20 interesting facts about Pakistan

20 interesting facts about Pakistan

From wild mountains to political firsts, we share the most interesting facts about Pakistan

I recently visited Pakistan for the first time to complete the K2 Base Camp trek. I would be lying if I said I booked my flights without a hint of trepidation. Pakistan has long suffered from bad press, exacerbated by years of political instability. Therefore, there are still areas in Pakistan where travel is not advisable.

However, not once during my visit did I feel in danger or concerned for my safety. I felt more comfortable on the streets in Pakistan than in most South Asian countries – although I should add that this is anecdotal and comes from my experience as a white male.

Pakistan is a beautiful country with magical mountains and a fascinating heritage. For years the country has been off the radar of all but the most hardened travelers, but there are signs that this is changing.

I spent most of my time in Pakistan exploring the wild Karakoram Mountains in the northeast. Along the way I collected countless interesting facts about Pakistan. Here I share the best of them.

Interesting facts about Pakistan

1. Pakistan ist ein mehrheitlich muslimischer Staat. Tatsächlich lautet sein vollständiger Name Islamische Republik Pakistan. (Quelle: BBC News)
2. Pakistan bestand ursprünglich aus zwei Staaten Ost- und Westpakistan, die während der Teilung Indiens am Ende der britischen Herrschaft im Jahr 1947 gegründet wurden. Nach einem Krieg löste sich Ostpakistan schließlich ab und wurde 1971 zu Bangladesch. (Quelle: BBC News)

alt="The partition of India in 1947 brought with it facts of mass migration via Pakistan">Historicair/CC from 3.0The partition of India in 1947 led to mass migration

1. Die Teilung Indiens führte zur größten Massenmigration der Menschheitsgeschichte: rund 10 Millionen Menschen. Bei den damit einhergehenden Unruhen und der weit verbreiteten Gewalt starben bis zu eine Million Zivilisten. (Quelle: BBC History)

2. An independence activist coined the country's name in 1933. Pakistan literally means “land of the spiritually pure and pure”. But it was also conceived as an acronym standing for Punjab, Afghanistan (North-West Frontier Province), Kashmir, Sindh and Balochistan. (Source: Singh, Sarina. (2004) Pakistan & the Karakoram Highway. London: Lonely Planet)

3. Pakistan's capital Islamabad was built in 1960. It is just 14 km from the historic and former capital Rawalpindi. (Source: Britannica.com)

alt=“Mountains make up many of the interesting facts about Pakistan”>Atlas & BootsSome of the most interesting facts about Pakistan can be obtained from its mountains

1. Berge erklären mehrere interessante Fakten über Pakistan. Das Land beherbergt einige der höchsten Gipfel der Welt, darunter den K2, den zweithöchsten Berg der Welt (Spitzname „Savage Mountain“), sowie fünf der Achttausender – die einzigen Berge der Welt über 8.000 m (26.247 Fuß). (Quelle: NASA Earth Observatory)

2. In fact, the Karakoram Range is home to the world's largest collection of high mountains. The average height of the mountains in the Karakoram is about 6,100 m (20,000 ft). (Source: Britannica)

3. Pakistan has had two Nobel Prize winners. Abdus Salam received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1979 and Malala Yousafzai received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014. She was just 17 years old at the time, making her the youngest winner of all time. (Source: Nobel Prize)

alt=“Malala Yousafzai in 2014″>JStone/ShutterstockMalala Yousafzai received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014

1. 1989 wurde Benazir Bhutto die erste Frau, die gewählt wurde, um ein islamisches Land zu führen, als sie Premierministerin von Pakistan wurde. Sie wurde 2007 von den pakistanischen Taliban ermordet. (Quelle: New York Times)

2. The city of Sialkot in Pakistan produces 40% of the world's footballs (soccer balls). Production dates back to 1889, when a British colonial petty officer, unwilling to wait for soccer balls to be delivered by sea, asked a local saddler to repair his punctured ball. Satisfied with the results, he ordered a batch to be made. (Source: The Atlantic)

3. The world's highest ATM is located at the Khunjerab Pass on the Pakistan-China border at an altitude of 4,693 m (15,397 ft). It is designed to withstand temperatures down to -40°C. (Source: The Telegraph)

alt=“Facts about ATMs in Pakistan”>Sulo Letta/ShutterstockThe ATM is located at Khunjerab Pass at 4,693 m (15,397 ft)

1. Die Bergregion Kaschmir, eine mehrheitlich muslimische Region im nördlichsten Teil Indiens, wird sowohl von Pakistan als auch von Indien beansprucht. Der Streit um die Region dauert seit 1947 an und hat zu Jahrzehnten der Gewalt geführt, darunter Kriege in den Jahren 1947, 1965 und 1971. (Quelle: National Geographic)

2. The Indus Valley in modern-day Pakistan and northern India is considered the oldest civilization in the world, predating Egypt and Mesopotamia. In 2016, experts discovered evidence that it could be up to 8,000 years old - 2,500 years older than previously thought. (Source: Nature Journal)

3. In 2018, former international cricket star Imran Khan won election as Prime Minister of Pakistan. Imran Khan won the 1992 Cricket World Cup as captain of Pakistan after defeating England in the final. (Source: The Guardian)

old=““>ShutterstockImran Khan won the 1992 Cricket World Cup

1. Das Indus Basin Irrigation System (IBIS), das sich über die flachen Ebenen des Industals erstreckt, ist das größte zusammenhängende Bewässerungssystem der Welt. (Quelle: Ernährungs- und Landwirtschaftsorganisation der Vereinten Nationen (FAO))

2. Pakistan has the third largest Muslim population in the world and is the second largest Muslim-majority country. (Source: Pew Research Center)

3. Pakistan is one of only nine countries that have nuclear weapons. The other countries that control some form of nuclear weapons are the United States, Russia, Britain, France, China, North Korea, India and Israel. As such, Pakistan is also the only Muslim-majority nuclear country. (Source: The Independent)

alt="The Karakoram Highway is one of the highest paved roads in the world">Pawika Tongtavee/ShutterstockThe Karakoram Highway is one of the highest paved roads in the world

1. Der Karakoram Highway (KKH), auch bekannt als China-Pakistan Friendship Highway, ist der höchste transnationale Highway der Welt, eine der höchsten asphaltierten Straßen der Welt und eine der besten Straßenfahrten der Welt. Die 1.300 km lange Autobahn verbindet China und Pakistan über das Karakorum-Gebirge und ihr Bau dauerte zwei Jahrzehnte und mehr als 1.000 Menschenleben. Sein höchster Punkt liegt auf 4.714 m (15.466 ft) in der Nähe des Khunjerab-Passes. (Quelle: The Guardian)

2. The Kutiah Glacier in Pakistan holds the record for the fastest glacier flood. In 1953, it shot forward more than 12 km in just three months, an average speed of 112 m per day. (Source: National Snow and Ice Data Center)

alt=“A polo player at the Shandur Polo Festival”>UmairHaider/ShutterstockA polo player at the Shandur Polo Festival

1. Pakistan hat den höchsten Poloplatz der Welt. Das Shandur Polo Festival am Shandur Pass veranstaltet das jährliche Turnier zwischen den Distrikten Chitral und Gilgit. Das Turnier begann in den 1930er Jahren, als ein britischer Offizier eine jahrhundertealte sportliche Rivalität formalisierte. (Quelle: Der Wächter)

Main image: UmairHaider/Shutterstock

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