Interesting Facts about Pakistan

• Pakistan is officially known as the ‘Islamic Republic of Pakistan’.
• The national language of Pakistan is Urdu, while its official language is English. Apart from that, Balochi, Pashto, Persian, Punjabi, Sindhi and Siraiki are also spoken there.
• The main ethnic groups in Pakistan include Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch and Muhajir (Indian immigrants since partition).
• Majority of the people in Pakistan are Sunni and Shiite Muslims, followed by Christians and Hindus.
• The currency of Pakistan is Pakistani Rupee.
• The capital of Pakistan is Islamabad.
• Pakistan follows the system of ‘Islamic Republic’.
• Pakistan gained independence from the United Kingdom on 14th August 1947.
• Pakistan is made up of four main provinces - Punjab, Sindh, NWFP and Baluchistan.
• Parts of Himalayas, Karakoram Range and Hindu Kush make up the mountainous region, in the north of Pakistan.
• Mehrgarh, lying on the Kachi plain of Balochistan, dates back to 6000 BC and is one of the earliest known farming villages in the Indus Valley.
• British government took over control of India, which then included Pakistan, in the mid-19th century.
• Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the leader of the Muslim League, was instrumental in separating Pakistan from India.
• Pakistan came into existence in 1947, after partition of India.
• In the initial years, Pakistan was divided into two regions. One was West Pakistan, situated between Iran and the western border of India. The other was East Pakistan, situated on the eastern side of India.
• In 1971, East Pakistan broke away from Pakistan and became a separate country - Bangladeshi.
• Pakistan is a member of the United Nations, Commonwealth of Nations, World Trade Organization, G33 developing countries and Group of 77 developing nations
• Pakistan is a major non-NATO ally of the United States.
• The highest mountain in Pakistan is K2, which comes under the Karakoram mountain range.
• In Pakistan, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah is rearded as the 'Father of the Nation'.
• Pakistan is the sixth most populous country in the world
• Pakistan has the second largest Muslim population in the world, after Indonesia.
• Pakistan is a founding member of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.