Overview Of Balochistan ..... Naturally Rich Pakistan's Province

Balochistan, is a province in Pakistan, the largest province in the country by geographical area. People speak many languages here like, Balochi, Sindhi, Pashto, Urdu and Persian. It contains most of the historical region of Balochistan and is named after the Baloch. Its neighbouring regions are Iranian Balochistan to the west, Afghanistan and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas to the north and Punjab and Sindh to the east. To the south is the Arabian Sea. Its capital and largest city is Quetta. Balochistan is believed to be rich in mineral resources. It is the second major, after Sindh, supplier of natural gas to the country.

Geography
Balochistan is located at the eastern edge of the Iranian plateau and in the border region between Southwest, Central, and South Asia. It is geographically the largest of the four provinces at 347,190 km² or 134,051 square miles of Pakistani territory; and composes 48% of the total land area of Pakistan. The population density is very low due to the mountains and scarcity of water. The southern region is known as Makran. The central region is known as Kalat.

The Sulaiman Mountains dominate the northeast corner and the Bolan Pass is a natural route into Afghanistan towards Kandahar and was used as a route during the British campaigns to Afghanistan. Much of the province south of the Quetta region is sparse desert terrain with pockets of inhabitable towns mostly near rivers and streams.

The capital city is Quetta, located in the most densely 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.

At Gwadar, the Pakistani government is currently undertaking a large project with Chinese help to build a large port known as Gwadar Port,Which is a milestone project for The Whole Pakistan. This is being done partially to provide the Pakistan Navy with another base, and to reduce Pakistan's reliance on Karachi port and Port Qasim, which are currently the only major ports.