasts a 1,046 km (650 mi) coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman,[175][176] and shares land borders totaling 6,774 km (4,209 mi), including 2,430 km (1,510 mi) with Afghanistan, 523 km (325 mi) with China, 2,912 km (1,809 mi) with India, and 909 km (565 mi) with Iran.[177] It has a maritime border with Oman,[178] and shares a border with Tajikistan via the Wakhan Corridor.[179] Situated at the crossroads of South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia,[180] Pakistan's location is geopolitically significant.[181] Geologically, Pakistan straddles the Indus-Tsangpo Suture Zone and the Indian tectonic plate in Sindh and Punjab, while Balochistan and most of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa sit on the Eurasian Plate, primarily on the Iranian plateau. Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, along the Indian plate's edge, are susceptible to powerful earthquakes.[182]
Culture
Pakistan has a diverse cultural heritage with influences from Persian, Turkish, Arab, and South Asian traditions. Major languages include Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto, and Balochi.
Economy
Pakistan has a mixed economy with agriculture, industry, and services contributing to its GDP. Major exports include textiles, rice, and sports goods.