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Frere Hall in Karachi
Frere Hall
Karachi (کراچي) is the largest city of Pakistan and the capital of the province of Sindh. 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 thirteen million it is considered as the 16th largest city of the world
Location
Karachi is located at latitude 24° 48´ N and longitude 66° 59´ E. The urban sprawl starts from the westernmost mouth of the River Indus and goes upto the mountains and hills that form the southernmost edges of the Kirthar Mountain Range. The Arabian Sea is the southern boundary of the city.
Geography
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 center) and the Liari 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 southern limit of the city is the Indian Ocean and forms a chain of beautiful sandy beaches.
Climate
Karachi is on the coast, so it has a mild climate. The level of precipitation not high but due to the proximity to the sea the humidity level is usually quite high. The city enjoys mild winters and warm summers. The sea breeze does not let the tempratures climb as they do in the continental areas of South and Central Asia. The city also receives a tail end of the monsoon rains as well.
History
The area that now consists of Karachi was originally a group of small villages including Kalachi-jo-Kun 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 is Karachi. The second more important part of the city history is the the changeover of the city(then a village) from the Khan of Kalat to the Mirs of Sindh in the 18th century.
The recorded history of Karachi begins with the arrival of the British in the mid-19th century. In 1839 a vessel belonging to the Royal Navy fired upon the fort of Manora, and accepted it's immediate surrender. A few years later, Karachi was made the capital of Sindh replacing the historical city of Hyderabad, on account of Karachi's magnificent harbor. 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 would prove prophetic, as it was during British rule that Karachi would grow as it's harbor was developed. In 1876, the founder of Pakistan, Muhammed Ali Jinnah was born in the city, and he would later be buried there. As the turn of the century approached, Karachi would become perhaps the largest wheat exporting port in the east. Karachi by now was a city with railroads, churches, paved streets, courts and many commercial centers and a magnificent harbour that was built by the British. Many of these buildings were built in classical British style, and contrast with the "Mughal Gothic" of Lahore. Many of these old buildings continue to stand, and are interesting destinations for visitors.
With the 20th century, Karachi began to grow even more diverse with workers from all over South Asia and the British empire arriving. The trade going through the port of the city caused a major increase in commercial activity and Karachi started becoming one of the major commericial centres of British India.
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 it's growth accelerated due to the new status. Although the capital later moved to Rawalpindi and then Islamabad, Karachi remains the economic center of Pakistan, accounting for a large portion of the GNP of the nation.
In the last 20 years, Karachi has continued to grow, passing the ten million mark. It is a city of diverse neighborhoods, ranging from the upscale Clifton and Defense areas to numerous slums that are home to the large numbers of migrants who have flocked to Karachi in search of opportunities. Karachi is also plagued by crime, and is not immune from numerous ethnic conflicts that continue to rock Pakistan. Karachi was the epicenter of numerous ethnic conflicts during the 1980's, and continues to see a lot of religious violence between Sunnis and Shias even to this day. Currently Karachi is seeing a surge in terrorist attacks. The law and order situation of the city, although better than the 80s and 90s, is not perfect.
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 Mr Niamatullah Khan.
The city district of Karachi is divided into eighteen towns each with its own council and Nazim.
The currenly city government is on the new format that was introduced in the year 2000. This has caused some friction between the city government and the established authorities and boards in the city due to slight confusion regarding the division of powers.
Demographics
According to the censes conducted in 1998 Karachi has 9,269,300 people.
Karachi's current population is estimated to be about 13 million. A much larger figure than it was in 1947 (400,000). The city's population has grown at a very enormous rate. So much so that now it is one of the largest cities in the world.
Karachi is a melting pot of peoples and cultures. Before 1947 The city was inhabited mainly by people from the areas near the city, the people basically being Sindhis, Baluchis, Mekranis and Gujaratis. In 1947 most of the cities Hindu population left and a large number of immigrants(Mohajirs) came from India. Most of these are from the Urdu Speaking parts of India. But Memons from Gujarat and small quantities of communities from other areas also arrived. Giving Karachi a flavour of all the provinces and parts of British India. After independence a steady stream of immigrants has been coming to the city from different parts of Pakistan and made large Punjabi, Pathan, Bengali and Hazara communities to grow in Karachi. In 1971 there was a large influx of mainly Urdu Speaking people from the former East Pakistan. In the 1980s a large number of Afghan refugees streamed into the city.
Now Karachi has a sizeable community of people from all teh differnt parts of Pakistan. Karachi also has large numbers of people from all the different cultural segments of South Asia and Afghanistan. Karachi also has small immigrant communities from as far off as Africa and Burma. This mixture of peoples and cultures gives Karachi a very cosmopolitan touch.
Mausoleum of Muhammed Ali Jinnah
Mausoleum of Muhammed Ali Jinnah
Economy
Karachi is the financial capital of Pakistan. It is also home to the largest stock exchange of Pakistan: the Karachi Stock Exchange. 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 based in Pakistan are in Karachi. Most Pakistani corporations are headquartered in Karachi as well.
Karachi also has a huge industrial base. There are large industrial estates on most of the fringes of the main city. The main industries being Textiles, Phamaceuticals, Steel and Automobiles. Apart from this there are many cottage industries in the city as well.
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, Karachi International Airport is also the largest airport in Pakistan and the hub of most local airlines.
Karachi accounts for the lions share of Pakistan's GDP. The city is said to contribute about 48% of the national revenues.
Culture
Culturally, Karachi is the most cosmopolitan city of Pakistan. Karachi is home to numerous companies from across the world, including famous American restaurant chains such as McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut and others. It also has a wide variety of hotels, including many western ones. Karachi also provides many rare opportunities for women in Pakistan, and it is not surprising to see a woman driving a cab or doing some other normally male-dominated job.
Problems
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 and crime. Karachi is especially notorious for it's ethnic strife. Another major problem facing Karachi is the enormous disparity between rich and poor. While many of Karachi's well-off live lives similar to their western-counterparts, the poor of Karachi are often relegated to conditions similar to those faced by the poorest people in the world. The large size of Karachi has also led many terrorists to make their home there, and it has seen attacks by militant groups linked to Al-Qaeda against foreigners, and has also been where many notorious terrorists such as Ramzi Binalshibh were captured.
Famous Sites
Probably the most famous site in the city of Karachi is the mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Other important landmarks include the Masjid E Tooba, Frere Hall, Clifton Beach, Mohatta Museum, Pakistan Air Force Museum, Wazir Mansion, and others.
External Links
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