Whole world in a single country

The landscape of Pakistan ranges from lofty mountains in the north, the Karakoram and the Himalayas, through dissected plateaus to the rich alluvial plains of the Punjab. It follows desolate barrenness of Balochistan and the hot dry deserts of Sindh blending into miles and miles of golden beaches of Mekran coast.

Pakistan remains a land of high adventure and nature, trekking, mountaineering, white water rafting, wild boar hunting, mountain and desert jeep safaris, camel and yak safaris, trout fishing and bird watching are just a few activities, which entice the adventure and nature lovers to Pakistan

Pakistan is endowed with a rich and varied flora and fauna. High Himalayas, Karakoram and the Hindukush ranges with their alpine meadows and permanent snow line, coniferous forests down the sub-mountain scrub, the vast Indus plain merging into the great desert, the coast line and wetlands, all offer a remarkably rich variety of vegetation and associated wildlife including avifauna, both endemic and migratory.

Ten of 18 mammalian orders are represented in Pakistan with species ranging from the world's smallest surviving mammals, the Mediterranean Pigmy Shrew, to the largest mammal ever known; the blue whale.

Pakistan is subdivided into four provinces, one federal capital territory, and a group of federally-administered tribal areas. The four large provinces are what make up the majority of Pakistan which includes Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh.

The Islamabad Capital Territory is home to the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. In addition, there is a Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and the Gilgit-Baltistan.

Tourism is a growing industry in Pakistan, based on its diverse cultures, peoples and landscapes. With more and more foreign investment and funding, Pakistan was able to build its major road and air networks to cater mass movements of cargo and inter-city travel. Roads are being developed by several consultants from the Northern Areas all the way down to the Port of Karachi.

Ancient civilization ruins such as Mohenjo-daro, Harappa and Taxila, to the Himalayan hill stations attract those interested in field and winter sports.

Pakistan is home to several mountain peaks over 7000m, which attracts adventurers and mountaineers from around the world, especially K2. The Northern parts of Pakistan have many old fortresses, towers and other architecture as well as the Hunza and Chitral valleys, the latter being home to the small pre-Islamic Animist Kalasha community who claim descent from the army of Alexander the Great. Punjab is the site of Alexander's battle on the Jhelum River and the historic city Lahore, Pakistan's cultural capital with many examples of Mughal architecture such as the Badshahi Masjid, Shalimar Gardens, Tomb of Jahangir and the Lahore Fort.

Nowhere in the world there is such a great concentration of high mountains, peaks, glaciers and passes except Pakistan. Of the 14 over 8000 peaks on earth, 4 occupy an amphitheater at the head of Baltoro glacier in the Karakoram range. These are: K-2 (8611 m, world second highest), Broad Peak (8047m), Gasherbrum I (8068m) and Gasherbrum II (8035m). There is yet another which is equally great, that is, Nanga Parbat (8126m) at the western most end of the Himalayas.

In addition to that, there are 68 peaks over 7000 m and hundreds which are over 6000 m. The Northern Pakistan has some of the longest glaciers outside Polar region; Siachen (72 km), Hispar (61 km.), Biafo (60 km.), Baltoro (60 km.), Batura (64 km.), Yenguta (35 km.), Chiantar (34 km.), Trich (29 km.) and Atrak (28 km.). The lower Himalayan valleys of Swat, Kaghan and Chitral in the Hindukush range equally share the beauty and diverse culture of the Northern Pakistan.

Diverse Culture

The cultural patterns in this region are as interesting as its topography. Pakistani society is largely multilingual and predominantly Muslim, with high regard for traditional family values, although urban families have grown into a nuclear family system. Pakistanis pride themselves on their tradition of hospitality to guests. Just a greeting of Salam Alaykum will get you far in endearing yourself to people.

The people with typical cuisines, costumes, folk dances, music and sports like polo and buzkashi provide the traveler an unforgettable experience.

Pakistan has a rich and unique culture that has preserved established traditions throughout history. Many cultural practices, foods, monuments, and shrines were inherited from the rule of Muslim Mughal and Afghan emperors including the national dress of Shalwar Qameez. Modern Pakistanis are a blend of their Harappan, Indo-Aryan, Indo-Iranian, Saka, Parthian, Kushan, White Hun, Afghan, Arab, Turkic, and Mughal heritage. Waves of invaders and migrants settled down in Pakistan through out the centuries, influencing the locals and being absorbed among them. Thus the region encompassed by modern-day Pakistan is home to the oldest Asian civlization (and one of the oldest in the world after Mesopotamia and Egypt), Indus Valley Civilization (2500 BC - 1500 BC).

The modern state of Pakistan encompasses the region that has an extensive history that overlaps with the histories of Ancient India, Iran and Afghanistan. The region was a crossroads of historic trade routes, including the Silk Road, and was settled over thousands of years by many groups; therefore, the region is often referred to as "a museum of races." Historian and geographer de Blij Muller characterized the historical embodiment of the land when he said, "If Egypt is the gift of the Nile, then Pakistan is the gift of the Indus." The earliest evidence of humans are pebble tools from the Soan Culture in the province of Punjab, dated from 100,000 to 500,000 years ago.

The Indus region was the site of several ancient cultures including Mehrgarh, one of the world's earliest known towns, and the Indus Valley Civilization at Harrappa and Mohenjo-Daro.

Pakistan's lingual and cultural diversity is strength of the people's Government that makes Pakistan a true Federation. The Government does not wish to brand a particular cultural expression as being Pakistani culture in exclusion to others that are different. Everything cultural being expressed by any province, city or village is entitled to be called as Pakistani culture in addition to their own name, e.g., Balochi, Kashmiri, Hunza, Chitrali, Gilgit, Balti, Punjabi, Pakhtun, Hazara, Seraiki, Thari, Sindhi, Makrani even Lahori, Potohari, Mirpuri and a number of others.

The first popularly elected prime Minister of Pakistan, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, requested the internationally renowned revolutionary poet, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, to establish a National Council of Arts to promote cultural activity. The Government has again brought an artist at the helm of the Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA). It has strongly asserted the inalienable right of the people of Pakistan to their cultural expression and provided facilities and arranged programs to reflect the diversity of Pakistani culture. Major projects have been designed to pro-actively promote the Pakistani culture during the next five years. It is for the first time that the development of the country's culture has been included in the Five Years Plan as an important component of the development strategy.

The PNCA and Institute of National Heritage have been regularly organizing festivals and exhibitions in which artisans from all over the country exhibit their works of art. Pakistan Television and Radio Pakistan have also been projecting the culture of different regions of Pakistan. The Government has also sent a number of local artists to other countries as pert of cultural exchange programs under a policy of participating in international cultural events. Two feature films, Khuda Kay Laye and Ram Chand Pakistani, were sent to a number of countries around the world, and they have won laurels in the film festivals across the globe.

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