Karachi
Karachi (کراچي) is the largest city of Pakistan and the capital of the province of Sindh. A native of Karachi is known as a Karachiite.
It is the financial and commercial hub of Pakistan. The city is located on the Arabian Sea north west of the mouths of the Indus River. With a population of around 15 million it is considered one of the most populous cities of the world.
Location
Karachi, located at latitude 24° 48´ N and longitude 66° 59´ E, is nicknamed "The City of Lights" in Pakistan. In a period of 50 years, Karachi has transformed itself from a small coastal village into a megapolitan city harboring a diverse mix of regional cultures. It is the business and technological hub of Pakistan. It has the highest literacy rate and the most prestigious educational institutions in the country. The Arabian Sea lies to the south, and the Malir and Indus Rivers to the east of the city. The Lyari River runs through the city's northern areas.
Geography etc.
Karachi is mostly made up of flat or rolling plains with hills on the western and northern boundaries of the urban sprawl. Two rivers pass through the city: the Malir River (north east to centre) and the Liyari River (north to south). Many other smaller rivers pass through the city as well with general drainage being from the western and northern areas towards the south. The Karachi harbour is a protected bay to the south west of the city. The harbour is protected from storms by Keamari Island, Manora Island and Oyster Rocks, which together block the greater part of the harbour entrance in the west. The southern limit of the city is the Arabian Sea and forms a chain of warm water beaches that are rich in natural beauty.
From 1841 to 1941, Karachi experienced an average annual growth rate of 3% and its population grew from 14,000 to 435,000. At the time of Independence in 1947, it had an urban area of 233 sq.km.; with the influx of refugees from India, as well as internal migration, the population rose to 1.4 million people by the year 1959. Even with the relocation of the capital to Islamabad, Karachi's population continued to grow. It reached 2 million by 1961 and 5.3 million by 1981. There has been a phenomenal increase in the area of the city as well, from 233 sq.km. in 1947 to 1,994 sq.km. in 1981
Climate
Karachi is located on the coast and as a result has a relatively mild climate. The level of precipitation is low for most of the year. However, due to the city's proximity to the sea, humidity levels usually remain high throughout the year. The city enjoys mild winters and very warm summers. Karachi also receives the tail end of the monsoon rains. July and November are the best time to visit Karachi.
History
The area that now consists of Karachi was originally a group of small villages including Kalachi-jo-Kun or just Kolachi and the fort of Manora. Any history of Karachi prior to the 19th century is sketchy. It is said that the city called Krokola from which one of Alexander the Great's admirals sailed at the end of his conquests was the same as Karachi. When Muhammad bin Qasim came to India in the year 712 he captured the city of Debul. It has been said that Debal was the ancestral village of present day Karachi. However, this has neither been proven or disproven.
It was in 1729 that Kolachi-jo-Goth was transformed from a fishing village to a trading post when it was selected as a port for trade with Muscat and Bahrain. In the following years a fort was built and cannons brought in from Muscat were mounted on it. The fort had two doorways, one facing the sea called the Khara Darwaza or Brackish Gate and one facing the River Lyari called the Meetha Darwaza or Sweet Gate. Currently, the site of those gates corresponds to the location of the neighbourhoods of Kharadar and Meethadar. In 1795 the city passed from the Khan of Kalat to the Talpur rulers of Sindh.
Karachi gained in position as port which led to its importance being recognised by the British, and consequently led to the conquering of the town on the 3rd of February 1839. Three years later, it was annexed into British India as a district. The British recognized the importance of Karachi as a natural harbor and port for the produce of the Indus basin, and the city was rapidly developed into a bustling port city. A famous quote about Karachi attributed to Charles Napier is "Would that I could come again to see you in your grandeur!". Napier's quote proved almost prophetic as it was under the British raj that Karachi would grow rapily as its harbour was developed. When the Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar declared the War of Independence in 1857, the 21st Native Infantry stationed in Karachi declared allegiance to the Emperor and joined the cause of the War on the 10th of September 1857. The uprising though, was defeated by the British who were able to quickly reassert their control over Karachi.
In 1876, the founder of Pakistan Muhammed Ali Jinnah was born in the city, and he would later be buried there. By this time Karachi was a developed city with railroads, churches, paved streets, courts and many commercial centres as well as a magnificent harbour built by the British. Many of the buildings were built in classical British colonial style, contrasting significantly with the "Mughal Gothic" of Lahore. Many of these old buildings exist today and provide interesting destinations for visitors.
Karachi continued to grow in size as well as importance due to its position as a major port. A railroad connected Karachi to the rest of British India in the 1880s. Population grew from 73,500 (1881), to 105,199 (1891), to 115,407 (1901) (Britannica 1911 ed.). In 1899 Karachi was said to be the largest wheat exporting port in the East (Feldman 1970:57). In 1911 when the capital was shifted to Delhi, Karachi became closer to being a Gateway to India. Karachi was declared the capital of the newly formed Sindh province in 1936, chosen over the traditional capital of Hyderabad.
In 1947, Karachi was made the capital of the new nation of Pakistan. At that time Karachi was a city of only 400,000 people, and its growth accelerated as a result of its new status. Being the capital, Karachi became a focal point for the new nation and this added to its status as a cultural centre in this part of the world. Although the capital later moved to Rawalpindi and then Islamabad, Karachi remains the economic centre of Pakistan, accounting for a large portion of the GNP of the nation and a large chunk of the nation's white collar workers.
In the last 20 years, Karachi has continued to grow, passing the ten million mark. The current economic boom in Pakistan has created a sudden growth spurt in Karachi as jobs and infrastructure projects are increasing with time.
Government
Karachi as a city is governed by the City District Government of Karachi (CDGK). The CDGK has an elected city council that looks after the working of the CDGK. The current Nazim-e-Aala (mayor) of Karachi is Naimatullah Khan.
The city district of Karachi is divided into eighteen towns each with its own council and Nazim. These towns are:
The current city government format was introduced in the year 2000.
Demographics
The population of Karachi according to the official census results:
1856 : 56,875
1872 : 56,753
1881 : 73,560
1891 : 105,199
1901 : 136,297
1911 : 186,771
1921 : 244,162
1931 : 300,799
1941 : 435,887
1951 : 1,068,459
1961 : 1,912,598
1972 : 3,426,310
1981 : 5,208,132
1998 : 9,269,265 (Metro. 10.2 million)
Karachi's current population is estimated to be about 15 million. A much larger figure than it was in 1947 (400,000). The city's population is currently growning at about 5% per year. Currently , Karachi is counted as one of the largest mega cities of the world.
The breakup of Karachi's population is as follows: Males form 53.7% of Karachiites. 37.6% of which are under the age of 15. 4.4% are older than 50. 22.1% of the city's population are migrants from other places.
According the census the linguistic breakup of the city is as follows. Urdu 48.52%; Punjabi 13.94%; Sindhi 7.22%; Pushto 11.42%; Balochi 4.34%; Seraiki 2.11%; Others 12.4%. The others include Gujarati, Brahui and Bengali.
According to the census the religious breakup of the city is as follows. Muslim 96.45%; Christian 2.42%; Hindu 0.83%; Qadiani 0.17%; Others 0.13%. The others include Parsis and Buddhists.
==Economy==
Karachi is the financial capital of Pakistan. It accounts for the lion's share of Pakistan's GDP. The city is said to contribute about 60 percent of the national revenues. It is also home to the largest stock exchange of Pakistan: the Karachi Stock Exchange. Karachi Stock Exchange was the best performing stock market in the world in early 2005. This boost helped Pakistan achieve its ambitious goal of over 8% GDP growth which is higher after China. Most Pakistani banks have their headquarters in Karachi. Most of these are located on the I.I.Chundrigarh Road. The headquarters of nearly all the MNCs (multi-national companies) based in Pakistan are in Karachi. Most Pakistani corporations are headquartered in Karachi as well.
The recent trend of outsourcing and call centers setup is also visible in Karachi as well. Call Centers for foreign companies are created everyday. Pakistan is also betting on the Software Export market. The government has reduced tax by as much as 80% (compared to India and China) to lure foreign investments in the IT sector. Each year atleast 2000 IT students graduate from the elite NED University of Engineering and Technology, NUST FAST, and Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology, the best IT institutions in Karachi among many other small ones.
Karachi also has a huge industrial base. There are large industrial estates on most of the fringes of the main city. The main industries are textiles, pharmaceuticals, steel, and automobiles. Apart from this there are many cottage industries in the city as well. Karachi is also known as software outsourcing hub of Pakistan.
Currently, the Karachi Port is the only large port in Pakistan, and is central to all shipping in Pakistan. Plans are underway to build a motorway linking Karachi to the rest of the nation but it will be some time before it gets to Karachi. The airport of Karachi, Quaid-e-Azam International Airport is also the largest airport in Pakistan and the hub of most local airlines. For years it served as the gateway to Asia with all major airlines operating from the Airport. The airport serves a potential to act as the major logistic hub for the sub-continent but bureaucracy and internal and geo-political compulsions undermine the efforts.
Karachi is the nerve centre of Pakistan's economy and is pinnacle to any economic activity. The economic stagnation due to ethnic strife in the 80s & 90s led to mass efflux of industry from Karachi but led to the economic stagnation of the country despite a revival and economic boom in the up country. Has a well developed Free Zone with growth rate of nearly 15% year on year.
In the early 1960s, Karachi was seen as a model of economic development around the world, and there was much praise for the way its economy was progressing. Many countries sought to emulate Pakistan's economic planning strategy and one of them, South Korea, copied its Second Five Year Plan, 1960-65, not just that, World financial center in Seoul was designed after modelled Karachi. And while in the early 1960s the per capita income of Pakistan was more or equal to Korea, the latter ended up among the more developed of the developing countries, with a GDP per capita greater than $8,000 today.
After all, Pakistan was well ahead in South Asia, and is the most developed of the three most populous countries in the region. These Pakistani patriots have been particularly pleased that our growth rate and per capita incomes were way ahead of India's. In the decade 1980-90, Pakistan's economic performance measured in terms of growth rate in agriculture, industry, merchandise exports, and even of GDP, was better than that of India and China.
Transportation
The city has one international airport called the Quaid-e-Azam International Airport. An extension of this airport is the old airport, which is now used for Haj flights,cargo facilities and ceremonial visits from heads of state. U.S. Coalition forces were using Old Airport for there strategic supply base as well. Apart from this the city also has two other airstrips. Karachi port is not used for passenger traffic as a regular service.
Karachi is linked via railway to the rest of the country. Karachi City and Karachi Cantt are the two major junctions / railway stations of the city. Karachi also has a circular railway system that is going to be extended and made functional shortly. This will form the backbone of the city's mass transit system.
Educational Institutions
Karachi has the highest literacy rate, the highest number of universities and colleges than any of Pakistan's other cities. The city is well-known for its young student population who flock from all parts of Pakistan and different parts of the world. Most Universities in Karachi are considered among the 'Ivy League' in Pakistan and hence admission process is intensely competitive will only the most brightest and talented making their way into Aga Khan University, University of Karachi, Institude of Business Administration(IBA), Textile Institute Of Pakistan(TIP)
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Mohammad Ali Jinnah University(MAJU), IoBM, Dow University of Health Sciences , N.E.D. University and Dawood College of Engineering. Karachi University is the largest university of Pakistan. See List of universities in Karachi and List of educational institutions in Karachi.
Tourist Attractions
The most important of all tourist attractions in the city is the Mausoleum of Quaid e Azam. Masjid e Tooba, a very large domed mosque is also frequented by visitors. The National Museum, Mohatta Palace Museum, Pakistan Air Force Museum and the Pakistan Naval Museum catalogue the history of present day Pakistan and South Asia. Apart from this, many beautiful victorian era colonial buildings can be found throughout the city center. Buildings of historical importance such as Wazir Mansion and the Khaliqdina Hall, and beautiful colonial buildings such as the KMC building, the Hindu Gymkhana, the Frere Hall, Denso Hall and the Empress Market are also tourist attractions.
The Clifton beach in Karachi is one of the most beautiful and longest city beaches in the world. There are a lot of other excellent beaches, such as, Sandspit, Hawke's Bay, French Beaches and Paradise Point - a sandstone rock promotory with a natural arch - that are frequented by visitors. The imagery is colorful, wholesome, and teeming with flocks of people on weekends.
Problems
In 1960s Karachi was seen as a model of economic development around the world, and there was much praise for the way its economy was progressing, But now Being one of the most rapidly growing cities in the world, Karachi faces problems that are central to many developing metropolises including overpopulation, overcrowding, traffic, terrorism and crime.
Karachi faces a very severe problem of excessive traffic. The number of cars far outstrips the roads that they need to ply on. This makes driving considerably dangerous and causes loss of time due to traffic congestion. Currently, President Musharraf has launched the Tameer-e-Karachi (Build Karachi) program that included construction of a lot of bridges, flyovers, and bypasses, as well as other major projects to correct the city's infrastructure problems.
Karachi is a city with a cool breeze because of its location close to the Arabian Sea, which is why the pollution levels in the city are not very high.
Markets
Karachi has thousands of big and small markets. Karachities are avid shoppers and new markets pop-up here and there every day. Tariq Road is one the most famous markets in Karachi. Hundreds of thousands of people go by it each day. Saddar is in downtown Karachi and is home to countless big and small markets dealing from everyday household items to electronics where Empress Market is worth visiting. Famous and happening malls include Park Towers, The Forum, Millenium mall and Dolmen Mall.
External links
- The City District Government of Karachi
- Historic Karachi - the history of Karachi through photographs
- Karachi Profile
- Karachi Stock Exchange
- The Official KaraFilm Festival website
- Karachi International Airport
- Karachi Port Trust
- About Karachi on itsPakistan
- Link to Soviet topographic map 1:500 000
- 4x4 Offroaders Club Karachi
- Street Photography from around Karachi
- Picture Page on Pakistan
- Window to Karachi
- Mega-Cities Project: Karachi
