Neighbours

Borders and Neighbouring Countries

Pakistan shares land borders with four countries and a coastline with the Arabian Sea.

Pakistan’s position on the map — between South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East — is the reason geography matters so much in its politics. The country sits at the crossroads of ancient trade routes: the Khyber Pass has carried traders and armies for centuries, and today the Gwadar port on the Balochistan coast is the centrepiece of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. On most printed maps you will also notice the disputed Kashmir region shaded in the north-east; Pakistan’s official maps show Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan as part of the country.

Official Map

The Official Political Map of Pakistan (2020)

The map the Government of Pakistan itself uses — and the one featured on this page.

On 5 August 2020, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a new official political map of the country. It presents Pakistan’s stated position on its territory, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, and it is the map now used in government offices, textbooks and official publications. The image at the top of this guide is that very map, released into the public domain (CC0) via Wikimedia Commons — you are free to view, download and share it. Older maps you find online, especially those drawn by foreign publishers, often show the region differently, which is why students and journalists should always check which map they are looking at before quoting it. When in doubt, the 2020 official map is the reference that matches Pakistan’s own position. For classroom or office use, the map downloads cleanly at high resolution: print it at A3 size and provincial boundaries stay sharp, which is why teachers across Pakistan use this exact file for geography lessons. Because the file is public domain, you may also reuse it in presentations, videos and study notes without asking permission — just keep the Ministry of Foreign Affairs credit line so viewers know it is the official version.

Landscape

Mountains, Rivers and Deserts on the Map

Pakistan’s physical map is as dramatic as its political one — the world’s highest peaks in the north, mighty rivers in the middle, desert in the east.

Five of the world’s fourteen 8,000-metre peaks stand wholly or partly in Pakistan — a fact that surprises many first-time visitors to the map. The great rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej) water the plains of Punjab and Sindh, which is why the east of the country is green farmland while the west fades into the dry Balochistan plateau. When students are asked to mark physical features on an outline map, the Indus, K2 and the Thar Desert are the three answers examiners look for most.

FAQs

Pakistan Map: Frequently Asked Questions

The questions Pakistanis ask most about the map of Pakistan — answered.