CIUDAD DE PUNJAB

Punjab (Urdu & Punjabi: ?????, romanized: Panjab, pronounced [p?n'd?a?b], About
this soundlisten (help�info); lit.? "Five waters") is Pakistan's most populous
province, with an estimated population of 110,012,442 as of 2017.[1] Forming the
bulk of the transnational Punjab region, it is bordered by the Pakistani provinces
of Sindh, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the enclave of Islamabad, and Azad
Kashmir. It also shares borders with the Indian states of Punjab, Rajasthan and
Jammu and Kashmir. The capital is Lahore, a cultural, historical, economic and
cosmopolitan centre of Pakistan where the country's cinema industry, and much of
its fashion industry, are based.[4][5]

Punjab has been inhabited since ancient times. The Indus Valley Civilization,
dating to 2600 BCE, was first discovered at Harappa.[6] Punjab features heavily in
the Hindu epic poem, the Mahabharata, and is home to Taxila, site of what is
considered by many to be the oldest university in the world.[7][8][9][10][11] In
326 BCE, Alexander the Great defeated King Porus at the Battle of the Hydaspes near
Mong, Punjab. The Umayyad empire conquered Punjab in the 8th century CE. In the
subsequent centuries, Punjab was invaded and conquered by the Ghaznavids, Ghurids,
Delhi Sultanate, Mughals, Durranis and the Sikhs. Punjab reached the height of its
splendour during the reign of the Mughal Empire, which for a time ruled from
Lahore. During the 18th century, Nader Shah's invasion of the Mughal Empire caused
Mughal authority in the Punjab to fall apart and it thus fell into chaos. The
Durranis under Ahmad Shah Durrani wrested control of Punjab only to lose it to the
Sikhs after a successful rebellion which allowed Sikh armies to claim Lahore in
1759. The Sikh Empire was ruled by Ranjit Singh with his capital based in Lahore,
until its defeat by the British. Punjab was central to the independence movements
of both India and Pakistan, with Lahore being site of both the Declaration of
Indian Independence, and the resolution calling for the establishment of Pakistan.
The province was formed when the Punjab province of British India was divided along
religious boundaries in 1947 by the Radcliffe Line after Partition.[12]

Punjab is Pakistan's most industrialised province with the industrial sector making
up 24% of the province's gross domestic product.[13] Punjab is known in Pakistan
for its relative prosperity,[14] and has the lowest rate of poverty amongst all
Pakistani provinces.[15][16] A clear divide is present between the northern and
southern portions of the province;[14] with poverty rates in prosperous northern
Punjab amongst the lowest in Pakistan,[17] while some in south Punjab are amongst
the most impoverished.[18] Punjab is also one of South Asia's most urbanised
regions with approximately 40% of people living in urban areas.[19] Its human
development index rankings are high relative to the rest of Pakistan.

The province has been strongly influenced by Sufism, with numerous Sufi shrines
spread across Punjab which attract millions of devotees annually.[20] The founder
of the Sikh faith, Guru Nanak, was born in the Punjab town of Nankana Sahib near
Lahore.[21][22][23] Punjab is also the site of the Katasraj Temple, which features
prominently in Hindu mythology.[24] Several UNESCO World Heritage Sites are located
in Punjab, including the Shalimar Gardens, the Lahore Fort, the archaeological
excavations at Taxila, and the Rohtas Fort.[25]