Karachi, Major Cities
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Karachi
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"One day she will be the Queen of the East", said Charles Napier a hundred year ago about Karachi. It was then only a small village. Today Karachi bursts upon the visitor as a vast commercial and industrial centre, a sea of people teeming with human activity, its population having already exceeded nine million mark and still growing.
This metropolitan city of Karachi was until 1725 A.D. just a barren piece of land , washed on three sides by the blue waters of the Arabian Sea. A few fishermen lived in a small huts on the sunny creek. There was a pool of water on this barren piece of land which was known as Kalachi-jo-Kun. Kalachi was the name of fisherman whereas kun meant a deep kitch. Therefore, "Kalachi-jo-Kun" meant the deep ditch of Kalacahi, the fisherman.
A few mud huts sprang around this point and their numbers increased. Gradually a village came into being . This village was called as Kalachi-jo-Ghote, which as time passed grew into prominance.
Karachi is the capital of the province of Sindh as well as Pakistan's commercial capital. It enjoys a splendid natural harbour, one of the best in the subcontinent. The port handles some 15 billion tonnes of of cargo annualy and is one of the most important shipping centres in South Asia. Karachi is also the main terminus of Pakistan's railway system and the site of the principal international airport. About a quarter of the nation's industry is located here.
Karachi's charm is hard to define. At one level it is a harsh mercantile city with all the brash, skin-deep self-assurance of the "nouveau riche"; at another level its complex, colourful bazaars bespeak an ancient oriental tradition of barter and exchange; at still another level it is the most advanced city in Pakistan, boasting advanced educational institutions. a nuclear power-station and sophisticated banking and technical skills.
Of course, Karachi is a fine holiday resort in its own right and many visitors to Pakistan never venture out of its boundaries. The city enjoys year-round sunshine and has extensive facilities for yachting, sailing, skin-diving, tennis, squash, cricket, hockey and other games and sports. There are also a number of white-sand beaches lapped by the warm waters of the Arabian Sea.
