Karachi کراچی |
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Megacity / Metropolitan City | |||
Clockwise from top: The tomb of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Frere Hall, a view of I. I. Chundrigar Road, the British colonial era 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 (عروس البلاد) | |||
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 | Dr. Arshad A. Vohra | ||
Area | |||
• Total | 3,527 km2 (1,362 sq mi) | ||
Elevation | 8 m (26 ft) | ||
Population (2016) | |||
• Total | 24,300,000 | ||
• Rank | 2 | ||
Demonym(s) | Karachiite | ||
Time zone | PKT (UTC+05:00) | ||
Postal codes | 74XXX – 75XXX | ||
Dialing code | +9221-XXXX XXXX | ||
Website | www |
Karachi (Urdu: کراچی; Sindhi: ڪراچي; ALA-LC: Karācī, IPA: [kəˈrɑːˌtʃi]) is the largest and most populous city in Pakistan and 2nd largest city proper in the world. Karachi is the capital of Sindh province. 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 village named Kolachi that was established as a fortified settlement in 1729. The settlement drastically increased in importance with the arrival of British colonialists who embarked on a major works to transform the city into a major seaport, and established connections to the extensive British Indian 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. Immediately following 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.