The state of Jammu and Kashmir having an area of 84,471 square miles lies in the North East of Pakistan and North West of India. Russia, China, and Afghanistan also share its border towards the North. Area-wise, the State of Jammu and Kashmir was the largest state in the sub-continent of Indo-Pak among the 562 princely states of the Sub-continent at the time of its division and still claims the same status. Its area is almost equal to the total area of Belgium, Denmark, Holland, Austria, and Albania, all put together, although it is slightly smaller than Great Britain.
The Muslims of Azad Jammu and Kashmir started a liberation against India in 1947. As a result of this war, the Government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir was established on 24 October 1947, in the liberated area which is about 5,000 square miles out of the total area of 84,471 square miles. An area of 28,000 square miles was also liberated by Gilgit Scouts and now it forms Northern Areas (Gilgit-Baltistan) which is being administered by the Federal Government of Pakistan.