Karachi (Pakistan)

Karachi is an Arabian Sea cruise port, Pakistan's largest city, as well the country's principal seaport. By population (around 1,9 million, metro over 16 million) the city is currently ranked the world's 12-largest. Karachi is the capital of the Sindh province (total population around 47,9 million) and Pakistan's most modern metropolis as to religious tolerance/diversity and social liberties.

Approx 55 km (35 mi / at ~1,5-hours drive distance) to the southeast is Gadani Ship Breaking Yard - currently ranked the world's third-largest (by annual scrapped DWT-tonnage).

The city is served by two large cargo ports (both are in Karachi Harbour) - Port Karachi (locode PKKHI) and Port Bin Qasim (locode PKBQM) and by Jinnah Airport (Pakistan's principal airport). The city is also Pakistan's largest industrial and financial center, generating annually in economic activities ~USD 114 billion (stats 2019), approx 20% of the country's GDP (USD 299 billion as of 2021), approx 1/3rd of the country's industrial output, approx 95% of the foreign trade (through both seaports).

Jinnah Airport connects Karachi with domestic destinations (Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Faisalabad, Gwadar, Multan, Rahim Yar Khan, Skardu, Sukkur, Turbat), as well as the UAE (Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi), Syria (Damascus), Bahrain (Manama), Kuwait City, Oman (Muscat), Saudi Arabia (Jeddah, Riyadh, Medina), Sri Lanka (Colombo), Qatar (Doha), Thailand (Bangkok), Turkey (Istanbul).

On September 8, 2020, was formally approved the launch of a new ferry service (for shipping passengers and cargoes) interlinking the Pakistani ports Gwadar-Karachi-Port Qasim with the neighboring countries Iran (Bandar Abbas), Iraq (Basra), UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi), Oman (Muscat) and beyond. The new service will be provided by PNSC (Pakistan National Shipping Corporation) - the country's national flag carrier. By this project will be constructed new passenger terminals at the three Pakistani ports, all fitted with modern facilities, customs, security, etc.

The town (as Kolachi) was officially founded in 1729 by the British and developed mainly in the mid-19th-century (during the British India period/1757-1947) based on the British East India Company's shipping trade served by the new seaport which is directly connected with Pakistan's railway network and India.