LORALAI

town and district in Quetta Division, Balochistan province, Pakistan. The town, the district headquarters, lies just north of the Loralai River, at 4,700 ft (1,430 m) above sea level. It was founded in 1886 and is connected by road with Harnai, Zhob, Pishin, and Dera Ghazi Khan. Loralai district (area 7,364 sq mi [19,073 sq km]), constituted in 1903, consists of a series of long, narrow valleys hemmed in by rugged mountains varying from 3,000 to 10,000 ft. The higher, western ranges form the upper catchment area of the Anambar, or Nari, the principal river of the district. Cattle, sheep, and goat grazing is the main occupation; some cultivation is carried out in the valleys. The chief crops are wheat, millet, rice, corn (maize), and fruit (grapes, apricots, pomegranates, and melons). Pashtun are the predominant ethnic group. Pop. (1981 prelim.) town, 14,000; district, 391,000.