City (pop., 1998: 9,269,265), Pakistan.
Located in southern Pakistan on the Arabian Sea northwest of the mouth of the Indus River , it was a small fishing village when traders arrived in the early 18th century. It was captured by the British in 1839 and was a major port of the British Empire by 1914. The provincial capital of Sind from 1936, it was also the first capital of independent Pakistan (1947–59). It is Pakistan's principal seaport and a major industrial and commercial centre, and it is one of the world's most populous cities. It is the seat of the University of Karachi and the terminus of Pakistan's railway system.