Pakistan emerged on the world map as an independent sovereign state in August 1947, as a result of the division of the British Indian Empire. With a land area of 796,095 sq. km., its population stands at nearly 172.80 million. Historically, this is one of the most ancient lands known to man.

The region traces its history back to at least 2,500 years before Christ, when a highly developed civilization flourished in the Indus Valley. Excavations at Harappa, Mohenjodaro and Kot Diji have brought to light evidence of an advanced civilization.

From 10th century A.D. onwards, a systematic conquest of Indo-Pakistan by the Muslims from Central Asia began and lasted up to 18th century A.D., when the British colonized the Sub-continent and ruled for nearly 200 years.

After seven years of struggle, under the leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Pakistan emerged as a sovereign state on August 14, 1947.

People and Languages: Predominantly Muslims, the people of Pakistan are culturally homogeneous. Other religious groups include Christians, Buddhists, Hindus and Parsees. While Urdu, the national language, is spoken throughout Pakistan, English is extensively used in official and commercial circles.

Geography: Pakistan has a total area of 803,940 square kilometers, slightly greater than France and the United Kingdom put together. It is located in South Asia, bordered by the Arabian Sea to the south, India to the east, Iran to the west, Afghanistan to the northwest, and China to the northeast.

The northern and western areas are mountainous, containing some of the highest peaks in the world including K-2, the second tallest. Most of Punjab and parts of Sindh are fertile plains where agriculture is of great importance.

Religion: Pakistan is important for many world religions. The Indus Valley gave rise to one of the first great civilizations. Mahayana Buddhism developed here as did the Sikh religion under Guru Nanak. Muslims make up over 98% of the population.

Art & Culture: Pakistan has a rich tradition of arts and crafts spanning thousands of years. Pakistani craftsmen are well reputed in producing quality products in clay, stone, fabrics, carpets, wood, metal, jewelry and leather.

India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: Bhārat Gaṇarājya), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area and the second-most populous country.

Modern humans arrived on the Indian subcontinent from Africa no later than 55,000 years ago. Settled life emerged on the subcontinent in the western margins of the Indus river basin 9,000 years ago, evolving gradually into the Indus Valley Civilisation.

By 400 BCE, stratification and exclusion by caste had emerged within Hinduism, and Buddhism and Jainism had arisen, proclaiming social orders unlinked to heredity. Early political consolidations gave rise to the Maurya and Gupta Empires.

The Mughal Empire, in 1526, ushered in two centuries of relative peace, leaving a legacy of luminous architecture. Gradually expanding rule of the British East India Company followed, turning India into a colonial economy.

In 1947 the British Indian Empire was partitioned into two independent dominions — a Hindu-majority Dominion of India and a Muslim-majority Dominion of Pakistan.

India has been a federal republic since 1950, governed through a democratic parliamentary system. It is a pluralistic, multilingual and multi-ethnic society. India's population grew from 361 million in 1951 to almost 1.4 billion in 2022.

Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most-populous country in the world, with a population of around 169 million people.

Bangladesh forms the sovereign part of the historic and ethnolinguistic region of Bengal, which was divided during the Partition of India in 1947. The country has a Bengali Muslim majority.

The Muslim conquest of Bengal began in 1204 when Bakhtiar Khalji overran northern Bengal. The region was eventually unified into an independent Bengal Sultanate. Under Mughal rule, eastern Bengal continued to prosper.

In 1947, East Bengal became the most populous province in the Dominion of Pakistan. The country achieved independence as Bangladesh following the Liberation War in 1971.

Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Malaysia.

Malaysia has its origins in the Malay kingdoms, which, from the 18th century on, became subject to the British Empire. Following World War II, it was restructured, achieving independence on 31 August 1957.

The country is multiethnic and multicultural, which has a significant effect on its politics. About half the population is ethnically Malay, with minorities of Chinese, Indians, and indigenous peoples.

This section covers housing programs and policies from other countries and regions across the globe. ACASH continues to expand its research and documentation to include housing finance systems, affordable housing initiatives, and policy frameworks from emerging and developed economies worldwide.

Additional country profiles and program analyses are added on an ongoing basis.