Karachi

Karachi (Urdu: کراچی‎; ALA-LC: Karācī, IPA: [kəˈraːˌtʃi]; Sindhi: ڪراچي‎) is the most populous city in Pakistan, fourth most populous city proper in the world and the 6th most populous metropolitan city in the world. Karachi serves as the capital of Sindh province. Ranked as a beta world city, the city is Pakistan's premier industrial and financial center. 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 itself was founded as a village named Kolachi which was established as a fortified settlement in 1729. The settlement drastically increased in importance with the arrival of British colonialists, who not only embarked on major works to transform the city into a major seaport, but also connected it with their extensive 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. Following the 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.

Karachi is one of Pakistan's most secular and socially liberal cities. It is also the most linguistically, ethnically, and religiously diverse city in Pakistan. With an estimated population of between 15 and 23.5 million people in its greater metropolitan region, Karachi is considered to be the largest city in the Muslim world, and is the world's 10th most populous urban agglomeration. Karachi is one of the world's fastest growing cities, and has communities representing almost every ethnic group in Pakistan. Karachi is home to over 2 million Bangladeshi immigrants, 1 million Afghan refugees, and up to 400,000 Rohingyas from Myanmar.