Karachi

Karachi (pop. 5,208,000), former capital (1947–59) of Pakistan, and the country's largest city, major port, and industrial center. It stands on the Arabian Sea near the Indus River delta in Sind province, of which it is the capital. Among its manufactures are automobiles, steel, petroleum products, and textiles. Karachi began to develop as a trading center in the early 18th century. In 1843 the British took over and made it a military outpost, a major seaport, and the seat of the Sind government. Upon independence, Karachi became the capital of the new nation, until the new city of Islamabad was made capital in 1960. The tomb of Pakistan's founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, rests there.

See also: Pakistan.