Pakistan

American  

[pak-uh-stan, pah-kuh-stahn] / ˈpæk əˌstæn, ˌpɑ kəˈstɑn /

noun

1. Islamic Republic of, a republic in S Asia, between India and Afghanistan: formerly part of British India; known as West Pakistan from 1947–71 to distinguish it from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). 310,403 sq. mi. (803,881 sq. km). Islamabad.

2. (before 1947) the predominantly Muslim areas of the peninsula of India as distinguished from Hindustan, the predominantly Hindu areas.

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Pakistan British  

/ ˌpɑːkɪˈstɑːn /

noun

1. a republic in S Asia, on the Arabian Sea: the Union of Pakistan, formed in 1947, comprised West and East Pakistan; East Pakistan gained independence as Bangladesh in 1971 and West Pakistan became Pakistan; a member of the Commonwealth from 1947, it withdrew from 1972 until 1989; contains the fertile plains of the Indus valley rising to mountains in the north and west Official language: Urdu. Official religion: Muslim. Currency: rupee. Capital: Islamabad. Pop: 193 238 868 (2013 est). Area: 801 508 sq km (309 463 sq miles)

2. a former republic in S Asia consisting of the provinces of West Pakistan and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), 1500 km (900 miles) apart: formed in 1947 from the predominantly Muslim parts of India

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Pakistan Cultural  

1. Republic in southern Asia, bordered by India to the east, the Arabian Sea (an arm of the Indian Ocean) to the south, Iran to the southwest, and Afghanistan to the west and north.

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Discover More

Pakistan became part of British India in 1857. When India gained its independence in 1947, Muslim leaders demanded a separate Muslim state, and the nation of Pakistan was established. Originally, Pakistan consisted of two regions, West Pakistan (now Pakistan) and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).

In 2001, Pakistan's president allowed the United States to use his country as a base to attack Afghanistan for harboring Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda members.

In 1998, Pakistan successfully conducted tests of nuclear weapons.

Example Sentences

When the U.S. upset Pakistan in the T20 Cricket World Cup in 2024, American interest in the sport surged.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 23, 2026

The mood improved as Qatar and Pakistan announced progress, which aim to address Tehran's nuclear programme and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of oil and gas pass.

From Barron's • Jun. 22, 2026

Also in a joint statement early on Monday, mediators Qatar and Pakistan said that the U.S. and Iran had agreed to “a roadmap towards reaching a final deal within 60 days.”

From MarketWatch • Jun. 22, 2026

Vance spoke to reporters from the Swiss alpine resort of Bürgenstock as he was about to fly back to the U.S. after weekend talks mediated by Qatar and Pakistan ran into Monday.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026

“I haven’t been to a wedding in a while. But when I was in Pakistan, we were dancing around one day to be silly, and my cousin showed us something like this.”

From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan