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Karachi
city and capital of Sindh province, southern Pakistan. It is the country's largest city and principal seaport and is a major commercial and industrial centre. Karachi is located on the coast of the Arabian Sea immediately northwest of the Indus River Delta. The city proper covers an area of 228 square miles (591 square kilometres), while the metropolitan area of Greater Karachi spreads out over an area of 560 square miles. The city has been variously called Caranjee, Crochey, Krotchey, Currachee, and Kurrachee. All its names are believed to be derived from the Sindhi name of the original settlement that initially stood on the spot--Kalachi-Jo-goth (meaning the village of Kalachi--the headman of the tribe). The impetus to Karachi's development originally came from its role as the port serving the Indus River Valley and the Punjab region of British India. The development of air travel subsequently increased Karachi's importance. It is also the port serving the landlocked country of Afghanistan.