Pakistan The full name of Pakistan is the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, which means "Land of the Pure". More than 95% of its population adheres to Islam, making it a multi-ethnic Islamic country. The national language is Urdu. Pakistan is located in the northwest of the South Asian Subcontinent. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the south, India to the east, the People’s Republic of China to the northeast, Afghanistan to the northwest, and Iran to the west. It has a coastline of 980 kilometers. The southern part has a tropical climate, and the rest of the country features a subtropical climate. Its capital is Islamabad, and Karachi, the former capital, is the country’s largest city. Three-fifths of Pakistan’s entire territory consists of mountains and hills. The southern coastal area is mainly desert, while continuous plateau pastures and fertile farmland stretch northward. The country’s highest peak is Qogir Peak (K2), with an elevation of 8,611 meters. Three world-famous major mountain ranges — the Himalayas, Karakoram Mountains and Hindu Kush Mountains — converge in northwestern Pakistan, creating a unique landscape. The Indus River, which originates in China, flows through Pakistan from north to south for a total length of 2,300 kilometers before finally emptying into the Arabian Sea. The capital of Pakistan is Islamabad. Pakistan is a developing country and a member of the World Trade Organization, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Group of 77, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Commonwealth of Nations.