10 places on the atlas covering people, history, language and folklore. Highlights include Chanakya (Kautilya), Mohenjo-daro, Urdu and Qawwali.
| President | Asif Ali Zardari |
|---|---|
| Prime Minister | Shehbaz Sharif |
Office-holders as of July 2026. Governments change, so check Pakistan’s official government website for the latest. Full list of heads of state and government.
A short, well-known selection rather than a ranking. People pinned on the map appear in the cards below.
Tradition links this adviser of the Maurya empire with the ancient university city of Taxila and with the Arthashastra, a treatise on governance and economy.
Born at Umerkot, he expanded the Mughal empire and is remembered for his administration, patronage of the arts and interest in debate among religions.
She spoke out for girls' schooling in Swat, survived an attack in 2012 and in 2014 became the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner.
A master of qawwali, the devotional music of Sufism, whose voice and long improvisations were admired by rock and film musicians worldwide.
He captained Pakistan to the 1992 Cricket World Cup, then moved into politics and served as Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022.
One of the largest cities of the Indus Valley Civilisation, with planned streets, brick houses and a sophisticated drainage system. Its script has still not been deciphered.
The site that gave the Indus Valley Civilisation its other name, the Harappan culture. Excavations uncovered brick-built streets, granaries and standardised weights.
An ancient crossroads city of learning and trade between South and Central Asia, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Buddhist monasteries and stupas.
Urdu, written in a flowing Perso-Arabic script, is the national language of Pakistan and is also widely spoken in India. It has a rich tradition of poetry such as the ghazal.
Sufi devotional singing performed by a group with harmonium, tabla and hand-clapping, building in intensity. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan brought it to a world audience.
This page brings together the people who lead Pakistan today, a short selection of well-known people from Pakistan, and the 10 places pinned for Pakistan on the atlas. Use the buttons at the top to see Pakistan on the map, where you can filter by theme, read a short summary of each pin and follow the link to Wikipedia for the full article. To browse the same themes across the whole world, see the people page, history page, language page and folklore page.
As of July 2026: President: Asif Ali Zardari; Prime Minister: Shehbaz Sharif. Office-holders change, so check the official government site for the latest.
Well-known people connected with Pakistan include Muhammad Ali Jinnah (founder of Pakistan), Allama Muhammad Iqbal (poet-philosopher), Abdus Salam (Nobel-winning physicist), Malala Yousafzai (Nobel Peace Prize laureate) and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (qawwali singer).
People pinned for Pakistan include Chanakya (Kautilya), Emperor Akbar, Malala Yousafzai, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Imran Khan. Open the map to read a short summary of each.
Historical places in Pakistan on the atlas include Mohenjo-daro, Harappa and Taxila. Open the map for photos and links to read more.
Language entries for Pakistan on the atlas include Urdu. Open the map for photos and links to read more.
Folklore and music from Pakistan on the atlas include Qawwali. Open the map for photos and links to read more.
Choose See Pakistan on the map above, or search for Pakistan on the atlas. You can filter by theme, drag the Time travel slider to see who was alive and what was standing in different centuries, and open any pin for a short summary and a link to the full Wikipedia article.