KARACHI

city and capital of Sindh province, southern Pakistan. It is the country's largest city and principal seaport and is a major commercial and industrial centre. Karachi is located on the coast of the Arabian Sea immediately northwest of the Indus River Delta. The city proper covers an area of 228 square miles (591 square kilometres), while the metropolitan area of Greater Karachi spreads out over an area of 560 square miles. The city has been variously called Caranjee, Crochey, Krotchey, Currachee, and Kurrachee. All its names are believed to be derived from the Sindhi name of the original settlement that initially stood on the spotKalachi-Jo-goth (meaning the village of Kalachithe headman of the tribe). The impetus to Karachi's development originally came from its role as the port serving the Indus River Valley and the Punjab region of British India. The development of air travel subsequently increased Kar achi's importance. It is also the port serving the landlocked country of Afghanistan. city and capital of Sindh province, southern Pakistan. Karachi is Pakistan's principal seaport, largest city, and former capital. It is located on the coast of the Arabian Sea immediately northwest of the Indus River delta. The impetus to the city's development originally came from its role as the port serving the Indus River valley and the Punjab region of British India. Today this bustling, crowded city is a major industrial and commercial centre. Karachi's natural harbour is protected from storms by Kiamari Island, Manora Island, and Oyster Rocks. The city is built on a large plain that rises to 120 feet (37 m) from a low-lying coastal strip. The seasonal Malir and Layari rivers run through the city. Karachi's climate is characterized by hot summers (mean maximum temperature in May and June of 93 F ), with occasional enervating temperatures of up to 105 F (41 C), and cool winters (mean minimum in January and February of 56 F ). The average annual rainfall of 8 inches (203 mm) falls mainly during a brief spell in June, July, or August. The basis of the city's prosperity is manufacturing and trade; services and professions, however, employ nearly as many people. Principal industries include the manufacture of textiles, footwear, metal products, paper, furniture, machinery, chemicals, leather, rubber, and electrical goods. Printing and the processing of food and beverages and of petroleum are also important, as are handicrafts and cottage industries that produce handloomed cloth, lace, carpets, and various metal and ceramic goods. Karachi's port handles nearly all the seaborne trade of Pakistan and its landlocked neighbour, Afghanistan. The city is a centre of banking and insurance, and it has a stock exchange. The most striking feature of Karachi's layout is the east-west alignment of the four arterial roads, which begin near Mereweather Tower in the vicinity of the port and run through the centre of the city. The old town lies near the port; unplanned, it is reminiscent of medieval towns of the Middle East and Europe. East of the old town are such districts as the Drigh Cantonment, the Civil Lines (residential areas for senior civil-service officers), and the Saddar Bazar. The outer areas are dominated by dormitory suburbs and planned industrial areas. About half of Karachi's population are migrants (or their offspring) who came to the city after 1947 from India, other cities in Pakistan, or other countries; no ethnic group predominates. Cultural and social activities essentially revolve around religion, which is overwhelmingly Muslim. The Pakistan Arts Council is the primary cultural institution. Ghanshyam Art Centre and the Bulbul Academy promote Pakistani dancing and other activities. Karachi's small museum has archaeological and ethnological collections. The University of Karachi (1951) offers graduate training in a number of fields, and its library is the city's largest. Express roads radiate from Karachi's centre, and a circular railway serves both commuters and local freight traffic. Highways link the city to the interior of Pakistan as well as to Iran and other Middle Eastern countries. Karachi is the terminus of Pakistan's freight and passenger railway system. The port is one of the busiest east of Suez, and the city's airport is a major international traffic centre. Area city, 228 square miles (591 square km). Pop. (1981) 5,208,132. Additional reading Nazir Ahmad, Survey of Shelterless Persons in Karachi 1959 (1959), is a detailed report of the problems faced by the city due to the influx of refugees from India following the establishment of Pakistan. Karachi Development Authority, The Greater Karachi Resettlement Housing Programme (1961), analyzes the housing requirements, activities, and needs in metropolitan Karachi. A.F. Baillie, Kurrachee: Past, Present and Future (1890), gives Karachi's history and its growth in the early years of British rule. R.F. Burton, Scinde; or, the Unhappy Valley, 2 vol. (1851), and Sind Revisited, 2 vol. (1877), are classic surveys of Sind under British rule. The District Census Report of Karachi, 1972, provides official demographic data. H. Feldman, Karachi Through a Hundred Years (1960), written to commemorate the centenary of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, gives details of the role played by the Chamber in the economic development of Karachi from 1860 to 1960. H.T. Lambrick, Sind: A General Introduction, 2nd ed. (1975), includes a discussion of Karachi. Richard F. Nyrop et al., Area Handbook for Pakistan (1975), discusses many aspects of modern Karachi. Karachi Development Authority MP Reports have been written for the preparation of the Master Plan of Karachi and cover all aspects of city development. Gustav Ranis, Industrial Efficiency and Economic Growth: A Case Study of Karachi (1961), is an analysis of economic development; and Imtiazuddin Husain, Mohammed Afzal, and Amjad Ali Bahadur Rizvi, The Social Characteristics of the People of Karachi (1965), a study of the socioeconomic characteristics of the people. Zafar Ahmad Khan History Karachi was a small fishing village when a group of traders moved there in the early 18th century from the decaying port of Kharak Bandar nearby. Besides the natural protection against monsoon storms, Manora Head furnished an excellent site for the defense of the harbour, and the Talpura amirs who gained Karachi from the khan of Kalat in 1795 erected a permanent fort on it. The settlement expanded rapidly, and was already of significance when it was captured in 1839 by the British, who annexed it in 1842, together with the province of Sind. It then became an army headquarters for the British, and also began to develop from a fishing village into the principal port for the Indus River region. In 1843 a river-steamer service was introduced between Karachi and Multan, about 500 miles up the Indus. Port facilities were improved from 1854 onward. In 1861 a railway was built from Karachi to Kotri, 90 miles upstream on the right bank of the Indus, opposite Hyderabad. In 1864 direct telegraph communications were established with London and with the interior. With the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, the importance of Karachi grew, and it became a full-fledged seaport. By 1873 it possessed an efficient and well-managed harbour. Karachi was connected directly with the hinterland when the railway line was extended from Kotri in 1878 to join the Delhi-Punjab railway system at Multan. In 1886, the Karachi Port Trust was established as the port authority, and between 1888 and 1910 the East Wharf186,000 feet in lengthwas constructed. When the Punjab emerged as the granary of India in the 1890s, Karachi became the region's principal outlet. By 1914 it had become the largest grain exporting port of the British Empire. After World War I, manufacturing and service industries were installed. By 1924 an aerodrome had been built, and Karachi became the main airport of entry to India. The city became the provincial capital of Sind in 1936. With the creation of Pakistan in 1947, Karachi not only became the capital and premier port of the new country but also a centre for industry, business, and administration. Although Rawalpindi became the interim capital in 1959, some governmental agencies, including the Public Service Commission, as well as skeleton staffs of various ministries, remained in Karachi, which continued to play a role as a multifunctional city serving the entire country.