Pakistan

Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
- Relief and drainage
  - The Himalayan and Karakoram ranges
  - The Hindu Kush and the western mountains
  - The Balochistan plateau
  - The submontane plateau
  - The Indus River plain
  - The desert areas
- Soils
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
People
- Ethnic composition
- Linguistic composition
- Religion
- Settlement patterns
  - Traditional regions
  - Rural settlement
  - Urban settlement
- Demographic trends
Economy
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
- Resources and power
  - Minerals
  - Hydrocarbons and power
- Manufacturing
- Finance
- Trade
- Services
- Labor and taxation
- Transportation and telecommunications
Government and society
- Constitutional framework
- Local government
- Justice
- Political process
- Security
- Health and welfare
- Housing
- Education
Cultural life
- Daily life and social customs
- The arts
- Cultural institutions
- Sports and recreation
- Media and publishing
History
- From the Paleolithic Period through the Neolithic Period
  - Paleolithic and Mesolithic periods
  - Neolithic Period
- Urbanism in the Indus valley
  - The Early Indus period
  - The Indus valley civilization
- The Indo-Aryan migration and the Vedic period
- The Gandhara culture
- The arrival of Islam
- The Delhi sultanate and the consolidation of Muslim rule
- The Mughal Empire
- The Sikh empire in the Punjab
- The British conquest and Indian Muslim identity
- The Muslim League and background to partition
  - Leadership of Mohammed Ali Jinnah
  - Birth of the new state
- The early republic
  - Liaquat Ali Khan
  - Political decline and bureaucratic ascendancy
  - Military government
- From disunion through the Zia-ul-Haq era
  - Civil war
  - Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
  - Zia-ul-Haq
- Political and social fragmentation
  - The first administration of Benazir Bhutto
  - The first administration of Nawaz Sharif
  - The caretaker government of Moeen Qureshi
  - The second administration of Benazir Bhutto
  - The second administration of Nawaz Sharif
    - Continuing challenges: conflict, a stalled economy, and nuclear tests
    - Growing unrest, tension with the military, and Sharif’s ouster
  - The Pervez Musharraf government
    - Relations with the United States, consolidation of Musharraf’s rule, and meetings with India
    - Hesitant rejection of Islamist militants
    - Reinstated constitution
    - Electoral losses and resignation
  - Pakistan under Zardari
    - U.S. drone strikes, floods of 2010, and religious tensions
    - Osama bin Laden discovered and killed
    - Defeat at the polls
  - The third administration of Nawaz Sharif
    - Domestic and foreign policy
    - Disqualification from office
    - Arrest and party defeat
  - The government of Imran Khan
  - The government of Shehbaz Sharif

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images, Videos & Interactives

Political map of Pakistan showing provincial boundaries, major cities, and surrounding countries including India, Afghanistan, Iran, China, and Tajikistan. The map highlights international boundaries, disputed borders, and lines of control, with a locator inset indicating Pakistan's position in Asia. Major regions such as Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Kashmir are labeled.

Map highlighting Pakistan in orange within South Asia, showing its borders with Afghanistan, Iran, India, and China. Surrounding countries, major bodies of water such as the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, and disputed territories in the northern region are also labeled. An inset globe in the upper right corner shows Pakistan's location within Asia.

Mohammed Ali Jinnah

Jinnah's Tomb, a large white marble mausoleum with a domed roof and arched entrances, stands in Karachi, Pakistan, with visitors walking and sitting nearby.

Gilgit-Baltistan: Hunza River valley

Physical map of Pakistan highlighting major mountain ranges, hills, deserts, and river systems such as the Indus River and its tributaries. The map shows international borders with Afghanistan, Iran, India, and China, as well as disputed boundaries and lines of control in the northern regions. A locator globe in the upper left situates Pakistan within Asia. Major physical features like the Hindu Kush, Himalayas, Sulaiman Range, and Thar Desert are labeled.

Karakoram Range: K2 (Mount Godwin Austen)

A suspension bridge crosses the Shyok River near the town of Ghawari, with green fields and scattered buildings below rugged mountains in Baltistan, northern Pakistan.

At a Glance

default image

Pakistan summary

Pakistan: Media

country, Asia

Videos

Language, Architecture, and Culture in the Indus River Basin

Language, Architecture, and Culture in the Indus River Basin

Learn about the Indus civilization by watching this overview.

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Images

Pakistan

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Political map of Pakistan showing provincial boundaries, major cities, and surrounding countries including India, Afghanistan, Iran, China, and Tajikistan. The map highlights international boundaries, disputed borders, and lines of control, with a locator inset indicating Pakistan's position in Asia. Major regions such as Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Kashmir are labeled.

Pakistan

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map highlighting Pakistan in orange within South Asia, showing its borders with Afghanistan, Iran, India, and China. Surrounding countries, major bodies of water such as the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, and disputed territories in the northern region are also labeled. An inset globe in the upper right corner shows Pakistan's location within Asia.

Pakistan

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Mohammed Ali Jinnah

Mohammed Ali Jinnah

Founder and first governor-general of Pakistan, Mohammed Ali Jinnah.

Courtesy of the Pakistan Embassy, Washington, D.C.

Jinnah's Tomb, a large white marble mausoleum with a domed roof and arched entrances, stands in Karachi, Pakistan, with visitors walking and sitting nearby.

Tomb of Mohammed Ali Jinnah

The tomb of Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Karachi, Pakistan.

© Hoang Bao Nguyen/Dreamstime.com

Gilgit-Baltistan: Hunza River valley

Gilgit-Baltistan: Hunza River valley

Terraced fields in the Hunza River valley, Karakoram Range, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistani-administered...

© Jeffrey Alford/Asia Access

Physical map of Pakistan highlighting major mountain ranges, hills, deserts, and river systems such as the Indus River and its tributaries. The map shows international borders with Afghanistan, Iran, India, and China, as well as disputed boundaries and lines of control in the northern regions. A locator globe in the upper left situates Pakistan within Asia. Major physical features like the Hindu Kush, Himalayas, Sulaiman Range, and Thar Desert are labeled.

Physical features of Pakistan

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Karakoram Range: K2 (Mount Godwin Austen)

Karakoram Range: K2 (Mount Godwin Austen)

K2 (Mount Godwin Austen), in the Karakoram Range, viewed from the Gilgit-Baltistan...

A suspension bridge crosses the Shyok River near the town of Ghawari, with green fields and scattered buildings below rugged mountains in Baltistan, northern Pakistan.

Shyok River

The Shyok River near Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan.

© Dr. Ashhad Ali Khan Suri/Dreamstime.com

Wildflowers in the Hindu Kush

Wildflowers in the Hindu Kush

Wildflowers blooming in the Hindu Kush, in the Chitral district of northern Pakistan.

© Brian A. Vikander

Khyber Pass

Khyber Pass

The Khyber Pass, on Pakistan's northwestern border with Afghanistan.

© Amine Bouzidi Idrissi—iStock/Getty Images

Long concrete Sukkur Barrage stretches across the Indus River in Pakistan, with multiple arches and water flowing beneath, and grassy banks in the foreground.

Sukkur Barrage irrigation project

Section of the Sukkur Barrage irrigation project, on the Indus River, Pakistan.

© Sergey-73/Shutterstock.com

Peshawar, Pakistan: Mahabat Khan mosque

Peshawar, Pakistan: Mahabat Khan mosque

Muslims praying at the mosque of Mahabat Khan, Peshawar, Pakistan.

Robert Harding/Robert Harding Picture Library, London

Multan, Pakistan: ʿĪdgāh Mosque

Multan, Pakistan: ʿĪdgāh Mosque

The ʿĪdgāh Mosque, Multan, Pakistan.

© milosk50/stock.adobe.com

Aerial view of Karachi, Pakistan, showing tall modern buildings near the coastline, sandy beaches, and dense cityscape stretching into the distance.

Karachi

A view of Karachi, Pakistan.

© Muhammad Aqib—Moment/Getty Images

Mosque of Maryam Zamani

Mosque of Maryam Zamani

Ceiling of the mosque of Maryam Zamani, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.

Frederick M. Asher

Taxila, Pakistan: Dharmarajika stupa

Taxila, Pakistan: Dharmarajika stupa

Dharmarajika stupa, Taxila, Pakistan.

Frederick M. Asher

Bhangra performance

Bhangra performance

A performance of bhangra, a folk dance of the Punjab region of Pakistan and India.

© Pete Birkinshaw (CC BY 2.0)

British Open Squash Championships, 1989: Jahangir Khan and Jansher Khan

British Open Squash Championships, 1989: Jahangir Khan and Jansher Khan

Jahangir Khan (right) of Pakistan playing against his compatriot Jansher Khan at...

ALLSPORT USA

Map showing important sites in the history of the ancient Indus civilization, including cities and agricultural sites, along with the locations of modern-day cities.

Principal sites of the Indus civilization

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Harappa ruins

Harappa ruins

Ruins of the ancient settlement of Harappa in Punjab, Pakistan.

© Smn121

Gandhara-style Buddha statue

Gandhara-style Buddha statue

Buddha statue in the Gandhara style, c. 2nd century; in the Delhi Museum, India.

Photos.com/Thinkstock

Dharmarajika stupa

Dharmarajika stupa

Ruins of an ancient Buddhist stupa in Taxila, Pakistan.

© Botev

Qutb Minar

Qutb Minar

The Qutb Minar, built by Qutb ud-Din Aibak, is one of the tallest minarets in...

© anjali04/stock.adobe.com

Delhi: Lodī Gardens

Delhi: Lodī Gardens

The Lodī Gardens, an iconic Delhi public park, is an enduring legacy of the Lodī...

Lucido22 (CC-BY-3.0) (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

The Baburnama

The Baburnama

Meeting between Babur and the sultan Ali Mirza near Samarkand (now in Uzbekistan),...

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, (Louis V. Bell Fund, 1967), www.metmuseum.org

Lahore Fort

Lahore Fort

Alamgiri Gate at Lahore Fort, Lahore, Pakistan.

© Naiyyer/Fotolia

Bādshāhī Mosque, Lahore, Pakistan

Bādshāhī Mosque, Lahore, Pakistan

The Bādshāhī Mosque in Lahore, built by the emperor Aurangzeb, has been designated...

Catherine B. Asher

Ranjit Singh

Ranjit Singh

Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780–1839) was the founder of the Sikh empire in the Punjab.

ART Collection/Alamy

Mohammed Ali Jinnah

Mohammed Ali Jinnah

Pakistan founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah delivering a speech.

Three Lions/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Liaquat Ali Khan, wearing glasses, a patterned cap, and a suit with a tie, poses in front of an ornate metal fence.

Liaquat Ali Khan

The first prime minister of Pakistan, Liaquat Ali Khan.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Muhammad Zafrulla Khan

Muhammad Zafrulla Khan

Pakistani politician, diplomat, and international jurist Muhammad Zafrulla Khan,...

AP

Mohammad Ayub Khan

Mohammad Ayub Khan

Pakistani politician Mohammad Ayub Khan.

Courtesy of the Pakistan Embassy, Washington, D.C.

Benazir Bhutto, wearing a white headscarf and light blue clothing, looks slightly to the side in a close-up portrait.

Benazir Bhutto

Pakistani politician Benazir Bhutto, 2007.

© Aamir Qureshi—AFP/Getty Images

President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan in a dark suit and patterned tie, standing in front of a blue curtain with United Nations emblems, answering questions at a press conference.

Pervez Musharraf

Pakistani Pres. Pervez Musharraf at a press conference at the United Nations headquarters,...

© Stocklight/Shutterstock.com

Map of Pakistan showing areas affected by the 2010 flooding, with regions along the Indus River marked in red for severely affected areas and orange for moderately affected areas. Major cities such as Karachi, Sukkur, Hyderabad, Multan, Lahore, Peshawar, and Islamabad are labeled, along with provincial and international boundaries. Neighboring countries including Afghanistan, India, and China are also indicated.

2010 flooding in Pakistan

Areas affected by flooding in Pakistan in 2010.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Pakistan

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map showing the geographic distribution of Indo-Iranian languages across Southwest, Central, and South Asia. Areas shaded orange represent regions where Iranian languages such as Persian, Pashto, Kurdish, and Balochi are spoken, primarily in Iran, Afghanistan, and parts of Pakistan and Central Asia. Areas shaded green indicate regions where Indo-Aryan languages like Hindi, Bengali, Punjabi, Marathi, and Gujarati are spoken, covering most of northern and central India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal

Indo-Iranian languages

Distribution of Indo-Iranian languages.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map showing the heat footprint of the Indian Heat Wave of 2015, with color gradients representing maximum temperatures across the region from May 24 to 30. Most of India is shaded in dark red and purple, indicating extreme temperatures between 100-120 degrees Fahrenheit (38-49 degrees Celsius), with slightly cooler zones in the Himalayas, southern tip, and neighboring countries. Major state and international boundaries are marked, and a temperature legend is included.

Indian heat wave of 2015

Map of the heat wave that struck the Indian subcontinent between April and June 2015....

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Pakistan

Pakistan

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Audio

National anthem of Pakistan

The instrumental version of the national anthem of Pakistan.

Interactives

Pakistan: Ethnic composition

Pakistan: Ethnic composition

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Pakistan: Religious affiliation

Pakistan: Religious affiliation

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Pakistan: Urban-rural

Pakistan: Urban-rural

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Pakistan: Age breakdown

Pakistan: Age breakdown

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Pakistan: Major import sources

Pakistan: Major import sources

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Pakistan: Major export destinations

Pakistan: Major export destinations

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

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