Pakistan: Flag and Facts

About Pakistan

Green, the crescent, and the star are all classic Islamic symbols. The white strip has its own meaning: it represents the country's religious minorities. Jasmine is listed as a national symbol too, alongside the star and crescent.

The Indus Valley civilization, at least 5,000 years old, once covered much of this land. Persians, Greeks, Arabs, Afghans, and Turks all invaded over the centuries, the Mughal Empire thrived in the 16th and 17th centuries, and Britain took control in the 18th. When British India was split in 1947, Pakistan was created with a western and an eastern section. In 1971 the eastern part became Bangladesh. The population now tops 257 million. Karachi has around 17.2 million and Lahore nearly 14 million, while Islamabad, the capital, is much smaller at roughly 1.2 million. The land runs from northern highlands to the Indus plain and the Balochistan Plateau.

Did you know?

• K2, also called Mt. Godwin-Austen, is Pakistan's tallest peak at 8,611 meters.
• Pakistan Day, on 23 March, recalls the Pakistan Resolution of 1940.
• Pakistan covers a bit under two Californias of land.