# Lasbela District

Lasbela District (Urdu: لسبیلہ ‹See RfD› Lasbēla, Lasi: لسٻيلو‎ ‹See RfD› Lasɓēlō, Balochi: لسبݔله ‹See RfD› Lasbèla) is a coastal district in Kalat Division of Balochistan, Pakistan.
The District is situated south of Balochistan Province, Pakistan, lies approximately 125 kilometers west of Karachi. With a population of around 298,092, according to the 2023 Pakistan Census. The district's economy thrives on fishing, agriculture, livestock breeding etc. Additionally, Lasbela is rich in natural resources, with limestone and gypsum mining contributing significantly.
During the British Raj era, Lasbela also held strategic importance.
Lasbela's climate is characterized as hot and humid subtropical, with scorching summers reaching up to 45 °C and mild winters ranging from 10-20 °C. The district receives minimal rainfall, averaging between 60–100 mm annually.
The predominant languages spoken are Balochi and Lasi(Sindhi).
The district administrative capital is at Uthal City.
District Lasbela features beaches along the coast, such as Sapat beach, Kund Malir, Golden Beach, and Sonmiani beach, as well as the mountains and waterfalls of Kanraj, Sandh, and Duddar.

## Administration

The district of Lasbela is administratively divided in four tehsils, one sub-tehsil and 22 Union Councils.
| Tehsil | Area (km²) | Pop. (2023) | Density (ppl/km²) (2023) | Literacy rate (2023) | Union Councils |
| Uthal Tehsil | 1,756 | 88,933 | 50.65 | 33.95% | Uthal Wayara Kenwari Sheh |
| Lakhra Tehsil | 1,954 | 46,744 | 23.92 | 15.31% | Lakhra |
| Bela Tehsil | 1,527 | 129,264 | 84.65 | ... | Bela Welpat Shumali Welpat Junubi Kathor Gador |
| Kanraj Tehsil | 1,190 | 15,996 | 13.44 | 20.32% | |
| Liari Tehsil | 2,010 | 17,155 | 8.53 | 16.09% | |

## Geography

The main rivers of Lasbela are Porali River with its tributaries, Winder River and Wirhab River. Other rivers are the Phor and Hingol which rise in Awaran District before flowing through Lasbela on their way to the Arabian Sea.

## Demographics
### Population

As of the 2023 census, Lasbela district has 115,539 households and a population of 680,977. The district has a sex ratio of 105.04 males to 100 females and a literacy rate of 36.47%: 45.86% for males and 26.48% for females. 209,038 (30.7% of the surveyed population) are under 10 years of age. 330,585 (48.55%) live in urban areas.

### Language

* Balochi (75.32%)
* Sindhi (incl. Lasi) (9.96%)
* Brahui (8.09%)
* Pashto (2.56%)
* Others (4.07%)
In the 1951 Census of Pakistan, 80% of population of former state of Las Bela was reported to be speaker of Sindhi, forming a majority. The share of Balochi was 19%. At the time of the 2023 census, the share of Sindhi fell to 9.96% while that of Balochi rose to 75.32%. Other first languages include Brahui (8.09%) and Pashto (2.56%).

### Religion

Religions in Lasbela district (2023) :
| Religion | Religion | Percent | Percent |
| Islam | Islam | 97.05% | 97.05% |
| Hinduism | Hinduism | 2.42% | 2.42% |
| Christianity | Christianity | 0.37% | 0.37% |
| Other | Other | 0.16% | 0.16% |
In the 2023 census, Islam is the predominant religion with 97.05% followers, while Hinduism has 2.42% followers. There is also a minor population which adheres to Christianity.

## Education

The Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water and Marine Science (LUAWMS) is located in Uthal.
Balochistan Residential College (BRC) at Uthal.
Polytechnic Institute at Uthal.

## Economy

In the south east, an oil refinery Cnergyico was constructed in 2014 at Hub in Lasbela District which is capable of processing 120,000 barrels of oil. Furthermore, a power station is located adjacent to refinery, that produces about 1350 MW of power.