Quetta(/ˈkwɛtə/;Urdu:کوئٹہ,ko'eṭa,[ˈkweːʈə],Pashto:کوټه) is the capital and largest city of thePakistani provinceofBalochistan.It is the tenthlargest cityinPakistan,with a population of over 1.6 million.[4]It is situated in the south-west of the country, lying in a valley surrounded by mountains on all sides. Quetta is at an average elevation of 1,680 metres (5,510 feet) above sea level,[5]making it Pakistan's highest altitude major city. The city is known as the"Fruit Garden of Pakistan"due to the numerous fruit orchards in and around it and the large variety of fresh and dried fruits produced there.[6]
Quetta
| |
|---|---|
 Emblem | |
| Nickname: Fruit Garden of Pakistan | |
  Quetta  Quetta | |
| Coordinates:30°11′N67°00′E/ 30.183°N 67.000°E | |
| Country |  Pakistan |
| Province |  Balochistan |
| Division | Quetta |
| District | Quetta |
| Settled | 1876 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipal Corporation[1] |
| •Mayor | Seat Vacant |
| •Deputy Mayor | Seat Vacant |
| • Commissioner | Hamza Shafqaat[2] |
| •Deputy Commissioner | Saad Bin Asad[2] |
| Area | |
| •City | 3,501 km2(1,352 sq mi) |
| • Metro | 3,501 km2(1,352 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,680 m (5,510 ft) |
| Population | |
| •City | 1,001,205 |
| • Rank | 10th in Pakistan; 1st in Balochistan |
| • Density | 290/km2(740/sq mi) |
| •Demonym | Quettan or Quettawal (kʰwətə.wal) |
| Time zone | UTC+05:00(PKT) |
| Postal code | 87300 |
| Dialing code | 081 |
| Website | www |
Located in northernBalochistannear thePakistan-Afghanistan borderand the road across toKandahar,Quetta is a trade and communication centre between the two countries.[7]The city is near theBolan Pass,which was on a major gateway fromCentral AsiatoSouth Asia.
Etymology
editThe nameQuettais a variation of thePashtowordKwatkōṭ,orkōtameaning "fortress".[8]Quetta was formerly known as Shalkot (Pashto:ښالکوټ)[9]
History
edit-
Quetta Fort Mirri -
Fort Mirri in 1880 -
Quetta Cantonment, 1889
Early history
editModern day Quetta was captured bySultan Mahmud Ghaznaviduring hisinvasion of South Asia.[10]In 1543, Mughal emperorHumayuncame to Quetta en route toSafavid Persia,leaving his son and future Mughal emperorAkbarhere. In 1709, the region was a part of AfghanHotak dynastyand stayed a part until 1747 whenAhmed Shah Durraniconquered it and made it a part ofDurrani Empire.The first European visited Quetta in 1828, describing it asmud-walled fort surrounded by three hundred mud houses.[11]
Foundation
edit
In 1876, Quetta was occupied by the British and subsequently incorporated intoBritish India.[10]In 1856, British GeneralJohn Jacobhad urged his government to occupy Quetta given its strategic position on the western frontier.[12]British troops constructed the infrastructure for their establishment as a garrison town.[13]
It was reconstructed after the1935 Quetta earthquake,which razed the city to the ground. The epicentre of the earthquake was close to the city and destroyed most of the city's infrastructure, killing an estimated 40,000 people.[14]After the foundation of Pakistan, Balochistan acquired the status of a province and Quetta became a provincial capital.[10]
Geography
editClimate
editQuetta has acold semi-arid climate(KöppenBSk) with a significant variation between summer and winter temperatures. Summer starts from late May and goes on until early September with average temperatures ranging from 24–26 °C (75–79 °F). The highest temperature in Quetta is 42 °C (108 °F) which was recorded on 10 July 1998.[15]Autumn starts in mid-September and continues until mid-November with average temperatures in the 12–18 °C (54–64 °F) range. Winter starts in late November and ends in late February with average temperatures near 4–5 °C (39–41 °F). The lowest temperature in Quetta is −18.3 °C (−0.9 °F) which was recorded on 8 January 1970.[15]Spring starts in early March and ends in mid-May with average temperatures close to 15 °C (59 °F). Unlike more easterly parts of Pakistan, Quetta does not have amonsoonseason of heavy rainfall. Highest rainfall during 24 hours in Quetta is 113 millimetres (4.4 in) which was recorded on 17 December 2000,[15]Highest monthly rainfall of 232.4 millimetres (9.15 in) was recorded in March 1982 which was also the year of the highest annual rainfall, 949.8 millimetres (37.39 in).[15]In the winter, snowfall has become quite erratic (December, January and February).
| Climate data for Quetta (1991-2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 23.6 (74.5) |
26.7 (80.1) |
31.1 (88.0) |
35.0 (95.0) |
39.4 (102.9) |
41.5 (106.7) |
42.0 (107.6) |
40.6 (105.1) |
38.3 (100.9) |
34.0 (93.2) |
36.0 (96.8) |
25.0 (77.0) |
42.0 (107.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 11.8 (53.2) |
14.0 (57.2) |
19.5 (67.1) |
25.9 (78.6) |
31.4 (88.5) |
35.5 (95.9) |
36.8 (98.2) |
35.4 (95.7) |
31.9 (89.4) |
26.0 (78.8) |
19.6 (67.3) |
14.6 (58.3) |
25.2 (77.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.8 (40.6) |
7.1 (44.8) |
12.5 (54.5) |
17.9 (64.2) |
23.0 (73.4) |
27.3 (81.1) |
29.2 (84.6) |
27.5 (81.5) |
22.8 (73.0) |
16.5 (61.7) |
11.0 (51.8) |
6.5 (43.7) |
17.2 (62.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −1.9 (28.6) |
0.3 (32.5) |
5.1 (41.2) |
10.0 (50.0) |
14.6 (58.3) |
19.0 (66.2) |
21.6 (70.9) |
19.7 (67.5) |
13.6 (56.5) |
7.0 (44.6) |
1.9 (35.4) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
9.1 (48.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −18.3 (−0.9) |
−16.7 (1.9) |
−8.3 (17.1) |
−3.9 (25.0) |
−0.3 (31.5) |
5.0 (41.0) |
8.9 (48.0) |
3.3 (37.9) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
−8.3 (17.1) |
−13.3 (8.1) |
−18.3 (−0.9) |
−18.3 (−0.9) |
| Averageprecipitationmm (inches) | 55.0 (2.17) |
58.4 (2.30) |
49.5 (1.95) |
40.0 (1.57) |
17.8 (0.70) |
3.2 (0.13) |
8.8 (0.35) |
4.9 (0.19) |
4.2 (0.17) |
4.5 (0.18) |
19.3 (0.76) |
34.6 (1.36) |
300.2 (11.83) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 22 (8.7) |
17 (6.6) |
3.0 (1.2) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.51 (0.2) |
14 (5.4) |
56.51 (22.1) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 5.0 | 5.7 | 5.4 | 4.1 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 2.7 | 29.6 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 220.1 | 209.05 | 232.5 | 273.0 | 334.8 | 327.0 | 313.1 | 313.1 | 294.0 | 306.9 | 279.0 | 238.7 | 3,341.25 |
| Source 1: NOAA,[16]Hong Kong Observatory(altitude: 1589 m) (only snow inch, sun)[17] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: PMD[18] | |||||||||||||
The city saw a severe drought from 1999 to 2001 during which the city did not receive snowfall and below normal rains. In 2002, the city received snow after a gap of five years. In 2004 and 2005, the city received normal rains after three years without snowfall while in 2006, 2007 and 2009 the city received no snow. In 2008, it received a snowfall of 10 centimetres (4 in) in four hours on 29 January,[19]followed on 2 February by 25.4 centimetres (10 in) in 10 hours[20]– the city's heaviest snowfall in a decade. During the winter of 2010, it received no snow and saw below normal rains due to the presence ofEl-Ninoover Pakistan.[citation needed]
Demographics
edit| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1941 | 65,000 | — |
| 1951 | 84,000 | +29.2% |
| 1961 | 107,000 | +27.4% |
| 1972 | 158,000 | +47.7% |
| 1981 | 286,000 | +81.0% |
| 1998 | 565,137 | +97.6% |
| 2017 | 1,001,205 | +77.2% |
| Source:[21][3] | ||
According to the2017 Census of Pakistan,the population of the city was a total of 1,001,205.[22]This makes it the largest city in Balochistan province and one of the major cities of Pakistan. Quetta is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the country.[23]The city has aPashtunplurality followed byBalochs,Hazaras,Brahui,PunjabisandMuhajir people.[24][25][26][27]Urdubeing the national language is used and understood by all the residents and serves as alingua franca.
According toReutersand theBBC,there are as many as 500,000-600,000Hazarasliving in Quetta and its surrounding areas.[28][29]
| Religious group |
1941[30]: 13–14 | 2017[31][32] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
Islam
|
27,935 | 43.33% | 975,815 | 97.64% |
Hinduism
|
24,010 | 37.24% | 6,112 | 0.61% |
Sikhism
|
7,364 | 11.42% | — | — |
Christianity
|
5,024 | 7.79% | 16,842 | 1.69% |
Zoroastrianism
|
73 | 0.11% | — | — |
Buddhism
|
42 | 0.07% | — | — |
Judaism
|
11 | 0.02% | — | — |
Jainism
|
6 | 0.01% | — | — |
Ahmadiyya
|
— | — | 363 | 0.04% |
| Others | 11 | 0.02% | 253 | 0.03% |
| Total population | 64,476 | 100% | 999,385 | 100% |
Administration
editAt the local level, the city is governed by a municipal corporation consisting of 66 ward members which elects a mayor and a deputy mayor.[1]In addition,Quetta Development Authorityis responsible for provision of municipal services for the city.[33]
Transportation
edit
Quetta is on the western side ofPakistanand is connected to the rest of the country by a network of roads, railways and its international airport close to its centre.
At an altitude of 1,605 metres (5,266 feet) above sea level,Quetta International Airportis the second highest airport in Pakistan.[34]Pakistan International Airlineshas regular flights to and from the other major cities of Pakistan includingIslamabad,Gwadar,Karachi,LahoreandPeshawar.
Quetta Railway Stationis one of the highest railway stations in Pakistan at 1,676 metres (5,499 feet) above sea level. The railway track was laid in the 1890s during the British era to link Quetta with rest of the country. The extensive network ofPakistan Railwaysconnects Quetta to Karachi in the south, by a 863 km (536 mi) track,Lahorein the northeast (1,170 km or 727 miles) andPeshawarfurther northeast (1,587 km or 986 miles). A metalled road runs alongside the railway that connects Quetta to Karachi via the nearby town ofSibitoJacobabadandRohriin the plain of theRiver Indus.[35]
Education
editQuetta serves as the learning centre for the Balochistan province. The city has a number of government and private colleges, including the following:
- Balochistan Agriculture College
- Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences(BUITEMS)
- Bolan Medical College
- Islamia High School, Quetta:It was frequently visited byQuaid-e-Azamin 1937 and was nicknamed asChhota Aligarh(LittleAligarh) by him[36]
- Pakistan Command and Staff College
- Sardar Bahadur Khan Women's University
- St Francis Grammar School
- St. Joseph's Convent School, Quetta
- Government Science College, Quetta
- Tameer-e-Nau Public College
- University Law College, Quetta
- University of Balochistan
Sports
edit
Footballis the most popular sport among the people of Quetta.[37][38]The city has produced notable footballers for thePakistan national football teamincludingAbdul Wahid Durrani,Qayyum Changezi,Ayub Dar,Mohammad Ali,andRajab Ali Hazara.[39]Main football clubs from Quetta includeBaloch Quetta.Balochistan United WFCwon the2014 National Women Championship.The major football ground isAyub National Stadium,a multipurpose stadium also used for athletics. Other football grounds includeQayyum Papa StadiumandSadiq Shaheed Stadium.
Bugti Stadiumis the home ofBalochistan cricket team,afirst-class cricketteam which competes in domestic tournaments,[40]and the Quetta-based teamQuetta Gladiatorscompete in thePakistan Super League(PSL). They were the champion of thePSL 2019.
Boxing is highly popular as well.[41]Muhammad Waseemis a professional boxer from Quetta. In Body Building Nisar Ahmed Khilji has Mr. Balochistan and Mr. Pakistan Titles and Pakistan representation in International Body Building Contests. In hockey, Quetta has producedZeeshan AshrafandShakeel Abbasi,who were members of thePakistan's national hockey team.
Facilities
edit
Local facilities were created in the city formountain climbingandcavingas well as water sports.Hayatullah Khan Durrani(Pride of Performance) is the chief executive of Hayat Durrani Water Sports Academy, Balochistan's first and only Rowing, Canoeing, Kayaking, Sailing, rough swimming and boating academy where all such facilities provide free to the youth members atHanna Lake.
Twin towns and sister cities
editGallery
edit-
Junior officers in a tactical discussion at the Infantry School, Quetta -
-
Askari Park -
Jinnah Road -
Quetta in 1880
See also
editNotes
editReferences
edit- ^ab"Government Organization – Government of Balochistan".balochistan.gov.pk.Retrieved6 September2016.
- ^ab"Quetta sit-in continues as talks break down".Daen (newspaper).13 December 2023.Retrieved19 December2023.
- ^abDISTRICT WISE CENSUS RESULTS CENSUS 2017(PDF)(Report). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. 2017. p. 13. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 29 August 2017.Retrieved29 March2018.
- ^"Quetta Population 2024".worldpopulationreview.com.
- ^"Mongabay -environmental science and conservation news".Archived fromthe originalon 4 March 2016.
- ^"Winter destinations – Mesmerizing places in Pakistan".Bol News.18 January 2020.Retrieved7 January2022.
- ^Gazdar, Haris; Kaker, Sobia Ahmad; Khan, Irfan (February 2010)."Buffer zone, colonial enclave or urban hub? Quetta: between four regions and two wars".www.crisisstates.com.
- ^Everett-Heath, John (24 October 2019),"Quetta",The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Place Names,Oxford University Press,doi:10.1093/acref/9780191882913.001.0001,ISBN978-0-19-188291-3,retrieved4 September2021
- ^Thornton, Thomas Henry (1895).Colonel Sir Robert Sandeman: His Life and Work on Our Indian Frontier. A Memoir, with Selections from His Correspondence and Official Writings.J. Murray.
- ^abcBurki, Shahid Javed (2015).Historical Dictionary of Pakistan.Rowman & Littlefield.ISBN9781442241480.
- ^"History of District".bhc.gov.pk.Retrieved26 November2017.
- ^Dodwell, H. H. (1929).The Cambridge History of the British Empire.CUP Archive.
- ^Shah, Syed Ali (29 December 2013)."Quetta: 'Little Paris' lost".DAWN.COM.Retrieved18 July2024.
- ^ڈان اردو (30 December 2013)."پاکستانی شہروں کی تاریخ".dawnnews.tv.Retrieved26 February2016.
- ^abcd"Mean FOR THE PERIOD 1961 – 2009".Karachi: Climate Data Processing Centre (CDPC), Pakistan Meteorological Department. Archived fromthe originalon 13 June 2010.
- ^"Quetta Climate Normals 1991–2020".World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020).National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.Retrieved17 September2023.
- ^"Climatological Information for Quetta, Pakistan".Hong Kong Observatory.Archived fromthe originalon 16 June 2018.Retrieved3 December2019.
- ^"Extremes of Quetta".Pakistan Meteorological Department.Retrieved3 February2015.
- ^"Cold wave intensifies with heavy snowfall".Dawn.29 January 2008.Archivedfrom the original on 4 January 2009.
- ^"Leading News Resource of Pakistan".Daily Times.4 February 2008.Retrieved8 May2012.
- ^Elahi, Asad (2006)."2: Population".Pakistan Statistical Pocket Book 2006.Islamabad, Pakistan: Government of Pakistan: Statistics Division. p. 28. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 30 March 2018.Retrieved29 March2018.
- ^https://www.unicef.org/pakistan/media/2966/file/Profiles%20of%20Underserved%20Areas%20of%20Quetta%20City%20of%20Balochistan,%20Pakistan.pdf
- ^Abubakar Siddique (2014).The Pashtun Question: The Unresolved Key to the Future of Pakistan and Afghanistan.Hurst. p. 22.ISBN978-1-84904-292-5.
- ^Bianchi, Robert (25 March 2008).Guests of God: Pilgrimage and Politics in the Islamic World.Oxford University Press. p. 92.ISBN978-0-19-971183-3.
The largest communities are Pashtuns, Punjabis, and muhajirs, but no group is a majority. In fact, Quetta is one of the few districts in all Pakistan where no linguistic group can claim dominance, either numerically or politically. Aside from occasional clashes with Shi'ite protesters encouraged by proximity to Iran, Quetta seems like a model of tolerance compared with the carnage ravaging the much larger melting pot of Karachi.
- ^Jonah Blank, Christopher Clary & Brian Nichiporuk 2014.
- ^Sarina Singh (2008).Pakistan & the Karakoram Highway.Lonely Planet. p. 142.ISBN978-1-74104-542-0.
- ^Fair, C. Christine; Crane, Keith; Chivvis, Christopher S.; Puri, Samir; Spirtas, Michael (13 April 2010).Pakistan: Can the United States Secure an Insecure State?.Rand Corporation. p. 12.ISBN978-0-8330-4870-7.
- ^"Two killed in sectarian attack in southwestern Pakistan".Reuters.22 April 2018.
- ^Kermani, Secunder(12 December 2017)."The community caged in its own city".BBC News.
- ^ab"Census of India, 1941 Volume XIV Baluchistan".Retrieved27 January2023.
- ^"Final Results (Census-2017)".Retrieved27 January2023.
- ^"District Wise Results / Tables (Census - 2017) TABLE 9 - POPULATION BY SEX, RELIGION AND RURAL/URBAN"(PDF).Retrieved27 January2023.
- ^"About QDA – Quetta Development Authority".
- ^Quetta AirportArchived29 June 2009 at theWayback MachineCAA Pakistan. Retrieved 24 June 2009
- ^"Bomb attack targets Worshippers at Quetta mosque, killing 14".www.aljazeera.com.
- ^Javed Haider Sayed (2008)."The Balochistan Muslim League".National Institute of Historical & Cultural Research – Pakistan.Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad.Retrieved6 March2016.[permanent dead link]
- ^Raheel, Natasha (5 December 2021)."Football, Balochistan and hope".The Express Tribune.Retrieved11 May2024.
- ^Wasim, Umaid (26 November 2021)."Balochistan's boundless passion for football has nowhere to go but an event is keeping the flame alive".DAWN.COM.Retrieved30 May2024.
- ^InpaperMagazine, From (13 January 2013)."In-depth: Pakistan football".DAWN.COM.Retrieved5 May2024.
- ^"PCB unveils new domestic set-up with 'stay at the top' mantra".ESPN Cricinfo.
- ^Faruqi, Sama."The Hazaras who made Quetta a boxing powerhouse".The Caravan.Retrieved7 December2019.
Bibliography
edit- Bosworth, C.E. (1986)."Kwat́́t́́a".InBosworth, C. E.;van Donzel, E.;Lewis, B.&Pellat, Ch.(eds.).The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition.Volume V: Khe–Mahi.Leiden: E. J. Brill.ISBN978-90-04-07819-2.
- Jonah Blank; Christopher Clary; Brian Nichiporuk (30 October 2014),Drivers of Long-Term insecurity and Instability in Pakistan: Urbanization,Rand Corporation, p. 29,ISBN978-0-83-308751-5
External links
edit
- Balochistan BoardArchived22 January 2015 at theWayback Machine
- Official webpage on Balochistan.gov.pk(archived 18 October 2010)