25 Interesting Facts about Pakistan

Want to know more about Pakistan? Here are 25 Interesting Facts about Pakistan that you probably didn’t know before reading this!

To make this even more fun, I want to challenge you as well. How many of these Pakistan facts did you know before reading this? Share your result in the comment section!

Pakistan has one of the highest numbers of freelancers in the world

There are some 1.15 million Pakistanis that are so-called freelancers. Many of them are working within Graphic Design, SEO, Social Media, Customer Service, and various IT-related businesses.

Pakistan has one of the fastest-growing freelance markets in the world. A simple explanation for this is because many Pakistanis accept a lower wage than similar freelances in Western Countries despite having the same knowledge.

Many of these freelancers speak relatively good English as well, which gives them a heads up on other developing countries where English skills are more limited.

The Shah Faisal Mosque can hold nearly 100 000 worshippers

Shah Faisal Mosque is a massive mosque in Islamabad that can hold 100,000 worshippers at the same time. It’s one of the largest mosques in the world and opened already in 1986.

Photo: Thomas Kauroff/Shutterstock

It was the first Muslim nation to elect a female prime minister

Benazir Bhutto wrote history in 1988 when she was elected the first female Prime Minister of Pakistan. She was also the first woman to rule a country where the majority of the population is Muslim.

Himalayan salt often has Pakistani origins

Himalayan salt has taken the world by storm in recent years, and nowadays, you’ll find the healthy salt in supermarkets worldwide. Few probably know that most of the Himalayan salt is of Pakistani origins.

Photo: Ivaylo Ivanov/Shutterstock

Pakistan is one of the largest producers of footballs

Football is the most popular sport in the world, and the majority of high-quality footballs are produced in Sialkot, where they are sewn by hand to ensure the highest quality. Famous brands such as Nike and Adidas have factories here.

K2 is the highest mountain in Pakistan

There are 5 mountains over 8000 meters in Pakistan and the tallest mountain is known as K2, which is the second-highest mountain in the world, after Mount Everest. The country is renowned for its beautiful and wild nature.

Photo: Shutterstock

The British ruled Pakistan for 90 years

From 1857 and 90 years forward, the country was under direct British rule before it gained independence from the British Empire. Pakistan became a dominion in 1947 before adopting a constitution in 1956, when it was proclaimed an Islamic Republic.

The Tharparkar desert is the only fertile desert in the world

Deserts are known to be arid and non-fertile lands, but the Tharparkar desert is an exception. It’s the only fertile desert in the world and by size, it ranks as the 7th largest desert in the world.

Photo: SkycopterFilms Archives / Shutterstock.com

It’s one of the world nuclear powers

Pakistan is one of the few nations in the world that has nuclear warheads. In fact, only eight countries in the world are known to have nuclear weapons, even though it’s suspected that Israel also has nuclear warheads, making it nine countries in total.

Karachi is the largest city but it’s not the capital

Karachi is the largest city in Pakistan with a population of 15.7 million residents. However, it’s not the capital despite being the industrial and financial center in the country. The capital of Pakistan is Islamabad.

Photo: ibrar.kunri / Shutterstock.com

The Karakoram Highway is the highest paved international road

The Karakoram Highway connects Pakistan and China after passing through the Karakoram mountain range at 4714 meters, making it the highest paved international road in the world.

There are six UNESCO World heritage sites in Pakistan

The first sites in Pakistan to gain the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site were Archaeological Ruins at Moenjodaro, Buddhist Ruins of Takht-i-Bahi and Neighbouring City Remains at Sahr-i-Bahlol, and Taxila.

In total, there are six World Heritage Sites in the country and many more on the tentative list. Pakistan is rich in history and culture, and the following sites are all impressive and worth visiting.

Archaeological Ruins at Moenjodaro
Taxila
Buddhist Ruins of Takht-i-Bahi and Neighbouring City Remains at Sahr-i-Bahlol
Fort and Shalimar
Gardens Historical Monuments at Makli
Rohtas Fort

Photo: R’s Creative Imagery/Shutterstock

Two Pakistanis have won the Nobel Peace Prize

Malala Yousafzai received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 jointly with the Indian Kailash Satyarthi “for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education”.

Additionally, Abdus Salam received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1979 together with Sheldon Lee Glashow and Steven Weinberg.

The first PC Virus was created by two Pakistani brothers

Basit Farooq Alvi and Amjad Farooq Alvi from Lahore created the first virus for MS-DOS in January 1986. The computer virus has been given the name Brain.

It’s one of the most populated countries in the world

Pakistan is one of the most populated countries in the world with a total of 216 million inhabitants in 2019. It has been growing rapidly for the last couple of decades, just like its neighboring country India.

However, in recent years, the birth rate has reached a somewhat moderate level at 2.5%.

Photo: SAKhanPhotography / Shutterstock.com

5 x Fun Facts about Pakistan

Rambo III was shot in Pakistan
Changa Manga is the largest man-made forest
Field hockey is the national sport of Pakistan
Shandur Top has the highest polo ground in the world (3700 meters)
The national drink of Pakistan is sugarcane juice, locally known as “roh”

Photo: mooinblack / Shutterstock.com

5 x Pakistan Facts for Kids

The literacy rate among Pakistanis has increased by 250% in recent years
Urdu is the official language even though most speak Punjabi
The Markhor is the Pakistani national animal
It’s one of the largest producers of cotton in the world
The traditional Pakistani dress is known as Shalwar Kameez and is worn by some 80% of the population

Photo: Iakov Filimonov/Shutterstock

General Facts about Pakistan

Below are some general information such as total population, land area, biggest lake, highest mountain and other general facts about Pakistan that might be interesting to know.