Pakistan

**Pakistan**, officially the **Islamic Republic of Pakistan** (Urdu: _Islāmī Jumhūriyah Pākistān_), is a country in South Asia. It shares its border with other countries India, Iran, Afghanistan and China (disputed with India). Pakistan has the fifth largest population (243.4 million) in the world and has a total land area of .or in simple words 881,000 km² This makes Pakistan the 34th largest country in the world by land area. It has a 1,365 km long coastline along the Arabian Sea in the south. The capital of Pakistan is Islamabad, but before 1960, it was Karachi, which is now the country's largest city. While they were building Islamabad, Rawalpindi acted as the temporary capital from 1959 to 1967.

The lands of Pakistan have a long history with ancient cultures, such as the 8,500-year-old Neolithic site of Mehrgarh, the Bronze Age Indus Valley civilization, and the ancient Gandhara civilization. Over the years, various empires and dynasties, including the Achaemenid, Maurya, Kushan, Gupta, Macedonians, Mongols, Tibetans, Umayyad Caliphate, Samma, Hindu Shahis, Shah Miris, Ghaznavids, Delhi Sultanate, Mughals, and the British Raj, have influenced the region. Pakistan is also associated with the origins of major world religions like Hinduism and Sikhism, as well as the Mahayana and Vajrayana branches of Buddhism, rooted in the Gandhara region. The word "Pakistan" and the idea of the nation did not exist till the 1900s.

## Infobox (country)

- **conventional long name**: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
- **common name**: Pakistan
- **image flag**: Flag of Pakistan.png
- **image coat**: State emblem of Pakistan.svg
- **symbol type**: State emblem
- **national motto**:

"Faith, Unity, Discipline"
- **national anthem**:

- **image map**: PAK orthographic.svg
- **map width**: 220px
- **map caption**: Land controlled by Pakistan shown in dark green; land claimed but not controlled shown in light green
- **capital**: Islamabad
- **largest city**: Karachi

- **regional languages**: Punjabi language, Punjabi • Pashto • Sindhi language, Sindhi • Saraiki language, Saraiki • Balochi language, Balochi • Hindko •  Pahari-Pothwari, Pothwari • Brahui language, Brahui • Kashmiri language, Kashmiri
- **languages**: Balti language, Balti • Burushaski • Dameli language, Dameli • Domaaki language, Domaaki • Gawar-Bati language, Gawar-Bati • Kalasha-mun, Kalasha • Khowar language, Khowar • Indus Kohistani • Kutchi language, Kutchi • Memoni language, Memoni • Shina language, Shina • Wakhi language, Wakhi • Yidgha language, Yidgha • Khowar language, Khowar • Hazaragi
- **ethnic groups year**: 2017
- **religion year**: 2017
- **demonym**: Pakistani
- **government type**: Federalism, Federal Parliamentary system, parliamentary constitutional republic
- **leader title1**: President of Pakistan, President
- **leader name1**: Asif Ali Zardari
- **leader title2**: Prime Minister of Pakistan, Prime Minister
- **leader name2**: Shehbaz Sharif
- **leader title3**: Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan, Chairman of the Senate
- **leader name3**: Sadiq Sanjrani
- **leader title4**: Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan, Speaker of the National Assembly
- **leader name4**: Ayaz Sadiq
- **leader title5**: Chief Justice of Pakistan, Chief Justice
- **leader name5**: Qazi Faez Isa
- **legislature**: Parliament of Pakistan, Parliament
- **upper house**: Senate of Pakistan, Senate
- **lower house**: National Assembly of Pakistan, National Assembly
- **sovereignty type**: Pakistan Movement, Independence
- **sovereignty note**: from the United Kingdom
- **established event1**: Dominion of Pakistan, Dominion
- **established date1**: 14 August 1947
- **established event2**: Islamic Republic
- **established date2**: 23 March 1956
- **established event3**: East Pakistan, Last polity Bangladesh Liberation War, withdrawn
- **established date3**: 12 January 1972
- **established event4**: Constitution of Pakistan, Current constitution
- **established date4**: 14 August 1973
- **area km2**: 1,030,000
- **area rank**: 29th
- **area sq mi**: 307,374
- **percent water**: 2.86
- **population density km2**: 244.4
- **population density sq mi**: 633
- **population density rank**: 56th
- **population estimate**: 270,800,000
- **population census**: 270.8 million
- **population estimate year**: 2023
- **population estimate rank**: 5th
- **population census year**: 2023
- **gdp ppp year**: 2026
- **gdp ppp rank**: 26th
- **gdp ppp per capita**: $7,120
- **gdp ppp per capita rank**: 142nd
- **gdp nominal year**: 2026
- **gdp nominal rank**: 41st
- **gdp nominal per capita**: $1,710
- **gdp nominal per capita rank**: 161st
- **gini year**: 2018
- **gini change**: decrease
- **gini**: 31.6
- **hdi**: 0.697
- **hdi year**: 2023
- **hdi change**: increase
- **hdi rank**: 152nd
- **currency**: Pakistani rupee (₨)
- **currency code**: PKR
- **time zone**: Pakistan Standard Time, PKT
- **utc offset**: +05:00
- **dst note**: _Daylight saving time, DST is not observed_
- **electricity**: Mains electricity by country, 230 V–50 Hz
- **drives on**: left
- **calling code**: Telephone numbers in Pakistan, +92
- **cctld**: .pk