Balochistan, Pakistan

The province of Balochistan (or Baluchistan) of Pakistan contains roughly the part of Balochistan that falls within the borders of present-day Pakistan. Neighbouring regions are Iranian Balochistan to the west, Afghanistan and Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pakistan to the north and Punjab and Sindh to the east. To the south is the Arabian Sea.

Balochistan is geographically the largest of the four provinces at 347,190 km², but has the smallest population: approximately 6.3 million in 1994. The population density is very low due to the moutainous terrain and scarcity of water. The southern region is known as Makran. A region in the centre of the province is known as Kalat.

The capital city is Quetta, located in the most densly populated district in the northeast of the province. Quetta is situated in a river valley near the border with Afghanistan, with a road to Kandahar in the northwest.

Balochistan was the site of the earliest known farming settlements in south Asia, the earliest of which was Mehrgarh dated at 6500 BC.

External links and references

• Pakistan government website http://www.pak.gov.pk/
• The Planning and Development Department of the Government of Balochistan - http://www.bdd.sdnpk.org/ http://www.balochistan.org