Country · Asia
Pakistan
Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Pakistan is a country in Southern Asia. About 212.2 million people live there, in an area of 881 912 square kilometres. Its capital city is Islamabad.
Picture credit: Abkr123 (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Khoso Saifullah (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Afzaal Shafi (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Tahsin Shah (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Ali Mujtaba (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons
Where is Pakistan?
Pakistan lies in Southern Asia, on the continent of Asia.
It sits in the northern half of the world, roughly 3 340 km from the equator.
Its coastline is about 1 046 km long.
It shares a border with 4 countries: Afghanistan, China, India and Iran.
How big is Pakistan?
Pakistan covers 881 912 square kilometres.
That is about 8.6 times the size of Iceland.
Among the world's countries that makes it the 33rd largest.
If everybody spread out evenly, there would be about 240.6 people on every square kilometre.
That is busier than the world average of roughly 60 people per square kilometre.
Who lives in Pakistan?
About 212.2 million people live in Pakistan.
That is the 5th biggest population in the world.
People here speak English and Urdu.
They pay with the Pakistani rupee (₨).
On average, people born here can expect to live about 61 years.
The land of Pakistan
The land of Pakistan sits on average 900 metres above sea level.
Its coast runs for about 1 046 km. Walking it end to end, at twenty kilometres a day, would take roughly 52 days.
It lies between the tropics and the poles, which is the single biggest reason its weather is the way it is.
What makes Pakistan different?
Dishes the country is known for: Biryani and Nihari.
Websites from here often end in .pk.
Pakistan and the rest of the world
Out of every thousand people alive on Earth, about 28 live in Pakistan.
It takes up about 0.66 % of all the land that countries stand on.
Within Asia the country ranks 8th of 46 by size, and 4th by population.
Pakistan and its neighbours
China, its largest neighbour, is about 11 times bigger.
China has more people: 1.4 billion against 212.2 million.
Nature and animals
Of the animals on this site, 4 live wild in Pakistan: Snow leopard, Leopard gecko, Water buffalo and Indian flying fox. The highest mountain in the country is K2, at 8 611 metres. The longest river in the country is the Indus. The largest lake in the country is Manchar Lake.
Photographs from Wikimedia Commons under free licences — every credit is on the page itself and in the picture credits.
Where this country lands in the record lists
How big is Pakistan compared with the United States?
- The United States is about 11 times as big as Pakistan: 9 372 610 km² against 881 912 km². See both on one map
- Pakistan is about 3.6 times as big as the United Kingdom: 881 912 km² against 242 900 km². See both on one map
Questions children ask
What is the capital of Pakistan?
The capital of Pakistan is Islamabad. It is the city where the country's government works from.
How many people live in Pakistan?
About 212.2 million people live in Pakistan, which makes it the 5th most populated country in the world. (Source: World Bank, 2018.)
Which countries border Pakistan?
Pakistan borders Afghanistan, China, India and Iran — 4 neighbours in total.
How big is Pakistan?
Pakistan covers 881 912 square kilometres, making it the 33rd largest country in the world. That is about 8.6 times the size of Iceland.
What is the highest mountain in Pakistan?
The highest mountain in Pakistan is K2, 8 611 metres above sea level. It is the country's highest point.
What is the longest river in Pakistan?
The longest river in Pakistan is the Indus. The whole river measures about 3 180 kilometres, and part of that course runs through the country.
What is the largest lake in Pakistan?
The largest lake in Pakistan is Manchar Lake. It covers about 250 km².
Which continent is Pakistan in?
Pakistan is in Asia, in the part called Southern Asia.
Where these numbers come from
Borders and outlines: Natural Earth. Names, capitals, areas, languages and currencies: ISO 3166 data (world-countries). Population: World Bank, 2018. Every derived figure on this page (ranks, density, distance from the equator) is calculated from those values.
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