Jiwani (

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

, ) is a town and commercial port located on the

Gulf of Oman The Gulf of Oman or Sea of Oman ( ''khalīj ʿumān''; ''daryâ-ye omân''), also known as Gulf of Makran or Sea of Makran ( ''khalīj makrān''; ''daryâ-ye makrān''), is a gulf in the Indian Ocean that connects the Arabian Sea with th ...

in the

Gwadar District Gwadar District (, ) is a district in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. The name Gwadar originates from Gwat and Dar ()، which means the door of air. Gwadar was notified as a separate district on 1 July 1977. The city of Gwadar serves as t ...

of the

Balochistan Balochistan ( ; , ), also spelled as Baluchistan or Baluchestan, is a historical region in West and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. This arid region o ...

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

of Pakistan. The town has a population of 25,332 and is expected to become a major commercial centre in concert with the development of the port city of

Gwadar Gwadar (, ) is a Port, port city on the southwestern coast of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Balochistan, Pakistan, Balochistan. The city is located on the shores of the Arabian Sea, opposite Oman and has a populati ...

, located nearly to the east.

Overview

Jiwani is located between Gwadar and

Chabahar Chabahar ( (); ) is a city in the Central District (Chabahar County), Central District of Chabahar County, Sistan and Baluchestan province, Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. It is ...

at the eastern end of Gwatar Bay. The area around the bay includes an important

mangrove forest Mangrove forests, also called mangrove swamps, mangrove thickets or mangals, are productive wetlands that occur in coastal intertidal zones. Mangrove forests grow mainly at tropical and subtropical latitudes because mangrove trees cannot withsta ...

, and is an important habitat for a wide variety of wildlife, especially the endangered

olive ridley The olive ridley sea turtle (''Lepidochelys olivacea''), also known commonly as the Pacific ridley sea turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Cheloniidae. The species is the second-smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in t ...

and

green turtles The green sea turtle (''Chelonia mydas''), also known as the green turtle, black (sea) turtle or Pacific green turtle, is a species of large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Chelonia''. Its range exten ...

. Plans to grant fishing concessions and offshore drilling rights are potentially a threat to the wildlife of the area. The population largely depends upon fishing. A number of export-oriented fish freezing plants are located in Jiwani. Jiwani is from the Iranian border. Jiwani holds strategic importance in the region, located immediately adjacent to the shipping lanes to and from the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...

. This is the main reason that the town hosts a small naval base and an airport with a runway. Jiwani was used during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

as an Allied airfield and the remains of some airfields are still available. Visiting the accommodation area of the airfield base used during World War II in Jiwani reveals many handwritten small stories and names of Allied

pilots An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators because they are ...

. There is a water system which is now abandoned for use but is a marvel of civil works for meeting water requirements of the station. It used to store rain water in three stages in order to clean the water using its usual flow. The water was then pumped to the airfield, and also up to the Victoria Hut, which is nearly from the water tank system. The Makran Coastal Highway now reaches Jiwani from

and also connects to

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

. According to media reports,

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

and

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

plan to build a military base in Jiwani.

Demographics

Population

Climate

Jiwani has a

hot desert climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk'') is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

''BWh'') with hot and dry summers and warm winters. Most rainfall falls in winter, although there is sometimes a little rain in the monsoon season (July–August) as well.

References

{{Commons category, Jiwani Coastal cities and towns in Pakistan Populated places in Gwadar District Tehsils of Gwadar District Headlands of Pakistan Gwatar Bay

Overview

Demographics

Population

Climate

See also

References