Friday, August 14, 2009

All About Karachi

University of Karachi is located in the city of Karachi, the main city and capital of Sindh province, southern Pakistan with a population of over 15 millions. It is the country's largest city and principal seaport and is a major commercial and industrial centre. Karāchi is located on the coast of the Arabian Sea immediately northwest of the Indus River Delta. The city proper covers an area of 228 square miles (591 square km), while the metropolitan area of Greater Karāchi spreads out over an area of 560 square miles.

The city has been variously called Caranjee, Crochey, Krotchey, Currachee, and Kurrachee. All its names are believed to be derived from the Sindhi nameof the original settlement that initially stood on the spot—Kalachi-Jo-goth (meaning the village of Kalachi—the headman of the tribe).

The impetus to Karāchi's development originally came from its role as the port serving the Indus River valley and the Punjab region of British India. The development of air travel subsequently increased Karāchi's importance. It is also the port serving the landlocked country of Afghanistan.

The People
No ethnic group predominates in the city. Cultural and social activities essentially revolve around religion. The population is almost entirely Muslim, but there are also small Christian, Hindu, Parsi, Buddhist, and Jain minorities. Most of the Muslims are of Indian or Pakistani origin, except for “Makranis” and “Shiddies,” who have black African ancestry. They originated during the era of the slave trade in the days before British rule, when Karāchi was an important slave-trading centre. Some of the members of the Christian minority are of Indo-Pakistani origin, while others are descended from Portuguese or other European groups.

Climate
Karāchi has pleasant weather for the greater part of the year. May and June are the hottest months, when the mean maximum temperature is about 93 °F (34 °C). Spells of enervating weather occasionally prevail in May and October, during which the temperature shoots up to 105 °F (41 °C). The coolest months are January and February, during which the mean minimum temperature remains about 56 °F (13 °C). A biting north wind occasionally blows in these months, during which the temperature may drop to 40 °F (4 °C). The relative humidity varies from 58 percent in October, the driest month, to 82 percent in August, the wettest month. The average rainfall is 8 inches (203 mm); most of the rain falls during a total of 9 or 10 days in the months of June, July, and August.

Karachi Airport
Karachi Airport, commonly known as Quaid-e-Azam International Airport is a strategically located gateway to the Far East and Europe. The airport provides facilities for almost 6 million passengers, with over 50,000 annual aircraft movements and contributes Rs. 3 billion in economic benefits to the region.

Karachi City Map


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