Aerial view of the well preserved ruins of the early 1st century Buddhist monastic complex at Takht-i-Bahi in the present-day Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Photo: Muzamil Hassain Toori, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
A view of Nanga Parbat (a.k.a The Killer Mountain) from Fairy Meadows
Photo: Aasim85, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Did you know?
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, and the ancient Gandhara civilisation. 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; the Umayyad Caliphate in its southern regions, the Hindu Shahis, the Ghaznavids, the Delhi Sultanate, the Samma, the Shah Miris, the Mughals, and finally, the British Raj from 1858 to 1947.
Wikipedia: Pakistan – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
This is a photo of a monument in Pakistan identified as the
Photo: Djshaheer, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
This is a photo of a monument in Pakistan identified as the
Photo: Syed Bilal Javaid, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Hinglaj Mata, also known as Hinglaj Devi and Nani Mandir, is a Hindu temple in Hinglaj, a town on the Makran coast in the Lasbela district of Balochistan, Pakistan.
Photo: Uzair189, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Etymology
The name Pakistan was coined by Choudhry Rahmat Ali, a Pakistan Movement activist, who in January 1933 first published it (originally as "Pakstan") in a pamphlet Now or Never, using it as an acronym. Rahmat Ali explained: "It is composed of letters taken from the names of all our homelands, Indian and Asian, Panjab, Afghania, Kashmir, Sindh, and Baluchistan." He added, "Pakistan is both a Persian and Urdu word... It means the land of the Paks, the spiritually pure and clean." Etymologists note that پاک pāk, is 'pure' in Persian and Pashto and the Persian suffix ـستان -stan means 'land' or 'place of'.
Wikipedia: Pakistan – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Katas Raj Temple, Lahore
Photo: Zhyusuf, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
This long exposure image of Northern India was taken by astronauts on the International Space Station while the Earth was shrouded in darkness. North is on the upper…
Photo: NASA, Public domain · source
Bedi Mahal-Verandah
Photo: Khalid Mahmood, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
History
Some of the earliest ancient human civilisations in South Asia originated from areas encompassing present-day Pakistan. The earliest known stone tools in the region, dating to the Lower Palaeolithic (~2 million years ago), were discovered in the Soan Valley of northern Pakistan. The Indus plain region, which covers most of the present-day Pakistan, was the site of several successive ancient cultures including the Neolithic (7000–4300 BCE) site of Mehrgarh, and the 5,000-year history of urban life in South Asia to the various sites of the Indus Valley Civilisation, including Mohenjo-daro and Harappa.
Wikipedia: Pakistan – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
As you go up in murree you will see them they love you eat corn and other things
Photo: FaizzyAhmed, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Atror, Swat KPK (Pakistan)
Photo: Muhammad Akram Attari, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Geography
Pakistan's diverse geography and climate host a wide array of wildlife. Covering 881,913 km2 (340,509 sq mi), Pakistan ranks as the 33rd-largest nation by total area, 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, and shares land borders totalling 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.
Wikipedia: Pakistan – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Katas Raj Temple, Lahore
Photo: Zhyusuf, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Government and politics
Pakistan operates as a democratic parliamentary federal republic, with Islam designated as the state religion. The military's influence in mainstream politics has been significant throughout Pakistan's history. Initially adopting a constitution in 1956, Pakistan saw it suspended by Ayub Khan in 1958, replaced by a second constitution in 1962. Under the leadership of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the 1973 constitution established a parliamentary system, but it was suspended under Zia-ul-Haq's martial law in 1977 and restored, with amendments, in 1985.
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Economy
Pakistan's economy ranks 27th globally by purchasing power parity (PPP) and 42nd by nominal GDP. Historically, Pakistan was part of the wealthiest region in the first millennium CE, but lost ground to regions like China and Western Europe by the 18th century. Pakistan is a developing country, and part of the Next Eleven, poised to become one of the world's largest economies in the 21st century, alongside the BRIC countries. The semi-industrialised economy is heavily dependent on agriculture, and industrial growth in Pakistan benefits significantly from agricultural expansion.
Wikipedia: Pakistan – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Infrastructure
Pakistan was lauded as the top nation for infrastructure development in South Asia during the 2016 annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank.
As of May 2021, Pakistan operates six licensed commercial nuclear power plants. The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) oversees these plants, while the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority ensures their safe operation. These plants contribute approximately 5.8% to Pakistan's electricity supply, while fossil fuels (crude oil and natural gas) provide 64.2%, hydroelectric power provides 29.9%, and coal contributes 0.1%.
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Demographics
Since independence due to the partition of India, urbanisation has surged for various reasons. In the south, Karachi stands as the most populous commercial hub along the Indus River. In the east, west, and north, a dense population arc spans cities like Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Gujrat, Jhelum, Sheikhupura, Nowshera, Mardan, and Peshawar. By 1990–2008, city dwellers constituted 36% of Pakistan's population, making it South Asia's most urbanised nation, with over 50% living in towns of 5,000+ inhabitants.
Wikipedia: Pakistan – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Culture
Civil society in Pakistan is hierarchical, emphasising local cultural etiquette and traditional Islamic values. The primary family unit is the extended family, but there's a rising trend towards nuclear families due to socio-economic factors. Both men and women typically wear Shalwar Kameez; men also favour trousers, jeans, and shirts. The middle class has grown to about 35 million, with another 17 million in the upper and upper-middle classes, leading to a shift in power from rural landowners to urban elites.
Wikipedia: Pakistan – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0