The name "Pakistan" (IPA: [paːkɪst̪aːn]) means "Land of the Pure" in Sindhi, Urdu and Persian. Pakistan is the sixth most populous country in the world. The modern day Pakistan consists of four major parts called provinces Punjab, Sind, Balochistan and NWFP(north west frontier province). It also governs part of Kashmir which is currently split between Pakistan and India. Modern Pakistan is a country that has Harappan, Indo-Aryan, Persian, Grecian, Saka, Parthian, Kushan, White Hun, Afghan, Arab, Turkic, and Mughal heritage.
Pakistan is home to the oldest Asian civilization (and one of the oldest in the world after Mesopotamia), Indus Valley Civilization (2500 BC - 1500 BC). The region is a crossroad of historic trade routes, including the Silk Road, and was settled over thousands of years by many groups, including Dravidians, Indo-Aryans, Persians, Macedonians, Greeks, Scythians, Parthians Kushans, White Huns, Afghans, Arabs, Turks, and Mongols. The Indus region was the site of several ancient cultures including Mehrgarh, one of the world's earliest known towns, and the Indus Valley Civilization at Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.