One of the largest countries in the world, with a population of about 244 million. That is a bit less than Nigeria and a bit more than Brazil. The largest cities are Karachi and Lahore, with 30 million people between the two. The per capita GDP is about $1,600, meaning it is a very poor country, similar to Yemen or Ethiopia. Its main neighbors are India, Iran, and Afghanistan.

Pakistan used to be part of the British Empire along with India and Bangladesh. After World War II, the British decided to grant India independence. India and Pakistan separated into Hindu-majority and Muslim-majority countries. This process was called “partition” and was violent and chaotic. Since partition, Pakistan and India have fought four wars against each other. In addition to this violence, there was a civil war in 1971, and Bangladesh broke off to achieve independence from Pakistan. At the time of partition, Pakistan was more prosperous than India, but that is not the case anymore.

Pakistan is infamous for its blasphemy law, whereby a person accused of blasphemy can be imprisoned or even executed. Over 95% of the country is Muslim, and that is overwhelmingly traditional Sunni Islam. There are some Shi’as and a small group called Ahmadi Muslims, who are largely regarded as heretics by Sunni Muslims and are persecuted. There is a small Hindu minority (2.1%) and an even smaller Christian minority (1.3%). The Christian minority is evenly split between Catholics and Protestants.

The Pakistani economy is always in a precarious state, and millions of Pakistanis have emigrated—especially to the UK, where they form most of the population in numerous neighborhoods and wield substantial political power. Marriage to first cousins is common in Pakistani culture because it helps preserve property in a family, and for Pakistanis living abroad, it helps secure visas for more relatives to move overseas. The Pakistani military is the most important economic actor in the country. The average Pakistani woman will have 3.4 children during her lifetime (this is called Total Fertility Rate or TFR). This high TFR, along with the corrupt economic system, ensures continued emigration to the West for the indefinite future. (By comparison, the TFR of the USA is 1.64 and that of Spain is 1.12. A stable population requires a TFR of 2.1.)

Many Pakistanis are proud of their country but also feel deeply embarrassed at how corrupt and unfruitful it has been. Some Pakistanis will blame colonialism for the sad state of the country, even after 80 years of independence. The only export an average American would know from Pakistan is the Taliban, which was birthed there.