Chagai (district)

Chaghai District ضِلع چاغى
State :	Pakistan
Province :	Balochistan
Founded :	1896
Seat :	Dalbandin
Coordinates :	28 ° 30 ′  N , 63 ° 50 ′  E Coordinates: 28 ° 30 ′ 0 ″  N , 63 ° 50 ′ 0 ″  E
Area :	50,545 km²
Residents :	226,008 (2017)
Population density :	4 inhabitants per km²
Time zone :	PST ( UTC + 5 )

The Chaghai District ( Balochish and Urdu ضلع چاغی) is a district in the Pakistani province of Balochistan . The administrative center is the small town of Dalbandin .

description

Administrative division of Balochistan in 2010. The district of Chagai is numbered 4. New districts have been added since 2010, but the boundaries of Chagai have not changed.

Geographically, the district is located in the far west of Pakistan and borders Afghanistan in the north and Iran in the west . The landscape consists of plains, highlands and deserts, and the height above sea level varies from 486 to 2800 meters. To the north, the district turns into the desert, which extends south of the Hilmend River in Afghanistan. The border with Afghanistan was marked out by a British-Afghan commission in 1896 and the western border with Iran by an Iranian-Pakistani commission in 1959.

In terms of area, Chagai, with 50,545 km², is the largest district not only in Balochistan, but in the whole of Pakistan. The name of the district is derived from the place of the same name. Administratively, the district was divided into two Tehsils (Dalbandin and Nokundi) and 10 Union Councils in 2005 .

climate

The climate is very continental and ranges from extreme summer heat to clear winter cold. The climate is very dry and the average annual rainfall is less than 100 mm. The district is beyond the control of the monsoons .

Chaghai District (Dalbandin)
Climate diagram
J F. M. A. M. J J A. S. O N D.     20th   17th 2     17th   20th 4th     17th   26th 10     7th   32 15th     2   38 20th     1   41 23     4th   42 25th     1   41 23     0   37 17th     2   32 11     3   25th 6th     9   19th 2 Temperature in ° C ,  precipitation in mm Source: climate-data.org , the climate data for the capital Dalbandin are shown

climate Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Max. Temperature ( ° C ) 16.6 20.2 26.1 31.7 37.6 41.3 42.1 40.7 37.2 31.7 24.9 19.1 O 30.8 Min. Temperature (° C) 1.6 4.4 9.6 14.8 19.8 22.9 25.4 22.9 17.1 11.1 5.6 2.1 O 13.2 Precipitation ( mm ) 20th 17th 17th 7th 2 1 4th 1 0 2 3 9 Σ 83 Source: climate-data.org , the climate data for the capital Dalbandin are shown

history

Archaeological remains of forts and irrigation systems ( karez ) can be found in various locations in the district, indicating that the area was once more prosperous than it is today. The Baluch , an Iranian people, are possibly the oldest inhabitants of the country. There are also other ethnic groups, such as the Brahui , a Dravidian people and a minority of Pashtuns . In the Middle Ages the area was under the rule of the Persian Safavid dynasty and later came under the influence of the Mughal Empire . After the fall of power of the Mughal Empire, local princes took over until the area was conquered by Nadir Shah (ruled 1736-1747). The Persian rule was replaced by the rule of the Durrani Empire . The area then came under the rule of the Khan of Kalat , who eventually ceded the area to the British-Indian colonial administration in return for an annual pension . From 1899 until the independence of Pakistan and India, the district was under direct British administration as part of British India .

Population, culture and educational institutions

The population consists predominantly of Baluch , Brahui and, to a lesser extent, Pashtuns . The annual rate of population growth in 1998 was 3.1%. The official language is exclusively Urdu . About 99% of the population belong to Islam mostly Sunni and the religious leaders ( mullahs ) have great social influence. 43% of the population have attended school at some point in their life and 43% have writing and reading skills (data 2008–2009).

Traditionally, loyalties based on tribal affiliations play a major role. Carrying weapons is very common and often a question of prestige. Disputes are often resolved or settled outside of the courts. Women are de jure equal, but de facto their rights are often severely limited and they are very often dependent on their families or husbands.

Economy and Transport

Agriculture is the basis of the economy. The usable area is estimated at 446,588 hectares, which is about 8.8% of the area of ​​the district. The district has great agricultural potential. However, the development is limited by the scarce and inefficiently used water. The main crops are wheat, barley, rape / mustard , cumin , lentils , various vegetables, fodder crops and sunflowers .

The district is rich in natural resources, but only a small part of them are exploited on a small scale. Mainly onyx marble (59,749 t), chromite ore (10,500 t), copper ore and, in smaller quantities, other ores were mined.

In terms of infrastructure, the district is underdeveloped. Only larger roads are paved. In 2009 there were 3,429 telephone lines, 10 post offices and one bank branch throughout the district. There were 10 doctors, two nurses and 89 paramedical workers in the district. Health care provision for the population is therefore sometimes precarious.

particularities

The Pakistani nuclear weapons test site is located in the Ras Koh Hills in the Chagai district . In May 1998, Pakistan carried out a total of six underground nuclear explosions (code names Chagai-I and Chagai-II ) there and in the Chagai desert , officially joining the ranks of the nuclear powers .

Web links

• Profile of the district on the Balochistan Police Department
• Website of the Government of Balochistan

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h} District Development Profile 2011: Chaghai. (PDF) Planning and Development Authority of the Government of Balochistan in cooperation with UNICEF, July 18, 2011, accessed on November 15, 2016 . 
2. ↑ District at a glance. Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, accessed November 16, 2016 .