PAKLINKS BANNER EXCHANGE
The capital of Sindh Province is the first contact with Pakistan for the majority of visitors and is symbolic of the country's progress, dynamism and problems. Pakistan's main International Airport, was till recently its only port on the Arabian Sea. Naturally it has grown into the main center of trade and industry and the most populated town. Karachi started as a small fishing village. With the annexation of Sindh by the British in 1843 it changed into a town. Its naturally protected harbor and moderate climate made it a summer resort for Sindh. It was reputed to be the cleanest city of the sub-continent till 1947 with a population of 200,000.
Karachi was transformed into an unmanageably big city with the establishment of Pakistan. It was the first capital of the Federation from 1947 to 1960 before Islamabad was built. For this reason millions of refugees from all over India streaked here and gave it an unprecedented vitality and dimensions. Today, its population exceeds 8 million. The main attractions of Karachi are the sea, the shopping and some fine specimen of Victorian architecture and modern buildings, besides the hub of a growing cosmopolitan town.