Ormara (Balochi and Urdu: اورماڑا, Urdu pronunciation: [oːɾmɑːɽɑː]), is a town & tehsil in Gwadar District in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. It is a port in the Makran coastal region. It is located 360 kilometres (220 mi) west of Karachi and 230 kilometres (140 mi) east of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea. This port is also mentioned in Periplus of the Erythraean Sea as Oraea.
Ormara
اورماڑا | |
|---|---|
 A view of Ormara's "Double Crescents" | |
  Ormara Location in Pakistan  Ormara Ormara (Pakistan) | |
| Coordinates: 25°12′51.96″N 64°37′59.87″E / 25.2144333°N 64.6332972°E | |
| Country |  Pakistan |
| Province | Balochistan |
| District | Gwadar |
| Tehsil | Ormara |
| Elevation | 7 m (23 ft) |
| Population (2023 census) | |
• Total | 16,573 |
| Time zone | UTC+5 (PST) |
| Postal code | 91400 |
| Highways |  N-10 |
| Ormara Lighthouse | |
| Coordinates | 25°11′19.3″N 64°41′15.8″E / 25.188694°N 64.687722°E |
| Constructed | 1970 |
| Foundation | concrete base |
| Construction | metal skeletal tower |
| Height | 10.7 metres (35 ft) |
| Shape | square pyramidal skeletal tower |
| Markings | grey tower |
| Power source | solar power  |
| Operator | Mercantile Marine Department [1][2][3] |
| Focal height | 223 metres (732 ft) |
| Lens | Type LASE-28/6 |
| Intensity | 28,900 cd |
| Range | 16.7 nautical miles (30.9 km; 19.2 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fl (2) W 20s. |
History
edit
Going towards Gwadar through the Makran Coastal Highway, Ormara comes in midway between Karachi and Gwadar. Its historical routes are linked with Alexander the Great, who stayed there with his army for a few days on his way back from the Indus region after conquering the lands of Sindh, Punjab and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regions of modern-day Pakistan in 400 BC. One of his generals, Ormoz, died there, and the present-day city was named after him.
For centuries, Ormara remained a battlefield between the Baloch Sardar (local feudal) and foreign aggressors. Before independence, it was part of the state of Las Bela and afterward in 1975, it became part of the Makran Division. Being an isolated town, it remained undeveloped; however, after the construction of the Makran Coastal Highway and Jinnah Naval Base, life has taken a positive change for the locals with many local industries and the resultant increase in jobs available for the locals. Its population is about forty thousand people and still offers a traditional look at how the ancients lived. Most residents make their livelihood from fishing; a few of them also work in Middle Eastern countries. Ormara has witnessed considerable growth in recent years, especially with the foundation of the Makran Coastal Highway, which integrated the area more with the mainstream Pakistani economy and significant urban centres allowing for transport of goods, commerce and people.
Demographics
editThe population of city in 1981 was 8,265 but according to the 2023 Census of Pakistan, the population has risen to 16,573.[4] In the Ormara tehsil 27,832 people lived in 2023.[5]
| Census | Population |
|---|---|
| 1981 | 8,265 |
| 1998 | 11,521 |
| 2017 | 15,631 |
| 2023 | 16,573 |
Transport
editOrmara has a port and fish harbour. The Jinnah Naval Base of the Pakistan Navy is located at Ormara.[6] Ormara Airport (ORW) is a domestic airport with connections to the rest of Pakistan. The Makran Coastal Highway links Ormara with Karachi to the east and Gwadar to the west.
Education
edit- Govt Girls College Ormara
- Govt High School Gazi Lane
- Govt Girls High School Islamia Line
- Govt Middle School Punjag
- Govt Girls Middle School Juna Line
- Govt Primary School Syedabad
- Govt Primary School KohBon
- Govt Primary School Tak
Military
editGallery
editSee also
editReferences
edit- ^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Pakistan". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
- ^ NGA List of Lights – Pub.112 Retrieved 13 October 2016
- ^ Mercantile Marine Department Retrieved 13 October 2016
- ^ "Ormāra (Gwadar, Balochistan, Pakistan) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map, Location, Weather and Web Information". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
- ^ "Ormara (Tehsil, Pakistan) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
- ^ "Jinnah Naval Base". Fas.org. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
