<p>The modern state of Pakistan was carved out of two predominantly-Muslim regions in 1947, in what was then British India. The country became a republic in 1956, but was frequently drawn into regional conflicts such as the Indo-Pakistani War (1971) which led to the independence of Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan). The nation is officially known as the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (اسلامی جمہوریہ پاکستان or Islāmī Jumhūrī-ye Pākistān), and it maintains the seventh largest armed forces in the world. Although militarily supportive of Arab nations in conflicts such as the Arab-Israeli Wars and the Soviet-Afghan Wars, the nation is in fact the largest contributor of military personnel to United Nations-sponsored peacekeeping efforts throughout the world. Pakistan has a very large textile and garment production industry, and is one of the few countries in the world that still produces its own military uniforms. Additionally, Pakistani factories supply combat uniforms to many other nations in Asia and parts of Africa.</p>
