The close to 700-kilometer coastline of Balochistan extends west from Karachi which borders the province at the Hub river, to just beyond Jiwani, the last town before the border with Iran in the west. A generally, sparsely populated region, the Makran Coastal Highway in recent areas has eased travel across it and improved access to education, health and produce markets where the goods produced in the area are sold and, others bought.
The terrain and geography of the region are diverse with fertile agricultural lands in the eastern district of Lasbela and the dry, arid mountains of the Makran Coastal Range in the Gwadar district. The region also holds the Hingol National Park, an area with towering, wind-eroded mountainous structure, canyons, dry riverbeds and a diversity of native wildlife including the popular Ibex. The Coastal Highway also attains its highest altitude in this region at the Buzi Pass, at an altitude of over 2000 meters above sea level.
The stretch of coastline is also dotted with the most beautiful, sandy beaches, complemented with blue waters and marine life. Parts of the coastal waters are also home to marine life such as dolphins, particularly the Miani Hor lagoon which also has mangroves in abundance and therefore, an environment supporting a high level of bio-diversity.
While, the remaining part of the coastal areas do not support agriculture due to lack of rain and soil salinity, native plants support herders that travel the coast in search of food for their animals. However, the most common economic activity is fishing and its related industries. As a sustenance solution for centuries, the people of the region now sustain themselves as well as sell some of their catch for economic benefit. A significant amount of the excess catch from these areas is also exported, particularly to Sri Lanka.
With the expanding towns of Ormara, Pasni and Gwadar, trade is also on the rise, particularly through the expansion and re-structuring of the Gwadar port to realize its potential and scale it to be a major deep-sea port of the world.
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