Karachi کراچی |
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Metropolis | |||
Clockwise from top: The tomb of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Frere Hall, a view of I. I. Chundrigar Road, the Karachi Port Trust Building, the Mohatta Palace, Port of Karachi
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Nickname(s): City of the Quaid, Paris of Asia, The City of Lights, Bride of the Cities | |||
Location in Pakistan | |||
Coordinates: 24°51′36″N 67°0′36″E / 24.86000°N 67.01000°ECoordinates: 24°51′36″N 67°0′36″E / 24.86000°N 67.01000°E | |||
Country | Pakistan | ||
Province | Sindh | ||
Metropolitan Corporation | 2011 | ||
City Council | City Complex, Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town | ||
Districts | |||
Government | |||
• Type | Metropolitan City | ||
• Mayor of Karachi | Waseem Akhtar | ||
• Deputy Mayor of Karachi | Arshad Vohra | ||
Area | |||
• Total | 3,780 km2 (1,460 sq mi) | ||
Elevation | 8 m (26 ft) | ||
Population (2016) | |||
• Total | 27,506,000 | ||
• Rank | 1 (Pakistan) | ||
Demonym(s) | Karachiite | ||
Time zone | PKT (UTC+05:00) | ||
Postal codes | 74XXX – 75XXX | ||
Dialing code | +9221-XXXX XXXX | ||
HDI | 0.69 | ||
HDI Category | Medium | ||
Website | www |
Karachi (Urdu: کراچی; ALA-LC: Karācī, IPA: [kəˈraːˌtʃi]; Sindhi: ڪراچي) is the capital of the Pakistani province of Sindh. It is the most populous city in Pakistan,fourth most populous city proper in the world and the 6th most populous metropolitan city in the world. Ranked as a beta world city, the city is Pakistan's premier industrial and financial centre. Karachi is also Pakistan's most cosmopolitan city. Situated on the Arabian Sea, Karachi serves as a transport hub, and is home to two of Pakistan's two largest seaports, the Port of Karachi and Port Bin Qasim, as well as the busiest airport in Pakistan.
Though the Karachi region has been inhabited for millennia, the city was founded as a fortified village named Kolachi in 1729. The settlement drastically increased in importance with the arrival of British colonialists, who not only embarked on major works to transform the city into a major seaport, but also connected it with their extensive railway network. By the time of the Partition of British India, the city was the largest in Sindh with an estimated population of 400,000. Following the independence of Pakistan, the city's population increased dramatically with the arrival of hundreds of thousands of Muslim refugees from India. The city experienced rapid economic growth following independence, attracting migrants from throughout Pakistan and South Asia.