14 facts you did not know about Pakistan

Millions of people all around Pakistan are making preparations to celebrate Pakistan’s 74^th anniversary of independence. Pakistan, on the 14^th of August, was declared a sovereign state for Muslims and to rejoice on this auspicious occasion, we have compiled a list of 14 mid-blowing facts about our country that you probably are not aware of.

1 – Pakistan’s National Anthem is ranked 1^st

Pakistan’s national anthem, composed by Ahmed Ghulam Ali Chagla in 1949 and written by Hafeez Jhalandhari in 1952, has been ranked as the best national anthem of the world by ‘The Top Tens’.

2 – Pakistan consists of six designated UNESCO world heritage sites

Yes, our beautiful country is home to some of the most ancient heritage sites in the world, six of which are featured as designated UNESCO sites and are listed below:

• The archaeological ruins of Mohenjo-Daro
• The monuments at Makli
• The ancient ruins of Taxila
Advertisement
• Fort Rohtas
• The Buddhist ruins of Takht-i-Bahi and city remain at Sahr-i-Bahlol
• The fort and Shalamar gardens at Lahore

3 – Pakistan produces 40% of all soccer balls in the world

Pakistani produced soccer balls are considered to be top quality due to their production mechanism. As per The Atlantic reports, workers in Pakistan hand-sew the soccer balls in Sialkot, Pakistan, which are then distributed in the global market, accounting for 40% of all soccer balls made throughout the world.

4 – Pakistan has the world’s largest contiguous irrigation system

Agriculture contributed 19.3% to the annual GDP of Pakistan in 2020. It is only fitting to know that our country is home to world’s largest contiguous irrigation system known as Indus Basin Irrigation System (IBIS) which irrigates around 2.5 million acres, and runs over 90,000 km of watercourses.

5 – Karakoram Highway is the highest paved international road

Considered as the highest paved international road, Karakoram Highway (KKH) was constructed in a time span of 20 years owing to its high elevation and difficult conditions. The highway, which was completed in a time span of 20 years, connects two neighbouring countries, Pakistan and China, and is often considered the 8^th wonder of the world.

6 – Pakistan has the largest private ambulance network in the world

Edhi Foundation, founded by philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, is the world’s largest private network ambulance in the world. Featuring in the Guinness Book of World Records, Edhi Foundation has provided aid to relief efforts of Hurricane Katana, victims of Gulf War in 1991, and victims in Iran and Egypt in the 1997 earthquakes. The Edhi Foundation is established in various other countries including UK, Canada. Bangladesh and Japan.

7 –2^nd largest salt mine in the world

The 2^nd largest salt mines in the world, Khewra Salt mines are located in the Punjab province of Pakistan with 325,000 tons of salt per year. Not only is the output over its lifetime projected at 220 million tons, but also the salt stored in the mines is estimated to account for a whopping 6.687 billion tons. The Khewra salt mine is 748 feet deep and was discovered in 326 BC.

08 – 2^nd tallest mountain in the world

Pakistan is well-known for its beautiful nature and features some of the highest mountains in the world. The world’s second-tallest mountain is located in Pakistan featuring various titles, some of which are Dapsang or Chogori, Mount Godwin-Austen and K2. It stands at 8,611 meters and 28,251 feet.

09 – Largest earth-filled dam in the world

The Tarbella Dam project was completed in 1976, after which it has gone through several changes and additions adhering to the increased demand for hydroelectricity around Pakistan. Tarbella Dam is not only the largest earth-filled dam but also the 5^th largest structure in the world by volume.

10 – World’s largest deep sea port in size

Pakistan geological position in Asia makes the country the center of trade. As we plan on working on the CPEC project with China to plan the infrastructure of the Gwader port at the Arabian Sea, Balochistan, the largest natural deep seaport of the world. As things are finalizing, the demand for trade will consistently increase as the port will serve as the main hub for landlocked Asian countries and China.

11 –7^th largest glacier in the world

Pakistan is home to some of the largest glaciers in the world. Baltoro Glacier in Pakistan, the world 7^th largest glacier in the world, is located in the mighty Karakoram Range, leading to the base camp of the humongous K2.

12 –The highest polo ground in the world

The highest polo ground at 3,700 meters is located at Shandur Top in Pakistan, where a local tournament by the name of Shandur Polo Festival is held annually since 1936 between local teams with the addition of folk music and dance to entertain the audience.

13 – One of the world’s earliest and largest civilizations flourished in Pakistan

The Indus Valley civilization, one of the most ancient civilizations in the world, thrived around the Indus River as many of their traces are found through archaeological means such as relics, fossils and constructions. The Indus civilization, from Pakistan, was one of the most widespread prehistoric societies in the world.

14 – Pakistan was the first Islamic country to attain Nuclear power

Pakistan was the first Islamic country to attain Nuclear power in the world. The initiative took place in the era of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto who delegated the program to the chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC). Twenty-three years ago on March 28, 1998, Pakistan announced its triumph over the nuclear project, testing 5 nuclear weapons successfully.