24°51N 67°02E, pop (2000e) 8 345 000. Provincial capital of Sind province, SE Pakistan; on the Arabian Sea coast, NW of the mouths of the Indus; Pakistan's principal seaport; founded, 18th-c; under British rule from 1843; former capital, 194759; airport; railway; university (1951); trade in cotton, grain, skins, wool; chemicals, textiles, plastics, shipbuilding; tomb of Quaid-i-Azam, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan; national museum.
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Karachi كراچى |
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| General Information | |
| Province | Sindh |
| Location | 24°51′36″N, 67°00′36″E |
| Altitude | 8 metres AMSL |
| Area | 3,527 km² |
| Calling code | 021 |
| Time zone | PST (UTC+5) |
| No. of Towns | 18 |
| Population | 9,339,023 1998 |
| Estimate | 11,969,284 2006 |
| density | 3,394 persons/km² |
| Government | |
| City Mayor (Nazim) | Syed Mustafa Kamal |
| No. of Union Councils | 178 |
| Emblem | |
| Website | |
| Karachi Government Website | |
Karachi (Urdu: كراچى, Sindhi: ڪراچي) is the capital of the province of Sindh, and the most populated city in Pakistan, sometimes known as the City of Quaid (شہرِ قائد), after Muhammad Ali Jinnah the founder of Pakistan.
The site of an ancient community of fishing villages, the modern port-city of Karachi was developed by authorities of the British Raj in the 19th century. Karachi has faced major infrastructural and socio-economic challenges, but modern industries and businesses have developed in the city, and the population expanded even after the capital was moved to Islamabad in August 1960.
Karachi is ethnically and religiously a diverse city in the nation. In the 1980s and early 1990s, Karachi witnessed a major influx of refugees from the war in Afghanistan, and increasing political and sectarian violence between the Punjabi and Sindhi communities, and the Mohajirs (descendants of immigrants from India). As of 2006 Karachi has an estimated population of 11.5 million, making it the second largest city in the world.
History
The area of Karachi has been known to the ancient Greeks by many names. 'Morontobara' port (probably the modern Manora Island near the Karachi harbor), from where Alexander's admiral Nearchus sailed for back home; According to the British historian Eliot, parts of city of Karachi and the island of Manora constituted the city of Debal. Karachi quickly turned into a city, making true the famous quote by Napier who is known to have said: Would that I could come again to see you in your grandeur!
In 1857, the First Indian War for Independence broke out in the sub-continent and the 21st Native Infantry stationed in Karachi declared allegiance to revolters, joining their cause on September 10, 1857.
In 1864, the first telegraphic message was sent from India to England when a direct telegraph connection was laid down between Karachi and London. By 1899 Karachi had become the largest wheat exporting port in the East (Feldman 1970:57).
By 1914, Karachi had become the largest grain exporting port of the British Empire. In 1924, an aerodrome was built and Karachi became the main airport of entry into India. In 1936, Sindh was separated from the Bombay Presidency and Karachi was made the capital of the new province. By the time the new country of Pakistan was formed in 1947, Karachi had become a bustling metropolitan city with beautiful classical and colonial European styled buildings lining the city’s thoroughfares.
Karachi was chosen as the capital city of Pakistan and accommodated a huge influx of migrants and refugees to the newly formed country. In 1958, the capital of Pakistan was shifted from Karachi to Rawalpindi and then to Islamabad in 1960.
Karachi continues to be an important financial and industrial center for the country and handles most of the overseas trade of Pakistan and the Central Asian countries. Karachi's population has continued to grow and is estimated to have passed the 12 million mark, although official figures still show a population of around 11.5 million. The current economic boom in Pakistan has also resulted in a new period of resurgence in the economy of Karachi and a lot of new opportunities have opened up in the city. The city government is also undertaking a massive upgrading of the city’s infrastructure, which promises to again put Karachi into the lineup of one of the world’s greatest metropolitan cities.
Geography and climate
Karachi is located in the south of Pakistan, on the coast of the Arabian Sea. The Karachi Harbor is a sheltered bay to the south-west of the city, protected from storms by the Sandspit Beach, theManora Island and the Oyster Rocks.
Located on the coast, Karachi tends to have a relatively mild climate with low levels of average precipitation (approximately 10 inches per annum), the bulk of which occurs during the July-August monsoon season.
| Karachi temperatures | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Avg. high (in °C) | 25 | 26 | 29 | 32 | 34 | 34 | 33 | 31 | 31 | 33 | 31 | 27 |
| Avg. low (in °C) | 13 | 14 | 19 | 23 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 22 | 18 | 14 |
Government
The City of Karachi Municipal Act was promulgated in 1933. The administrative area of Karachi was a second-level subdivision known as Karachi Division, which was subdivided into five districts: Karachi Central, Karachi East, Karachi South, Karachi West and Malir. When the devolution plan was implemented in 2001, this district officially became a City District, with the City District Government of Karachi handling its government. Karachi now has a three-tier federated system, formed by:
The City District Government (CDG) Town Municipal Administrations Union Council AdministrationsThe City-District of Karachi is divided into eighteen towns governed by elected municipal administrations responsible for infrastructure and spatial planning, development facilitation, and municipal services (water, sanitation, solid waste, repairing roads, parks, street lights, and traffic engineering), with some functions being retained by the CDG.
In the local body elections of 2005, Syed Mustafa Kamal was elected City Nazim of Karachi to succeed Naimatullah Khan &
| Baldia Town Bin Qasim Town Gadap Town Gulberg Town Gulshan Town Jamshed Town | Kiamari Town Korangi Town Landhi Town Liaquatabad Town Lyari Town Malir Town | New Karachi Town North Nazimabad Town Orangi Town Saddar Town Shah Faisal Town SITE Town |
Demographics
The population and demographic distribution in Karachi has undergone numerous changes over the past 150 years. Non-governmental and international sources report that Karachi's current population is estimated to be 20 to 25 million — a thirty-seven-fold increase over its population in 1947 (400,000).
Before the partition of British India, Karachi had large communities of Muslims, Hindus, Parsis, Goans, Lebanese, Iranians, and European merchants. After Pakistan was formed, a large number of Muslim migrants from the newly created India settled in Karachi. Muhajirs hailed from a lot of different parts of India and brought with them their local cultures and cuisines, thus further adding to the already diverse mix of people that earlier inhabited Karachi. Currently, these older groups of people and continuing migration from different parts of Pakistan have contributed to a rich and diverse mix of people that inhabit Karachi. Also, the vagaries of mass migration of populations between the two newly independent countries gave rise to ethnic tensions which have surfaced in Karachi from time to time.
A large community of Zoroastrian-Persian Parsis have also lived in Karachi since pre-Independence days. The Parsis of Karachi have played important roles in the history and development of the city serving in key government positions, undertaking large philanthropic projects and conducting business in the city. There is also a large community of Goan Catholic Christians who settled in Karachi during the British era.
Since 1979, due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and continued upheavals in their country, a steady stream of Afghan refugees have also taken up permanent residence in and around Karachi.
Economy
Karachi is the financial capital of Pakistan; Most of Pakistan's public and private banks have their head offices in Karachi.
Besides being the banking and finance capital of the country, Karachi also hosts the offices of almost every major foreign multinational corporation as well as corporations based in Pakistan. It is home to the largest stock exchange in Pakistan: the Karachi Stock Exchange, which was considered by many economists to be one of the prime reasons for Pakistan's 7% GDP growth across 2005. Karachi is also the software outsourcing hub of Pakistan.
Karachi has a huge industrial base, with several large industrial zones located on the fringes of the main city. Karachi has an expo center which hosts many regional and international exhibitions.Toyota and Suzuki Motor Company are located in Karachi. The automobile manufacturing sector is one of the fastest growing industries in Pakistan, and a large vendor industry associated with it is also located principally in Karachi.
The Port of Karachi and nearby Port Qasim are the two main seaports of Pakistan, and Jinnah International Airport is the largest airport in Pakistan.
During the 1960s, Karachi was seen as an economic role model around the developing world, and there was much praise for the way its economy was progressing.
Development
There are many development projects proposed, approved and under construction in Karachi city. Among the projects of note, Emaar Properties is proposing to invest $43bn (£22.8bn) in Karachi to develop Bundal Island, which is a 12,000 acre island just off the coast of Karachi.
Some other mega projects that are proposed or under construction include:
MCB Tower (completed) Port tower complex (proposed} Crescent Bay, Karachi (approved) Karachi Creek Marina (under construction) Dolmen Towers (under construction) I.T Tower (approved) Bundal Island (approved) Buddo Island (approved) Square One Towers (under construction) Sign Tower (approved) Karachi Mass Transit System Enshaa Towers (approved) Karachi FPCCI Tower (proposed) Karachi Waterfront (approved)Culture
Karachi is home to some of Pakistan's important cultural institutions. The Festival is now a well-established feature of the city life of Karachi that is awaited anxiously and attended by more than 3000 citizens of Karachi as well as people from other cities. Karachi has a few museums including the Mohatta Palace museum that regularly has exhibitions as well as the National Museum of Pakistan. The culture of Karachi is characterized by the blending of Middle Eastern, South Asian and Western influences, as well as the status of the city as a major international business centre. Karachi is the provincial capital of Sindh Provincial region.
Education
Karachi has the highest literacy rate in Pakistan along with the most universities and colleges. Most universities of Karachi are considered to be amongst the premier educational institutions of Pakistan with competitive admissions processes.
Sports
Popular sports in Karachi include cricket, hockey, boxing, football and horse racing.
Karachi has a number of sporting clubs such as the Karachi Gymkhana, the Sindh Club, the Karachi Club, the Muslim Gymkhana, the Creek Club and the DHA Club that provide sporting facilities to their members, including tennis, badminton and squash courts, swimming pools, jogging tracks, gymnasiums, billiards and much more.
Sites of interest
General Mazar-e-Quaid (National Mausoleum of Pakistan - Muhammad Ali Jinnah the Tomb of the founder or Founding Father) Koocha-e-Saqafat (National Arts Council) Masjid e Tooba (Largest single-domed mosque in the world) Ibrahim Ismail Chundrigar Road (Karachi's Wall Street) Aga Khan University Hospital Beaches and Waterfront Manora Beach Clifton beach and the Jehangir Kothari Parade Seaview, Clifton beach Hawke's Bay Beach (breeding ground for endangered turtles) Paradise Point (a rock promontory in the sea with a natural arch) Sandspit Beach French Beach Russian Beach Port Fountain Jet (600 ft high pressure water fountain) Zamzama Commercial Area (famous for its designer outlets and cafes) Abdullah Shah Ghazi Mausoleum (Ummayad general and Karachi's patron Sufi saint) Museums Pakistan Air Force Museum Pakistan Maritime Museum National Museum of Pakistan The Mohatta Palace Museum of Karachi and regional history Karachi Expo Centre Colonial Buildings Merewether Tower Frere Hall Khaliq Deena Hall Jehangir Kothari Parade Governor's House St. Patrick's Cathedral Sindh High Court Former Victoria Museum (later used by the Supreme Court) Hindu Gymkhana (now National Academy of Performing Arts) Empress Market Sind Club Islands Clifton Oyster Rocks Manora Island Bundal Island Bhit Shah Amusement Parks Bin Qasim Park (Old Clifton) Safari Park (University Road) Aladdin Park (Rashid Minhas Road) Sindbad Karachi Zoological Gardens (Gandhi Garden) Sea View's Park Aziz Bhatti Park Old Sabzi Mandi Park (University Road) Hill Park Farm Houses Memon Farm House Resorts Dream World Resort Race Course Race Course of University Road Cinema Capri Cinema Nishat Cinema Prince Cinema Lyric Cinema Universe Cineplex (Clifton) Food Hyderabad Colony Burns Road Many other places like Clifton, DHA, Shahrah-e-Faisal, North Nazimabad, Karimabad, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, etc. The government has embarked on the beautification of Karachi's coastline by building a Beach park in Clifton that will eventually be connected to the Jehangir Kothari parade and Bagh Ibn- Qasim.Shopping
Karachi is dotted with many shopping areas, large and small, attracting large crowds of shoppers in the evenings. The Saddar area in downtown Karachi is also home to countless large and small markets dealing from everyday household items to clothing and fabrics to electronics.
Karachi also has a number of large modern shopping malls, among which the Park Towers, The Forum, Millennium Mall and Dolmen Mall are notable.
Karachi has the largest shipping ports in Pakistan at the Port of Karachi and Port Qasim. Plans have been announced for new passenger facilities at Karachi Port. Karachi is linked by rail to the rest of the country by the Pakistan Railways. The Karachi City Station and Karachi Cantonment Station are the city's two major railway stations. The railway system handles a large amount of freight to and from the Karachi port apart from providing passenger services to people travelling up country.
Land ownership
Karachi is located in semi-arid coastal desert area with very limited agriculture land along the two small seasonal rivers, Lyari River and Malir River that pass through the city. Before independence, the area around Karachi had sparse nomadic population and most of the land was state owned. At the time of independence, Karachi was chosen as the first capital of Pakistan and the land area came under tight state control. According to the data prepared by the Master Plan and Environmental Control Unit of the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) in 1988, nearly 400,000 acres (1600 km²) of the 425,529 acres (1722 km²) that make up Karachi's metropolitan area is in some form of public ownership. Government of Sindh owns 137,687 acres (557 km²), KDA 124,676 acres, Karachi Port Trust (KPT) 25,259 acres, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) 24,189 acres, Army Cantonment Board 18,596 acres, Pakistan Steel Mills 19,461 acres, Defense Housing Society 16,567 acres, Port Qasim 12,961 acres, Government of Pakistan 4,051 acres and Pakistan Railways 3,119 acres.
Problems
As one of the most rapidly growing cities in the world, Karachi faces problems that are central to many developing metropolises including overpopulation, overcrowding, traffic, pollution, poverty, terrorism and crime.
Karachi faces a very severe problem of excessive traffic. A number of projects are underway in Karachi to battle these problems, including construction of flyovers and underpasses at various choke points.
Recently Karachi has faced a slew of new problems. While the government promises improvement it is not clear where the money will come from as even though Karachi produces a majority of Pakistan's GDP the majority is siphoned off by the federal government.
However, Karachi has received a notable economic boom in recent years and it should be noticed that since the Pervez Musharraf era the city has been steadily advancing towards improvements in most categories.
City Partnership
Karachi has city partnerships with:
Shanghai, China: Since 1984
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