Balochistan, situated in the southwest of Pakistan, constitutes 44% of the total land mass. It covers an area of 347,190 kilometers but is home to only 5% of the total population of the country. Balochistan straddles Iran and Afghanistan to its west and north-west and borders the Arabian Sea in the south. Balochistan is administratively divided into 30 districts. Figure 1 illustrates these districts and Appendix A provides area and population-wise break-up of the districts of Balochistan.

1. ECONOMIC POTENTIAL
OF BALOCHISTAN

2. INTRODUCTION

3.  SITUATED IN THE SOUTHWEST OF PAKISTAN, CONSTITUTES
44% OF THE TOTAL LAND MASS.
COVERS AN AREA OF 347,190 KILOMETERS
HOME TO ONLY 5% OF THE TOTAL POPULATION
BALOCHISTAN STRADDLES IRAN AND AFGHANISTAN TO ITS
WEST AND NORTH-WEST AND BORDERS THE ARABIAN SEA
IN THE SOUTH
BALOCHISTAN IS ADMINISTRATIVELY DIVIDED INTO 30
DISTRICTS.

4. ETHNIC COMPOSITION
• BALOCH, PASHTOON AND BRAHVI.
• MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN THE CITIES AND
TOWNS UNDERSTAND AND SPEAK MORE
THAN TWO LANGUAGES.
• SERAIKI , PUNJABI AND SINDHI. DARRI
AND PERSIAN ARE ALSO SPOKEN.

5. RESOURCE RICHNESS
oA RESOURCE-RICH PROVINCE
oHOLDS LARGE QUANTITIES OF COAL, GOLD,
COPPER, SILVER, PLATINUM, ALUMINUM AND
URANIUM
oACCOUNTS FOR 36 PERCENT OF PAKISTAN’S
TOTAL GAS PRODUCTION.
oPOTENTIAL TRANSIT ZONE FOR A PIPELINE
TRANSPORTING NATURAL GAS FROM IRAN
AND TURKMENISTAN
oCOASTAL LINE

6. SCOPE
TO HIGHLIGHT THE GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION OF
BALOCHISTAN AND EXPLORE THE RICH
ECONOMICAL PROSPECTS OF THE PROVINCE

7. LOCATION

8. GEOGRAPHYBALOCHISTAN IS LOCATED AT THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE IRANIAN PLATEAU AND IN
THE DIFFICULT TO DEFINE BORDER REGION BETWEEN SOUTHWEST, CENTRAL,
AND SOUTH ASIA.
IT IS GEOGRAPHICALLY THE LARGEST OF THE FOUR PROVINCES AT 347,190 KM² AND
COMPOSE 42% OF THE TOTAL LAND AREA OF PAKISTAN.
THE POPULATION DENSITY IS VERY LOW DUE TO THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AND
SCARCITY OF WATER. THE SOUTHERN REGION IS KNOWN AS MAKRAN.
 A REGION IN THE CENTRE OF THE PROVINCE IS KNOWN AS KALAT.
THE SULAIMAN MOUNTAINS DOMINATE THE NORTHEAST CORNER AND THE BOLAN
PASS IS A NATURAL ROUTE INTO AFGHANISTAN TOWARDS KANDAHAR.
 MUCH OF THE PROVINCE SOUTH OF THE QUETTA REGION IS SPARSE DESERT
TERRAIN WITH POCKETS OF INHABITABLE TOWNS MOSTLY NEAR RIVERS AND
STREAMS.

9. CAPITAL

11. DEEP SEA PORT

12. CLIMATE

13. ADMINISTRATIVE
DIVISION

14. ECONOMY

15. MINERAL RESOURCES OF
BALOCHISTAN

16. •COAL.
•BARYTES.
•SULPHUR.
•MARBLE
•ONYX.
•IRON ORE .
•QUARTZITE
•LIMESTONE.

17. SAINDAK

18. MINE

19. HISTORY

21. REKO DIQ

22. LOCATION

23. GEOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE

25. MINERALOGY

26. REKO DIQ RESOURCES

27. GWADAR

28. GWADAR PORT

29. INVESTMENT
OPPORTUNITIES

30. CONCLUSION

31. QUESTIONS