SINDH
History of Sindh
Sindh, also spelled Sind, province of southeastern Pakistan. It is bordered by the provinces of Baluchistan on the west and north, Punjab on the northeast, the Indian states of Rajasthan and Gujarat to the east, and the Arabian Sea to the south. Sindh is essentially part of the Indus River delta and has derived its name from that river, which is known in Pakistan as the Sindhu. The province of Sindh was established in 1970. The provincial capital, Karachi, is situated on the southwestern coast. Area 54,407 square miles (140,914 square km). The population has grown rapidly since 1947 and is concentrated in the cities and the irrigated central valley. The pace of urbanization has also been swift, and two of the largest cities in Pakistan, Karachi and Hyderabad, are located in the province.
Economy of Sindh
The economy of Sindh is the 2nd largest of all the provinces in Pakistan. Much of Sindh's economy is influenced by the economy of Karachi, the largest city and economic capital of the country. Sindh remarkably has a high GDP per capita was $1,400 in 2010 which is three times that of the rest of the nation or 1.33 times the national average. Historically, Sindh's contribution to Pakistan's GDP has been between 30% to 32.7%. Its share in the service sector has ranged from 21% to 27.8% and in the agriculture sector from 21.4% to 27.7%. Performance-wise, its best sector is the manufacturing sector, where its share has ranged from 36.7% to 46.5%. Since 1972, Sindh's GDP has expanded by 3.6 times. Endowed with coastal access, Sindh is a major center of economic activity in Pakistan and has a highly diversified economy ranging from heavy industry and finance centered in and around Karachi to a substantial agricultural base along the Indus. Manufacturing includes machine products, cement, plastics, and various other goods. Agriculture is the basis of the economy. Sindh’s agricultural productivity increased substantially after 1961 because of advances in agricultural research, the use of inorganic fertilizers, and the construction of surface drains to relieve waterlogging and salinity in surface soils. Sindh is Pakistan's most natural gas producing province. Agriculture is very important in Sindh with cotton, rice, wheat, sugar cane, bananas, and mangoes as the most important crops. Sindh is the richest province in natural resources of gas, petrol, and coal.
Sindh, Its Problems, Culture and Traditions
The Province of Sindh has rich traditions, history that is centuries old and economic legacy that goes back to the ancient Indus Valley Civilization. Sindh has been blessed with natural resources and is the commercial hub and the gateway of Pakistan. However, despite the resources available, Sindh has some of the worst economic and human development indicators of the country. There is a large rural/urban divide and while the per capita income of Karachi is the highest, parts of Sindh have highest percentages of people living in abject poverty within Pakistan. The social and economic development of these marginalized areas has created slow growth and a host of social, developmental, economic problems for the indigenous populace. Lower classes are stuck in a cycle of economic crises while the middle class feel that opportunities are dwindling and look for opportunities to migrate to larger cities and even out of the country. Health problems are also severe and the women and children suffer highest rates of malnutrition in the country, with every second child suffering from acute malnutrition and consequently, severe stunting. Youth population is disheartened by fewer opportunities to grow.