Pakistan is an Islamic republic located in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and borders Afghanistan, Iran, India, and China. Pakistan gained independence from Britain in 1947 under the leadership of Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The national flag features a dark green field with a white crescent moon and five-pointed star in the center, representing Islam and progress. Urdu is the national language, though English is also widely spoken. Major cities include the capital Islamabad and the largest city Karachi. The national animal is the markhor and national sport was field hockey but is now cricket.