Map of Pakistan
Pakistan is a country in Asia with its capital at Islamabad, home to about 255.22 million people across 881,913 km². The interactive map below plots 41 cities and towns, 6 rivers, 1 lakes, 9 mountain summits, 3 major dams and 3 ports recorded for Pakistan in YearMaps.
- Population
- 255.22 million
- Area
- 881,913 km²
- Capital
- Islamabad
- Continent
- Asia
Interactive Map of Pakistan
Centred on Islamabad at 33.7019° N, 73.1647° E. Use the layer panel to switch on rivers, dams, ports, peaks and historical borders.
About Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the second-largest Muslim population in the world as of 2023. Islamabad is the nation's capital, while Karachi is its largest city and financial centre. Pakistan is the 33rd-largest country by area. Bounded by the Arabian Sea on the south, the Gulf of Oman on the southwest, and the Sir Creek on the southeast, it shares land borders with India to the east; Afghanistan to the west; Iran to the southwest; and China to the northeast. It shares a maritime border with Oman in the Gulf of Oman, and is separated from Tajikistan in the northwest by Afghanistan's narrow Wakhan Corridor.
Pakistan is the site of several ancient cultures, including the 8,500-year-old Neolithic site of Mehrgarh in Balochistan, the Indus Valley Civilisation of the Bronze Age, and the ancient Gandhara civilisation. The regions that compose the modern state of Pakistan were the realm of multiple empires and dynasties, including the Achaemenid, the Maurya, the Kushan, the Gupta; the Umayyad Caliphate in its southern regions, the Hindu Shahis, the Ghaznavids, the Delhi Sultanate, the Samma, the Shah Miris, the Mughals, and finally, the British Raj from 1858 to 1947.
Spurred by the Pakistan Movement, which sought a homeland for the Muslims of British India, and election victories in 1946 by the All-India Muslim League, Pakistan gained independence in 1947 after the partition of British India, which awarded separate statehood to its Muslim-majority regions and was accompanied by an unparalleled mass migration and loss of life. Initially a dominion of the British Commonwealth, Pakistan adopted a republican constitution in 1956 and became an Islamic republic with two geographically separate provinces, East Pakistan and West Pakistan. East Pakistan seceded as the new country of Bangladesh in 1971 after a nine-month-long civil war. In the following four decades, Pakistan has been ruled by governments that alternated between civilian and military, democratic and authoritarian, relatively secular and Islamist.
Pakistan is considered a middle power and is a declared nuclear-weapon state, with the world's seventh-largest standing armed forces. The Pakistani economy is ranked amongst the world's emerging and growth-leading economies, with a large and rapidly growing middle class.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Pakistan (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Geography and Climate of Pakistan
The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world and dating back at least 5,000 years, spread over much of modern-day Pakistan. During the second millennium B.C., remnants of this culture fused with the migrating Indo-Aryan peoples. The area underwent successive invasions in subsequent centuries from the Persians, Greeks, Scythians, Arabs (who brought Islam), Afghans, and Turks. The Mughal Empire flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries; the British came to dominate the region in the 18th century. The partition in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of Pakistan (with West and East sections) and largely Hindu India created lasting tension between the two countries. They have fought two wars and a limited conflict -- in 1947-48, 1965, and 1999 respectively -- over the Kashmir territory, a dispute that continues to this day. A third war in 1971 -- in which India assisted an indigenous movement reacting to Bengali marginalization in Pakistani politics -- resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. In response to Indian nuclear weapons testing, Pakistan conducted its own tests in 1998. Pakistan has been engaged in a decades-long armed conflict with militant groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant networks that target government institutions and civilians.
- Location
- Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north.
- Climate
- Mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north.
- Terrain
- Divided into three major geographic areas: the northern highlands, the Indus River plain in the center and east, and the Balochistan Plateau in the south and west.
- Highest point
- K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611 m.
- Lowest point
- Arabian Sea 0 m.
- Coastline
- 1,046 km.
- Land borders
- Total: 7,257 km; border countries: Afghanistan 2,670 km; China 438 km; India 3,190 km; Iran 959 km.
- Major rivers
- Indus river mouth (shared with China [s] and India) - 3,610 km; Sutlej river mouth (shared with China [s] and India) - 1,372 km; Chenab river mouth (shared with India [s]) - 1,086 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth.
- Natural resources
- Arable land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum, poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone.
- Land use
- Agricultural land: 46.7% (2023 est.); arable land: 39.3% (2023 est.); permanent crops: 1% (2023 est.); permanent pasture: 6.5% (2023 est.); forest: 4.1% (2023 est.); other: 49.2% (2023 est.)
- Natural hazards
- Frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August)
- Geographic note
- Controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion routes between Central Asia and India.
- Languages
- Punjabi 38.8%, Pashto (alternate name, Pashtu) 18.2%, Sindhi 14.6%, Saraiki (a Punjabi variant) 12.2%, Urdu 7.1%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2.4%, Brahui 1.2%, other 2.4%.
- Religions
- Muslim 96.4%, Hindu 1.6%, Christian 1.4%; less than 1%: scheduled castes, Qadiani/Ahmadi, other, Sikh. (2020 est.)
- Ethnic groups
- Punjabi 44.7%, Pashtun (Pathan) 15.4%, Sindhi 14.1%, Saraiki 8.4%, Muhajirs 7.6%, Baloch 3.6%, other 6.3%.
- Economy
- Lower middle-income South Asian economy; extremely high debt; endemic corruption; regional disputes with India and Afghanistan hinder investment; falling inflation, IMF relief programs, and strong agricultural output slowly contributing to economic recovery.
From the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived edition of 2026-01-22. The Factbook is no longer updated, so figures reflect that edition.
Pakistan in Numbers
- Population
- 255.22 million
- GDP
- US$407.3 billion
- GDP per person
- US$1,596
- Life expectancy
- 67.8 years
- Population growth
- 1.56% a year
- Population density
- 326 per km²
- Urban population
- 39.5%
- Surface area
- 796,100 km²
- Forest cover
- 4.1%
- Arable land
- 39.8%
- Access to electricity
- 95.7%
- Internet users
- 57.3%
Indicators from World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). The year under each figure is its reference year.
Pakistan in Depth
History
Some of the earliest ancient human civilisations in South Asia originated from areas encompassing present-day Pakistan. The earliest known stone tools in the region, dating to the Lower Palaeolithic (~2 million years ago), were discovered in the Soan Valley of northern Pakistan. The Indus plain region, which covers most of the present-day Pakistan, was the site of several successive ancient cultures including the Neolithic (7000–4300 BCE) site of Mehrgarh, and the 5,000-year history of urban life in South Asia to the various sites of the Indus Valley Civilisation, including Mohenjo-daro and Harappa.
Following the decline of the Indus Valley Civilisation, semi-nomadic Indo-European Aryans migrated into the Indian subcontinent around 2000 BCE, perhaps by way of the Khyber Pass.
Geography
Pakistan's diverse geography and climate host a wide array of wildlife. Covering 881,913 km2 (340,509 sq mi), Pakistan ranks as the 33rd-largest nation by total area, but this varies based on Kashmir's disputed status. Pakistan boasts a 1,046 km (650 mi) coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman, and shares land borders totalling 6,774 km (4,209 mi), including 2,430 km (1,510 mi) with Afghanistan, 523 km (325 mi) with China, 2,912 km (1,809 mi) with India, and 909 km (565 mi) with Iran. It has a maritime border with Oman and is separated from Tajikistan via the narrow strip of the Wakhan Corridor. Situated at the crossroads of South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia, Pakistan's location is geopolitically significant.
Economy
Pakistan's economy ranks 27th globally by purchasing power parity (PPP) and 42nd by nominal GDP. Historically, Pakistan was part of the wealthiest region in the first millennium CE, but lost ground to regions like China and Western Europe by the 18th century. Pakistan is a developing country, and part of the Next Eleven, poised to become one of the world's largest economies in the 21st century, alongside the BRIC countries. The semi-industrialised economy is heavily dependent on agriculture, and industrial growth in Pakistan benefits significantly from agricultural expansion. Pakistan's economy has shifted from agriculture to trade and services, with agriculture contributing about one-fifth of GDP and manufacturing one-sixth, while trade and services form the largest share.
Demographics
Since independence due to the partition of India, urbanisation has surged for various reasons. In the south, Karachi stands as the most populous commercial hub along the Indus River. In the east, west, and north, a dense population arc spans cities like Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Gujrat, Jhelum, Sheikhupura, Nowshera, Mardan, and Peshawar.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Pakistan (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Pakistan: Key Facts
| Currency | Pakistani rupee |
|---|---|
| Official languages | English, Urdu |
| Head of state | Asif Ali Zardari |
| Head of government | Shehbaz Sharif |
| Form of government | federal republic, parliamentary republic |
| Calling code | +92 |
| Internet domain | .pk |
| Highest point | K2 |
| Lowest point | Arabian Sea |
| Established | 14 August 1947 |
Facts from Wikidata Q843 (CC0).
History of Pakistan: Empires and States
The atlas records 54 polities whose mapped territory included part of Pakistan, from Indus Valley Civilization in 2300 BCE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here | Extent |
|---|---|---|
| Indus Valley Civilization | 2300–1701 BCE | Most |
| Median Kingdom | 615–551 BCE | A small part |
| Achaemenid Persian Empire | 550–330 BCE | A large part |
| Achaemenid Empire | 550–327 BCE | A large part |
| Nanda Empire | 333–324 BCE | A small part |
| The Macedonian Empire of Alexander | 323–302 BCE | Nearly all |
| The Maurya Empire | 315–226 BCE | Nearly all |
| Greco-Bactrian Kingdom | 170–127 BCE | Most |
| Indo-Greeks | 126 BCE – 13 CE | Most |
| Indo-Scythians | 110 BCE – 90 CE | Most |
| Indo-Parthians | 1–90 CE | Most |
| Kushan Empire | 91–237 CE | Most |
| Eastern Kushans | 238–346 CE | Most |
| The Sasanian Empire | 238–643 CE | A large part |
| Indo-Sasanian Empire | 260–357 CE | A small part |
| Western Satraps | 270–409 CE | A small part |
| The Gupta Empire | 347–489 CE | Most |
| Kidarites | 387–450 CE | A small part |
| White Huns | 451–560 CE | Nearly all |
| Karkota Dynasty | 626–859 CE | A small part |
| Rashidun Caliphate | 644–665 CE | A small part |
| The Umayyad Caliphate | 666–749 CE | A small part |
| The Abbasid Caliphate | 750–874 CE | A small part |
| Sind-Habbari Dynasty | 860–1201 CE | A small part |
| Saffarid Dynasty | 875–899 CE | A large part |
| Samanid Empire | 900–999 CE | A large part |
| Ghaznavid Empire | 980–1187 CE | Most |
| Ghurid Dynasty | 1177–1209 CE | Nearly all |
| Kashmir | 1210–1235 CE | A small part |
| Hamdanid Emirates | 1210–1249 CE | A large part |
| Mamluk Dynasty | 1210–1293 CE | A large part |
| The Delhi Sultanate | 1210–1528 CE | Most |
| Khwarezmid Empire | 1216–1226 CE | A large part |
| The Mongol Empire | 1227–1351 CE | A large part |
| Khalji Dynasty | 1294–1325 CE | A large part |
| Ilkhanate | 1294–1343 CE | A small part |
| Chagatai Khanate | 1294–1351 CE | A small part |
| Tughlaq Dynasty | 1326–1401 CE | Most |
| Sind-Samma Dynasty | 1344–1525 CE | A small part |
| Timurid Empire | 1375–1528 CE | Most |
| Vassalage of Kingdom of Georgia to Timurid Empire | 1395–1406 CE | Most |
| Vassalage of Qara Qoyunlu to Timurid Empire | 1407–1467 CE | A large part |
| Lodi Dynasty | 1453–1528 CE | A small part |
| The Mughal Empire | 1529–1761 CE | Nearly all |
| Sur Empire | 1547–1555 CE | Most |
Also recorded: Afsharid Iran, Durrani Empire, Sikh Confederacy, Sikh Empire, Talpur Dynasty, Emirate of Afghanistan, The British Empire, British Raj, Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
Historical Maps of Pakistan
Pakistan on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Visiting Pakistan
The Islamic Republic of Pakistan (Urdu: پاکستان Pākistān) is a country at the crossroads of Western, Central, South and East Asia. Conceived as a separate homeland for Muslims in South Asia, the country's tourism industry had its heyday during the 1960s thanks to the Hippie Trail. Unfortunately, the country has been in a state of flux since the 1970s, with many countries declaring it unsafe to visit.
Despite this, Pakistan continues to attract tourists due to its unique, diverse cultures and landscapes. The history buff can rejoice at the vast number of ruins from ancient civilisations, such as Mohenjo-daro, Harappa and Taxila; the architecture lover can feast their eyes at Mughal-era architecture; and the adventurous traveller can try their luck at scaling the vast number of mountain peaks, including K2.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Pakistan (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in Pakistan
41 cities recorded. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karachi | 12.13 million | Sind | Admin-1 capital |
| 2 | Lahore | 6.58 million | Punjab | Admin-1 capital |
| 3 | Faisalabad | 2.62 million | Punjab | Populated place |
| 4 | Saidu | 1.86 million | N.W.F.P. | Populated place |
| 5 | Rawalpindi | 1.86 million | Punjab | Populated place |
| 6 | Multan | 1.52 million | Punjab | Populated place |
| 7 | Gujranwala | 1.51 million | Punjab | Populated place |
| 8 | Hyderabad | 1.46 million | Sind | Populated place |
| 9 | Peshawar | 1.30 million | N.W.F.P. | Admin-1 capital |
| 10 | Abbottabad | 1.18 million | N.W.F.P. | Populated place |
| 11 | Islamabad | 780,000 | F.C.T. | National capital |
| 12 | Quetta | 768,000 | Baluchistan | Admin-1 capital |
| 13 | Bannu | 622,419 | N.W.F.P. | Populated place |
| 14 | Bahawalpur | 552,607 | Punjab | Populated place |
| 15 | Sargodha | 542,603 | Punjab | Populated place |
| 16 | Sialkote | 477,396 | Punjab | Populated place |
| 17 | Sukkur | 417,767 | Sind | Populated place |
| 18 | Larkana | 364,033 | Sind | Populated place |
| 19 | Sheikhu Pura | 361,303 | Punjab | Populated place |
| 20 | Mirput Khas | 356,435 | Sind | Populated place |
| 21 | Rahim Yar Khan | 353,203 | Punjab | Populated place |
| 22 | Kohat | 343,027 | N.W.F.P. | Populated place |
| 23 | Jhang | 341,210 | Punjab | Populated place |
| 24 | Gujrat | 301,506 | Punjab | Populated place |
| 25 | Mardan | 300,424 | N.W.F.P. | Populated place |
The other 16 (population, region, role)
- Kasur · 290,643 · Punjab · Populated place
- Dera Ghazi Khan · 236,093 · Punjab · Populated place
- Sahiwal · 235,695 · Punjab · Populated place
- Nawabshah · 229,504 · Sind · Populated place
- Okara · 223,648 · Punjab · Populated place
- Gilgit · 216,760 · Northern Areas · Admin-1 capital
- Chiniot · 201,781 · Punjab · Populated place
- Sadiqabad · 189,876 · Punjab · Populated place
- Turbat · 147,791 · Baluchistan · Populated place
- Dera Ismail Khan · 101,616 · N.W.F.P. · Populated place
- Chaman · 88,568 · Baluchistan · Populated place
- Zhob · 88,356 · Baluchistan · Populated place
- Mansehra · 66,486 · N.W.F.P. · Populated place
- Parachinar · 55,685 · F.A.T.A. · Populated place
- Gwadar · 51,901 · Baluchistan · Populated place
- Kundian · 35,406 · Punjab · Populated place
Highest Mountains in Pakistan
9 mountains recorded. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | K2 | 8,611 m | 28,251 ft | Asia |
| 2 | Nanga Parbat | 8,125 m | 26,657 ft | Asia |
| 3 | Batura Mustagh I | 7,795 m | 25,574 ft | Asia |
| 4 | Tirich Mir | 7,708 m | 25,289 ft | Asia |
| 5 | Nowshak | 7,492 m | 24,580 ft | Asia |
| 6 | Sikaram | 4,755 m | 15,600 ft | Asia |
| 7 | Obasta Tsukai | 3,452 m | 11,325 ft | Asia |
| 8 | Ras Koh | 3,003 m | 9,852 ft | Asia |
| 9 | Khyber Pass | 1,070 m | 3,510 ft | Asia |
Major Dams in Pakistan
3 dams recorded. Ranked by structural height.
| # | Name | Height | River | Capacity | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mangla Dam | 147 m | Jhelum | 1,500 MW | 1967 |
| 2 | Tarbela Dam | 143 m | Indus | 4,888 MW | 1976 |
| 3 | Sukkur Barrage (Lloyd Barrage) | 20 m | Indus | — | 1932 |
Largest Lakes in Pakistan
1 lake recorded. Ranked by mapped surface area. A lake on a border is listed under each country it lies in, with the area of the whole lake.
| # | Name | Surface Area | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tarbela Dam | 404 km² | Reservoir |
Rivers in Pakistan
6 rivers recorded. Listed alphabetically. A river is listed where its mapped reach lies, so long rivers appear under more than one country.
Ports in Pakistan
3 ports recorded. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on.
| # | Name | Channel Depth | Class | Sea | Max Vessel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karachi | 38.4 m | Minor | Arabian Sea & Bay of Bengal | large vessels |
| 2 | Muhamamad Bin Qasim | 34.7 m | Small | Arabian Sea & Bay of Bengal | medium vessels |
| 3 | Gwadar | 31.1 m | Minor | Arabian Sea & Bay of Bengal | medium vessels |
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Pakistan
6 World Heritage Sites recorded. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each.
| # | Name | Inscribed | Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buddhist Ruins of Takht-i-Bahi and Neighbouring City Remains at Sahr-i-Bahlol | 1980 | Cultural | (iv) |
| 2 | Mohenjo-daro | 1980 | Cultural | (ii) (iii) |
| 3 | Taxila | 1980 | Cultural | (iii) (vi) |
| 4 | Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore | 1981 | Cultural | (i) (ii) (iii) |
| 5 | Historical Monuments at Makli, Thatta | 1981 | Cultural | (iii) |
| 6 | Rohtas Fort | 1997 | Cultural | (ii) (iv) |
Mountain Ranges, Deserts and Landforms of Pakistan
18 mountain ranges, deserts and other landforms recorded. Ranked by mapped area. Covers mountain ranges, deserts, plateaus, named glaciers, plains, basins, peninsulas and capes. One that crosses a border is listed under every country it lies in, with the area of the whole feature.
| # | Name | Area | Type | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Asia | 46.28M km² | Continent | Asia |
| 2 | India | 3.27M km² | Pen/cape | Asia |
| 3 | Plateau of Tibet | 3.05M km² | Plateau | Asia |
| 4 | Tarim Basin | 423,249 km² | Basin | Asia |
| 5 | Baluchistan | 394,613 km² | Geoarea | Asia |
| 6 | Thar Desert | 267,074 km² | Desert | Asia |
| 7 | Hindu Kush | 180,675 km² | Range/mtn | Asia |
| 8 | KARAKORAM Range | 112,057 km² | Range/mtn | Asia |
| 9 | Pamirs | 97,312 km² | Range/mtn | Asia |
| 10 | Sulaiman Range | 55,127 km² | Range/mtn | Asia |
States and Provinces of Pakistan
4 first-level divisions with their own map.
Countries Bordering Pakistan
Land and maritime neighbours.
More Maps in Asia
Pakistan: Quick Answers
- What is the capital of Pakistan?
- The capital of Pakistan is Islamabad.
- What is the population of Pakistan?
- Pakistan has a population of about 255.22 million, the #5 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.
- How big is Pakistan?
- Pakistan covers 881,913 km², ranking #35 by area, with about 289 people per square kilometre.
- Which continent is Pakistan in?
- Pakistan is in Asia.
- Which countries border Pakistan?
- Pakistan shares a land or maritime border with China, India, Iran, Afghanistan.
- What is the largest city in Pakistan?
- Karachi is the largest city in Pakistan, with a metropolitan population of about 12.13 million.
- What is the highest mountain in Pakistan?
- The highest summit recorded for Pakistan in YearMaps is K2 at 8,611 m (28,251 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.
- What is the largest lake in Pakistan?
- The largest lake recorded in or bordering Pakistan is Tarbela Dam, at roughly 404 km².
- What is the tallest dam in Pakistan?
- The tallest dam recorded for Pakistan is Mangla Dam at 147 m, on the Jhelum.