Gwadar

Gwadar گوادر
Port city
Clockwise from left: Gwadar Beach, Gwadar Port, natural stone's in the city and the view of Gwadar City Gwadar view
Gwadar
Coordinates: 25°07′35″N 62°19′21″E / 25.12639°N 62.32250°E / 25.12639; 62.32250Coordinates: 25°07′35″N 62°19′21″E / 25.12639°N 62.32250°E / 25.12639; 62.32250
Country	Pakistan
Province	Balochistan
District	Gwadar
Area
• Total	12,637 km2 (4,879 sq mi)
Population (1998)
• Estimate (2006)	85,000
Time zone	PST (UTC+5)
Calling code	086
Number of towns	1
Number of Union councils	5
Website	www.gda.gov.pk

Gwadar (Urdu: گوادر‎; Balochi: گُوْادر) pronounced [ɡʷɑːd̪əɾ]) is a port city on the southwestern coast of Balochistan, Pakistan. The city is located on the shores of the Arabian Sea, approximately 700 kilometres to the west of Pakistan's largest city, Karachi. Gwadar is near the border with Iran, and is located to the east of the Persian Gulf and opposite Oman.

Gwadar and its surrounding region were overseas possessions of the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman from 1783 until Pakistan purchased the territory September 8, 1958. Pakistan assumed control of the territory on December 8, 1958, and the territory was later integrated into Balochistan province on July 1, 1977, as Gwadar District.

For most of its history, Gwadar was a small to medium-sized settlement with an economy largely based on artisanal fishing. The strategic value of its location was first recognized in 1954 when it was identified as a suitable site for a deep water port by the United States Geological Survey at the request of Pakistan while the territory was still under Omani rule. The area's potential to be a major deep water port remained untapped under successive Pakistani governments until 2001, when construction on the first phase of Gwadar Port was initiated. The first phase was inaugurated by General Parvez Musharraf in 2007 at a total cost of $248 million. The port remained underutilized after construction for a variety of reasons, including lack of investment, security concerns, and the Government of Pakistan's failure to transfer land as promised to the port operator, Port of Singapore Authority.