Karachi is an important educational center and has several universities and many other schools. Several departments of Pakistan's government are in the city. The area also includes many popular beach resorts. Factories manufacture textiles, printed materials, steel, food products, chemicals, transportation equipment, and other products. The city has a shipyard, and its port serves as the gateway for Pakistan's foreign trade.
Railroads link Karachi to northern Pakistan.
In 1729, a trading village developed near the present site of Karachi's harbor. The village was soon named Karachi. By the mid-1800's, about 14,000 people lived in Karachi and its suburbs. After the British gained control of the region in 1843, Karachi became an important port and commercial center. In 1947, Pakistan won independence from Britain.