Pakistan, officially known as the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia and a neighbor of India to its West. With a population of 242 million, it has the world's second-largest muslim population and is the fifth-most populous country in the world. It is also the 33rd-largest country in the world by land area with an area of 881,913 square kilometres. Apart from India, it shares borders with Afghanistan to its west, Iran to its South-West, and with China in the North-East in disputed territory controlled by it but claimed by India as part of its Ladakh union territory. It additionally also shares a maritime border with Oman.
It along with India and Bangladesh formed the pre-independence British India and also had a long history of settlement and civilization including the Indus Valley Civilization. The region was invaded by outsiders many times before becoming part of British India in the ninteenth century.
During the British rule, it was sought of as a country for the muslim population of British India in a movement lead by the All-India Muslim League. It gained independence on 14 August 1947, a day before India, gaining statehood for the regions of India which had a muslim majority, also including the exclave of present-day Bangladesh known as East Pakistan.
It has had several conflicts with its neighbour and fellow former part of British India, the Republic of India, mainly over the control of the greater Kashmir region having fought four wars in 1947-49, 1965, 1971 (the Bangaldesh liberation war which resulted in the indepndence of East Pakistan and the formation of Bangladesh ), and 1999 (Kargil War). It also still claims control to the Junagadh territory in Gujarat.
It has the world's 6th largest armed force, is considered amongst the top 10 strongest, and also has nuclear weapons just like its neighbor India.
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