Balochistan
بلۏچستان | |
---|---|
![]() Balochistan region in pink | |
Countries | |
Population (2013) | |
• Total | c. 18–19 million[1][2][3] |
Demographics | |
• Ethnic groups | Baloch, Pashtuns, Gujjar, Hazara, Sindhi, Saraiki |
• Languages | Balochi Minor: Brahui, Jadgali, Dehwari, Pashto, Lasi, Sindhi, Punjabi, Saraiki, Dari, Persian, Hazaragi, Khetrani, Urdu |
Largest cities |
Balochistan[4] (/bəˈloʊtʃɪstɑːn, bəˌloʊtʃɪˈstɑːn, -stæn/ bə-LOHTCH-ist-a(h)n, -A(H)N; Balochi: بلۏچستان, romanized: Balòcestàn, IPA: [baˈloːt͡ʃest̪ɑːn]), also spelled Baluchistan or Baluchestan, is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. This arid region of desert and mountains is primarily populated by ethnic Baloch people.[5][6][7]
The Balochistan region is split among three countries: Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Administratively it comprises the Pakistani province of Balochistan, the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan, and the southern areas of Afghanistan, which include Nimruz, Helmand and Kandahar provinces.[8][9] It borders the Khyber Paktunkhwa region to the north, Sindh and Punjab to the east, and Iranian regions to the west. Its southern coastline, including the Makran Coast, is washed by the Arabian Sea, in particular by its western part, the Gulf of Oman.