Interesting facts about Pakistan

pakistan flag

Pakistan is a federal parliamentary republic in South Asia on crossroads of Central Asia and Western Asia.

The official name of the country is the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Pakistan is bordered by India to the east, Afghanistan to the west, Iran to the southwest and China in the far northeast respectively.

Pakistan has two official languages, Urdu and English.

Pakistan is world’s sixth most populous country. As of 1 January 2017, the population of Pakistan was estimated to be 194,931,848 people.

It is the 36th largest country in the world in terms of area with an area covering 881,913 square kilometers (340,509 square miles).

Islamabad is the capital city of Pakistan. With a population of two million, it is the 10th largest city of Pakistan. Islamabad was built during the 1960s to replace Karachi as Pakistan’s capital.

islamabad

The largest city in Pakistan is Karachi which is home to over 13 million people. It is the financial hub of the country and is a major seaport.

The geography of Pakistan is a profound blend of landscapes varying from plains to deserts, forests, hills, and plateaus ranging from the coastal areas of the Arabian Sea in the south to the mountains of the Karakoram range in the north.

K2, also known as Mount Godwin-Austen or Chhogori at 8,611 meters (28,251 feet) above sea level is the highest point of Pakistan. It is also the second highest mountain in the world, after Mount Everest.

K2

Pakistan has a 1,046-kilometer-long (650-mile) coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south.

Pakistan is home to some of the most pristine, crowd-free beaches in the Middle East.

pakistan beach

There are 29 national parks in Pakistan.

Lal Suhanra is a national park of Pakistan situated in Bahawalpur district of Punjab province, which is one of the largest nationals parks in South Asia. It is also a UNESCO declared Biosphere Reserve. Lal Sohanra is spread over 65,790 hectares (162,570 acres) and is notable for the diversity of its landscape, which includes areas of desert, forest and wetland.

lal suhanra national park

Pakistan has 6 UNESCO world heritage sites.

Mohenjo-daro is an archeological site in the province of Sindh. Built around 2500 BCE, it was one of
the largest settlements of the ancient Indus Valley civilization, and one of the world’s earliest major urban settlements, contemporaneous with the civilizations of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Minoan Crete, and Norte Chico. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980.

mohenjo daro

Takht-i-Bahi is a Parthian archaeological site in Mardan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. It was first a
Zoroastrian complex which, after the later arrival of Buddhism, was then converted into a Buddhist monastic complex. It is dated to the 1st century BCE. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980.

takht i bahi

The Lahore Fort, is a citadel in the city of Lahore. The fortress is located at the northern end of Lahore’s Walled City, and spreads over an area greater than 20 hectares (50 acres). Built, damaged, demolished, rebuilt and restored several times before being given its current form by Emperor Akbar in 1566. In 1981, the fort was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, along with the nearby Shalimar Gardens.

lahore fort

The Shalimar Gardens is a Mughal garden complex located in Lahore. Construction of the gardens began in 1637 C.E. during the reign of Emperor Shah Jahan, and was completed in 1641. The Shalimar Gardens were laid out as a Persian paradise garden. The gardens measure 658 meters by 258 meters, and cover an area of 16 hectares (40 acres).

shalimar gardens

Faisal Mosque is the mosque in Islamabad. Located on the foothills of Margalla Hills in Islamabad,
the mosque features a contemporary design consisting of eight sides of concrete shell and is inspired by a Bedouin tent. Completed in 1986, it is the largest mosque in Pakistan. The mosque is a major tourist
attraction, and is referred as a contemporary and influential feature of Islamic architecture.

faisal mosque

The Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, commissioned by the sixth Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1671 and completed in 1673, is the second largest mosque in Pakistan. Epitomising the beauty, passion and grandeur of the Mughal era, it is Lahore’s most famous landmark and a major tourist attraction.

badshahi mosque

The name Pakistan is derived from the Urdu words Pak (meaning pure) and stan (meaning country).

Pakistan became independent in 1947 from the British Indian Empire.

Pakistan was originally made up of East and West areas split either side of India. East Pakistan rebelled
with a Civil war in 1971, and, with the help of India the area gained independence from the west and become the country of Bangladesh.

The economy of Pakistan is the 24th largest in the world in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP), and 43th largest in terms of nominal gross domestic product (GDP).

Pakistan has a semi-industrialised economy with a well-integrated agriculture sector, and a growing services sector.

Pakistani cuisine incorporates noticeable Central Asian and Western Asia influences and is more meat-oriented. Nahari [photo below] is the national dish of Pakistan. It is a stew consisting of slow-cooked meat mainly beef or lamb along with bone marrow, garnished to taste and occasionally served with cooked brain.

nahari

The national drink of Pakistan is Sugarcane juice, called “roh“. It is sold fresh by roadside vendors only, as the juice begins turning black very quickly due to oxidation.

The national fruit of Pakistan is Mango.

The national flower of Pakistan is Jasmine.

The national animal of Pakistan is markhor.

markhor

The national bird of Pakistan is chukar partridge.

The national sport of Pakistan is field hockey.

Pakistan has the world’s highest paved international road – The Karakoram Highway, which is said to be the 8th wonder of the world.

karakoram highway

Pakistan holds 4 out of the top 14 highest peaks in the world.

Pakistan is the first Muslim country in the world to construct and operate civil nuclear power plants.

Pakistan has the largest Irrigation System in the world.

Tarbela Dam on the Indus River in Pakistan is the largest Earth-filled dam in the world and is fifth-largest by structural volume.

Khewra Salt Mine, the second largest salt mine in the world is in Pakistan.

Pakistan is the world’s second-largest producer of chickpeas behind India.

Pakistan manufactures more than 50% of world’s hand-sewed footballs.

In 2011, a monkey was arrested in Pakistan for crossing the border with India.