Pakistan

Islamabad serves as the political, cultural and economic heart of Pakistan, positioned in Southern Asia. As the seat of government and often the most populous city, it concentrates the country's main institutions, universities and cultural landmarks. Beyond the capital, major cities include Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad — each a hub of regional culture, economy and history. Islamabad was carved out of the Pothohar Plateau in the 1960s to replace Karachi as capital, designed by Greek firm Doxiadis Associates on a modular grid, and the Faisal Mosque — paid for by Saudi Arabia and completed in 1986 — holds 100,000 worshippers beneath a tent-shaped shell that became the country's most recognisable silhouette.

With a population of approximately 231M, Pakistan is a vibrant society with a rich mix of traditions and communities. The principal languages spoken are Urdu, English, which reflect the country's cultural heritage and open doors to a wide international community. Internationally, Pakistan is reached via the dialling code +92. Hospitality in Pakistan carries the weight of obligation — the Pashtun code of Pashtunwali demands that even a stranger requesting refuge must be protected and fed, a tradition that extends in softened form across most of the country's regional cultures.

Pakistan spans 796,095 km², in the Southern Asia subregion of Asia. Geographically centred around 30.0°N, 70.0°E, the country offers a diverse range of landscapes shaped by its location, climate and geology. Road traffic follows the left-hand rule, in line with surrounding Asia convention.

The official currency is the Pakistani rupee (₨), used for everyday transactions and commerce throughout the country. Pakistan's economy is shaped by its geography, natural resources and trade relationships. Business and daily life operate under UTC+05:00, aligning the country with its regional neighbours.

The emblematic dish of Pakistan is Biryani. Food culture in Pakistan is deeply tied to local identity — shared meals and markets are central to daily life and social gatherings across the country.

Cricket holds a special place in the heart of Pakistan's national identity. Pakistan's 1992 Cricket World Cup victory under Imran Khan, won with a squad that had lost early matches and nearly been eliminated, produced a redemption narrative that Khan later translated directly into a political career, making cricket and national identity inseparable.

The highest point in Pakistan is K2, rising to 8,611 metres above sea level. The Karakoram range contains five of the world's seventeen peaks above 8,000 metres, including K2, whose near-vertical faces and lethal weather make it statistically more dangerous to summit than Everest — a landscape so extreme it has no permanent human habitation above its base camps.