Karachi

Karachi (/kəˈrɑːtʃi/; Urdu: کراچی; Sindhi: ڪراچي‎; .mw-parser-output .IPA-label-small{font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-small{font-size:100%}IPA: [kəˈraːtʃi] ⓘ) is the capital city of the Pakistani province of Sindh. It is the largest city in Pakistan and the 12th largest in the world, with a population of over 20 million.[12][18] It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast and formerly served as the capital of Pakistan. Ranked as a beta-global city,[19][20] it is Pakistan's premier industrial and financial centre,[21] with an estimated GDP of over $200 billion (PPP) as of 2021[update].[16][17] Karachi is a metropolitan city and is considered Pakistan's most cosmopolitan city, and among the country's most linguistically, ethnically-, and religiously-diverse regions,[22] as well as one of the country's most progressive and socially liberal cities.[23][24][25] The region has been inhabited for millennia,[26] but the city was formally founded as the fortified village of Kolachi as recently as 1729.[27][28] The settlement greatly increased in importance with the arrival of the East India Company in the mid-19th century. British administrators embarked on substantial projects to transform the city into a major seaport, and connect it with the extensive railway network of the Indian subcontinent.[28] At the time of Pakistan's independence in 1947, the city was the largest in Sindh with an estimated population of 400,000 people.[22] Afterwards, the city experienced a dramatic shift in population and demography with the arrival of hundreds of thousands of Muslim immigrants (Muhajirs) from India,[29] coupled with a substantial exodus of its Hindu residents.[30] The city experienced rapid economic growth following Pakistan's independence, attracting migrants from throughout the country and other regions in South Asia.[31] According to the 2023 Census of Pakistan, Karachi's total population was 20.3 million.[32] Karachi is one of the world's fastest-growing cities,[33] and has significant communities representing almost every ethnic group in Pakistan. Karachi holds more than two million Bengali immigrants, a million Afghan refugees, and up to 400,000 Rohingyas from Myanmar.[34][35][36]