Pakistan, the Land of Pure, has its roots in 1947 in South Asia. Pakistan, officially known as the Islamic Republic of Pakistan has an area of 796,095 sq km. Islamabad is the beautiful capital of the country with Karachi as its largest city. Pakistan shares borders with four countries, India, Afghanistan, Iran, and China.
Let’s explore more to know interesting facts about Pakistan.
30 Interesting Facts About Pakistan
With these 30 facts about Pakistan, you will know a great deal about its history, geography, culture, inventions, mountains, mosques, customs, and much more.
1. Pakistan means the ‘Land of Pure’.
The name Pakistan has been derived from two words ‘Pak’, which in the Persian language means holy, clean, or pure, and ‘istan’ which is derived from the Hindi language and means place.
2. Gawadar is the world’s deepest seaport.
Pakistan is working with China to develop the infrastructure of the Gawadar port. The basic purpose is to increase trade in the regions. The Gawadar port is the largest natural deep port in the world.
3. Pakistan has the world’s highest Polo ground.
The world’s highest polo ground is situated in Shandur Top in Pakistan at a height of 3,700 meters.
4. Pakistan is ranked the 8th fastest growing freelancing economy in the world.
The global payment platform ‘Payoneer’ in the latest report “Freelancing in 2020: An Abundance of Opportunities” reported Pakistan as the 8th fastest growing economy in terms of freelancing.
5. Khewra Salt Mine is the largest and oldest salt mine in the world.
Located in Khewra in the Punjab region of Pakistan, it was discovered back in 320 BC and is considered the world’s largest and oldest salt mine in the world. It remains a major tourist attraction in Pakistan. It is the country’s largest source of salt producing 350,000 tons of salt.
6. The youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner is from Pakistan.
In 2014, Malala Yousafzai became the world’s youngest Nobel Laureate. She was 17 years in age when she defied the Taliban in Pakistan and fought for a girl’s right to receive an education. Being an activist, the Taliban was a great threat to her. She was also shot in the head which she survived and became an even more outspoken advocate for children.
7. Among the Muslim countries, Pakistan had the first-ever female Prime Minister.
Benazir Bhutto served as the first Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1988 to 1990 and 1993 to 1996. She was the first woman to lead a democratic government in Pakistan. A tragic incident resulted in her death.
8. Pakistan has one of the largest ambulance systems in the world.
The non-profit organization, Edhi Foundation, has over 300 centers in the country. It offers medical and healthcare services as well as shelter for the orphans. It is the world’s largest ambulance service that is serving voluntarily since 1997. It runs a 24-hour emergency ambulance service.
9. Pakistan has the world’s youngest Microsoft Expert.
Arfa Abdul Karim became Pakistan’s first youngest Microsoft certified professional at just 5 years of age.
10. Pakistan has seen an increase in tourism by more than 300% in 2020.
Pakistan has been ranked as the “Best Holiday Destination” in 2020 by the leading travel magazine. It was also declared as the 3rd highest potential adventure destination in the world.
11. Pakistan is one of the two Muslim countries to open combat jobs for women.
Women have been fighting in the military ever since the country was founded. Currently, there are more than 4,000 women who are active on duty.
12. The flag of Pakistan symbolizes Progress and Light.
The national flag was adopted three days before the independence of Pakistan. The flag comprises a green background that represents Islam and the Muslim majority. The white stripe on the side represents minorities. The white crescent moon represents progress and the star symbolizes light.
13. K2 has a 27% fatality rate.
K2 is the second-highest mountain peak in the world at an elevation of 28,251 feet. It has an unfortunate reputation of a 27% fatality rate. This is three times higher than the world’s largest mountain range that is Mount Everest.
14. 40% of the world’s football is manufactured in Pakistan.
Sialkot, the city in the province of Punjab, is home to millions of hand-sewn footballs. The local factory manufactures around 40 to 60 million footballs annually. Besides football, it is also the largest center for the manufacturing of surgical instruments.
15. Pakistan has 6 designated UNESCO world heritage sites.
Pakistan houses 6 different sites designated for UNESCO world heritage. These are the archaeological ruins at Mohenjodaro, Buddhist ruins of Takht-I-Bahi, the neighboring city remain at Sahr-I-Bahlol, the Fort and Shalamar Garden, the monument of Makli, Fort Rohtas, and the ancient ruins of Taxila.
16. Karakoram Highway in Pakistan is the world’s highest paved international road.
The 800 miles long highest paved international road, the Karakoram Highway, connects Pakistan to western China. It reaches a maximum height of 15,300 feet. The road starts from Abbottabad in Pakistan to Kashgar in China. The highest point lies at the Khunjerab pass at 4800 meters. The road is accompanied by incredible views.
17. The ATM belonging to the National Bank of Pakistan sits at the world’s highest elevation.
The National Bank of Pakistan has its highest ATM at Khunjerab pass. It was established in 2016.
18. Pakistan is the 5th most populous country in the world.
Pakistan is the 5th most populous country in the world having a population of 220.1 million as reported on ‘World Population Day’ in July 2020.
19. Pakistan is home to the world’s 3rd longest glacier.
The Biafo Glacier is the world’s third longest glacier situated in Pakistan. It has a length of 67 kilometers.
20. Pakistan has the 6th largest armed force in the world.
Pakistan has the 6th largest armed force in the world. The top being India, China, United States, North Korea, and Russia. Pakistan is also among the best countries to have trained Air Force pilots in the world.
21. Shah Faisal Mosque can hold the most worshippers.
Shah Faisal Mosque situated at the base of Margalla hills can hold almost 100,000 worshippers in its triangular hall and around 250,000 worshippers in the total area.
22. Pakistan is home to the oldest civilizations in the world.
The Indus Valley Civilization and Mohenjo-Daro are the oldest civilizations situated in Pakistan. The Indus Valley Civilization blossoms around the river Indus has traces in the form of constructions, relics, and fossils which are preserved in museums around the world.
23. Tharparkar Desert is the world’s only fertile desert located in Pakistan.
The Southern province of Pakistan has the world’s only fertile desert that is Tharparkar. It stretches till the Southeastern part of Punjab.
24. There are over 74 observed languages in Pakistan.
Urdu is the official language of Pakistan and surprisingly only a very small number consider it as a mother tongue. There are other local dialects of different provinces that are more common than the official language, making Pakistan a multi-ethnic region.
25. Pakistan has the world’s largest irrigation system.
Being an agricultural country, Pakistan’s agriculture depends largely on irrigation. The irrigation system is the world’s largest and provides water to around 18 million hectares of land.
26. Islamabad is ranked as the second most beautiful capital in the world.
The capital of Pakistan, Islamabad is the second most beautiful capital globally. The first ranking has been secured by London.
27. The world’s first PC virus was invented by a Pakistani.
The first computer virus ‘Brain’ was created by two brothers Amjad Farooq Alvi and Basit Farooq Alvi.
28. Pakistan is the world’s first Islamic country to have Nuclear Power.
Pakistan is the first Muslim majority country to construct and operate nuclear power plants. Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission is responsible for its operation.
29. Pakistan has a rare species of ‘Blind Dolphin’ in the Indus river.
A rare species of Blind Dolphin is found in the Indus river. It is the second most endangered dolphin species in the world.
30. Pakistan has the youngest civil judge in the world.
Pakistan made a record when Mohammed Ilyas passed an exam at the age of 20 years and became the youngest civil judge in the world.
Note from Author
We hope you have enjoyed reading these interesting facts about the beautiful nation, Pakistan. We have shared 30 interesting and not-so-famous facts about Pakistan, if you have something in mind that could be added to the list, please tell us in the comments section.
