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Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the fifth-most populous country in the world, with a population of over 241.5 million as of 2023, and has the second-largest Muslim population globally. Islamabad is the nation’s capital, while Karachi serves as its largest city and financial hub. By area, Pakistan ranks as the 33rd-largest country. It is bounded by the Arabian Sea to the south, the Gulf of Oman to the southwest, and Sir Creek to the southeast. The country shares land borders with India to the east, Afghanistan to the west, Iran to the southwest, and China to the northeast. It also has 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 home to 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 now comprising Pakistan were once part of numerous empires and dynasties, such as the Gandhāra, Achaemenid, Maurya, Kushan, Parthian, Paratarajas, Gupta, the southern regions of the Umayyad Caliphate, the Hindu Shahis, Ghaznavids, Delhi Sultanate, Samma, Shah Miris, Mughals, Durranis, Sikhs, and, most recently, the British Raj from 1858 to 1947.

Pakistan's creation was driven by the Pakistan Movement, which aimed to establish a homeland for Muslims in British India. This effort culminated in 1947 with independence and the Partition of British India, leading to the formation of Pakistan as a separate state for Muslim-majority regions. This event, marked by significant migration and loss of life, saw Pakistan initially established as a Dominion within the British Commonwealth. In 1956, Pakistan drafted its first constitution, officially becoming an Islamic Republic. However, in 1971, East Pakistan seceded to form Bangladesh following a nine-month civil war.

Since independence, Pakistan's political history has been marked by alternating periods of civilian and military rule, democratic and authoritarian governance, and varying degrees of secular and Islamist policies. Despite these challenges, Pakistan is considered a middle-power nation, possessing the world’s sixth-largest standing armed forces and a declared nuclear weapons program. The country is ranked among emerging and growth-leading economies, with a rapidly growing middle class.

Pakistan’s history includes notable achievements in economic and military growth but also periods of political and economic instability. It remains ethnically, linguistically, and geographically diverse, with rich wildlife. However, the country continues to face significant challenges, such as poverty, illiteracy, corruption, and terrorism.

Pakistan is a member of several international organizations, including the United Nations, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Commonwealth of Nations, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, and the Islamic Military Counter-Terrorism Coalition. It has also been designated a major non-NATO ally by the United States.