Lārkāna

▪ Pakistan

      town and district, Sukkur division, Sindh province, Pakistan. The town, the district headquarters, lies on the Ghar Canal just west of the Indus River; it derives its name from the neighbouring Lārak tribe. A railway junction, it is divided into two parts by the rail lines: the old city to the east, and Lahori village and the Civil Lines (mostly official residences) to the west. It was incorporated as a municipality in 1855. It is an important grain marketing and trade centre and is noted for its brass and metal wares. Once the capital of Sind under the Kalhōṛās, it contains many historic buildings. Several colleges are affiliated with the University of Sind.

      Lārkāna district (area 2,866 sq mi [7,423 sq km]), formed in 1901, occupies a fertile plain known as the “Garden of Sind,” except for its mountainous western portion (Kīrthar Range). Irrigated by canals, the plain yields sugarcane, wheat, rice, gram, rape, and fruit (mango, date, guava). Camel breeding is widespread, and there are numerous rice-husking, flour, and dyeing mills. Coarse salt and saltpetre are easily obtainable. Mohenjo-daro (Mound of the Dead), a key archaeological site of the Indus Valley civilization (c. 2500 BC), lies 15 mi (24 km) south of Lārkāna. Pop. (1998 prelim.) 270,366.

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