Though it has yet to realize its economic promise, Pakistan more than makes up for this in military and diplomatic weight. The country is home to a sizable and overwhelmingly young population of over 240 million people, the fifth largest in the world; it boasts a modern and well-funded military, armed with nuclear weapons; and it borders key countries like India, China, Iran, and Afghanistan. The authorities in Islamabad, whether political or military, are also frequently involved in various internal and external conflicts, ranging from the rise, fall, and re-rise of the Taliban to cross-border Baloch separatism and India-Pakistan tensions.