Pakistan

Pakistan borders China, Afghanistan, Iran, and India, with a long coastline along the Arabian Sea. Northern regions such as Gilgit-Baltistan host towering peaks like K2 and icy glaciers that feed the Indus River. The Punjab and Sindh provinces form fertile plains, while Balochistan contains deserts, rocky plateaus, and mineral deposits. Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and Peshawar serve as economic and cultural centers linked by highways and railways.

Pakistan is a federal parliamentary republic. Citizens elect the National Assembly and provincial assemblies, and these legislatures choose a prime minister. A president serves a ceremonial role, while provinces manage health, education, and policing. The country maintains one of the world's largest volunteer disaster-response networks to face floods and earthquakes.

History includes the Indus Valley Civilization, Persian and Greek invasions, Islamic empires, and Mughal architecture. Pakistan was created in 1947 during the Partition of British India as a homeland for Muslims. The state later adopted a constitution, joined the United Nations, and participates in organizations such as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

The economy relies on agriculture, textiles, remittances, energy, and growing technology services. Farmers produce wheat, cotton, rice, mangoes, and citrus fruit, while the textile industry exports yarn and garments from Faisalabad and Karachi. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor builds roads, ports, and power plants, and new solar parks in Punjab supplement hydropower dams on the Indus River.

Culture blends Urdu poetry, Pashto folklore, Punjabi music, and Sindhi handicrafts. Cricket matches fill stadiums, Qawwali devotional songs echo in shrines, and food stalls serve biryani, chapli kebabs, nihari stew, and mango lassi. Eid celebrations involve charity and new clothes, Basant kite festivals mark spring in Lahore, and truck artists decorate colorful lorries that travel from mountains to the sea.