Which Asian country's name means 'pure land' in Persian?

Pakistan is the Asian country whose name means “pure land” in Persian. The name combines pā́k, meaning “pure” or “clean,” with -istān, meaning “place” or “land.” The same Persian suffix appears in names such as Afghanistan and Kazakhstan.

The word Pakistan was coined in the 1930s by Choudhry Rahmat Ali, a Cambridge student and political thinker. He used it in a pamphlet arguing for a separate homeland for Muslims in parts of British India. The name also worked as an acronym built from regional names, including Punjab, Afghania, Kashmir, Sindh and Baluchistan.

Pakistan became independent on August 14, 1947, during the partition of British India. A common mix-up is assuming the name is entirely Arabic because Pakistan is a Muslim-majority country; its literal components are Persian, although the country’s languages and history reflect Arabic, Turkic, South Asian and Persian influences.