Lasbela District (Urdu: لسبیلہ Lasbēla [ləsˈbeːla], Lasi: لسٻيلو Lasɓēlō [ləsˈɓeːloː], Balochi: لسبݔله Lasbèla [lasˈbeːla]) is a coastal district in Kalat Division of Balochistan,Pakistan.
Lasbela District
ضلعِ لسبیلہ لسٻيلو ضلعو لسبݔله دمگ | |
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.png) Map of Balochistan with Lasbela District highlighted | |
| Coordinates: 20°13′38″N 66°18′22″E / 20.22722°N 66.30611°E | |
| Country |  Pakistan |
| Province |  Balochistan |
| Division | Kalat |
| Established | June 1954[1] |
| Headquarters | Uthal |
| Government | |
| • Type | District Administration |
| • Deputy Commissioner | Humera Baloch |
| • District Police Officer | N/A |
| • District Health Officer | N/A |
| Area | |
| • District | 15,153 km2 (5,851 sq mi) |
| Population (2023)[2] | |
| • District | 680,977 |
| • Density | 45/km2 (120/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 330,585 |
| • Rural | 350,392 |
| Time zone | UTC+5 (PST) |
| Number of Tehsils | 5 |
The district situated in the south of southwestern province of Balochistan, Pakistan, lies approximately 125 kilometers west of Karachi. With a population of around 298,092, according to the 2023 Pakistan Census, the district's economy thrives on fishing, agriculture, livestock breeding etc. Additionally, Lasbela is rich in natural resources, with limestone and gypsum mining contributing significantly.
During the British Raj era, Lasbela also held strategic importance.
Lasbela's climate is characterized as hot and humid subtropical, with scorching summers reaching up to 45°C and mild winters ranging from 10-20°C. The district receives minimal rainfall, averaging between 60-100 mm annually.
The predominant languages spoken are Balochi and Lasi(Sindhi).
The district capital is Uthal.
District Lasbela's stunning natural beauty, featuring beaches along the cost such as Sapat beach, Kund Malir beach, Sonmiani beach. Mountains and waterfalls of Kanraj, sandh, duddar etc makes it a treasured destination.
Administration
The district of Lasbela is administratively divided in four tehsils, one sub-tehsil and 22 Union Councils.[3]
Union Councils are given below:
Tehsil Uthal
Tehsil Bela
- Bela
- Welpat Shumali
- Welpat Junubi
- Kathor
- Gador
Geography
The main rivers of Lasbela are Porali River with its tributaries, Winder River and Wirhab River. Other rivers are the Phor and Hingol which rise in Awaran District before flowing through Lasbela on their way to the Arabian Sea.[5]
Demographics
In the 2023 census, Islam was the predominant religion with 97.05%, while Hindus were 2.42% of the population.[2]
In the 1951 Census of Pakistan, 80% of population of former state of Las Bela was reported to be speaker of Sindhi, forming a majority. The share of Balochi was 19%.[6] At the time of the 2023 census, the share of Sindhi fell to 9.96% while that of Balochi rose to 75.32%. Other first languages include Brahui (8.09%) and Pashto (2.56%).[7]
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | — | — |
| 1961 | — | — |
| 1972 | — | — |
| 1981 | — | — |
| 1998 | 312,695 | — |
| 2017 | 576,271 | +3.26% |
| 2023 | 680,977 | +2.83% |
| Sources:[8] | ||
Education
The Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water and Marine Science is located in Uthal.
Economy
In the south east, an oil refinery Cnergyico was constructed in 2014 at Hub in Lasbela District which is capable of processing 120,000 barrels of oil. Furthermore, a power station is located adjacent to refinery, that produces about 1350 MW of power.[9]
Bibliography
- 1998 District census report of Lasbela. Census publication. Vol. 57. Islamabad: Population Census Organization, Statistics Division, Government of Pakistan. 1999.
References
- ^ a b c "History of Lasbela". Lasbela District Government website. 1 August 2006. Archived from the original on 6 October 2007. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
- ^ a b c "Population by Sex, Religion and Rural/Urban, Census - 2023" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
- ^ a b c d e "Tehsils & Unions- Lasbela District". National Reconstruction Bureau, Government of Pakistan website. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
- ^ a b c d Saleem Shahid and Abdul Wahid Shahwani (24 February 2019). "Efforts on to rescue people from Balochistan's flood-hit areas". Dawn (newspaper). Retrieved 20 July 2021.
- ^ 1998 Census report, p. 2.
- ^ "Census of Pakistan, VOLUME 2 1951. Baluchistan: Report & Tables" (PDF). Manager of Publications, Government of Pakistan, Karachi. 1951.
- ^ "Population by Mother Tongue, Sex and Rural/Urban, Census-2023" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
- ^ "AREA, POPULATION BY SEX, SEX RATIO, POPULATION DENSITY, URBAN POPULATION, HOUSEHOLD SIZE AND ANNUAL GROWTH RATE, CENSUS-2023, BALOCHISTAN" (PDF).
- ^ Saad Hasan (4 July 2014). "A matter of weeks: Byco ready to utilise its Hub refinery". The Express Tribune (newspaper). Retrieved 20 July 2021.
External links
- Lasbela District at Balochistan Government website