Pakistan
WordNet
noun
(1) A Muslim republic that occupies the heartland of ancient south Asian civilization in the Indus River valley; formerly part of India; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1947
WiktionaryText
Etymology
From Urdu and Persian "Land of the Pure", from . The word was coined by Choudhary Rahmat Ali, who published it in the pamphlet Now or Never issued on January 28, 1933 as an acronym of the names of the "Muslim homelands" of western India — Punjab, Afghania, Kashmir, Sindh, and Balochistan. An i was later added to the English rendition of the name to ease pronunciation.
Proper noun
- Country in South Asia. Official name: Islamic Republic of Pakistan.