Karachi, Pakistan

Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and financial capital of Pakistan. It is the eleventh-largest city of the world and is Pakistan’s leading center for trade. Karachi is also home to Pakistan’s largest corporations dealing in textiles, shipping, automotive industry, entertainment, arts, fashion, advertising, publishing, software development and medical research.

Karachi is situated at a strategic geographical location on a bay, making it the financial capital of the country, and is the location of one of the region’s largest and busiest ports, Port Bin Qasim. The city’s economy has recently flourished and attracted a wide range of immigrants from such countries as Iran, Myanmar, China, and Bangladesh.

As of 2009, a total of 42 firms headquartered in the Houston region operate 68 subsidiaries in Pakistan. The Houston/Galveston Customs District is also Pakistan’s fourth-largest U.S. seaborne trade district and sixth-largest U.S. air cargo district.  

Fast facts:

Population: 14,500,000 (as of 2007)
Country: Pakistan
Continent: Asia
Latitude & Longitude: 24°51.36′N, 67°00.36′E
GMT Time Difference: GMT + 5:00 hours
Time Difference from Houston: + 10:00 hours
Distance from Houston: 8,498 miles/13,676 km
Climate: Average high of 77˚ F (25˚ C) in January and 88˚ F (31˚ C) in August. Average rainfall of 244mm per annum.
Language: Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi and English
Governmental Structure: Metropolitan Corporation with a new City District structured as a three-tiered federation, with the two lower tiers composed of 18 towns and 178 union councils (UC).
Current Mayor: The Honorable Syed Mustafa Kamal