View source for Quetta

{{Short description|Capital of Balochistan, Pakistan}}
{{About|the city|the metric prefix|Quetta-|other uses}}
{{EngvarB|date=January 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox settlement<!--See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields that may be available-->
| name                    = Quetta
| official_name           = 
| other_name              = 
| native_name             = {{hlist
 |{{lang|ps|کوټه}}
 |{{lang|bal|{{Nastaliq|کویٹہ}}}}
 |{{lang|ur|{{Nastaliq|کوئٹہ}}}}
 }}
| nickname                = ''Fruit Garden of Pakistan''
| etymology               = 
| settlement_type         = [[Metropolis]]<!-- Don't change without discussion -->
| motto                   = 
| image_skyline           = {{Multiple image
 |total_width             = 280px
 |perrow                  = 1/2/2/2
 |border                  = infobox
 |caption_align           = center
 |image1                  = Quetta cantt.jpg
 |caption1                = [[Quetta Cantonment]]
 |image2                  = Quetta_at_night_2.jpg
 |caption2                = Quetta at night
 |image3                  = Quetta Fort Mirri.jpg
 |caption3                = Fort Mirri
 |image4                  = Hanna Lake Quetta.jpg
 |caption4                = [[Hanna Lake]]
 }}
| image_flag              = Quetta City Flag.png
| flag_size               = 
| image_seal              = 
| seal_size               = 
| image_shield            = 
| shield_size             = 
| image_blank_emblem      = Quetta Metropolitan Corporation.png
| blank_emblem_type       = Emblem
| blank_emblem_size       = 120px
| image_map               = 
| map_caption             = 
| pushpin_map             = Balochistan Pakistan#Pakistan
| pushpin_map_caption     = 
| pushpin_mapsize         = 
| pushpin_relief          = yes
| coordinates             = {{Wikidatacoord|Q185458|region:PK_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type        = Country
| subdivision_name        = {{PAK}}
| subdivision_type1       = [[Provinces of Pakistan|Province]]
| subdivision_name1       = {{flagicon|Balochistan}} [[Balochistan, Pakistan|Balochistan]]
| subdivision_type2       = [[Divisions of Pakistan|Division]]
| subdivision_name2       = [[Quetta Division|Quetta]]
| subdivision_type3       = [[Districts of Pakistan|District]]
| subdivision_name3       = [[Quetta District|Quetta]]
| government_footnotes    = 
| government_type         = Municipal Corporation<ref name="Government">{{cite web |url=http://www.balochistan.gov.pk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=836&Itemid=1087 |title=Government Organization – Government of Balochistan |work=balochistan.gov.pk |access-date=6 September 2016 |archive-date=7 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207154808/http://www.balochistan.gov.pk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=836&Itemid=1087 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| leader_title            = [[Mayor of Quetta|Mayor]]
| leader_name             = Seat Vacant
| leader_title1           = [[Mayor of Quetta|Deputy Mayor]]
| leader_name1            = Seat Vacant
| leader_title2           = Commissioner
| leader_name2            = [[Muhammad Hamza Shafqaat|Hamza Shafqaat]]<ref name="dawn1">{{cite news |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1797418 |title=Quetta sit-in continues as talks break down |date=13 December 2023 |access-date=19 December 2023 |work=Daen (newspaper) |archive-date=19 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231219141450/https://www.dawn.com/news/1797418 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| leader_title3           = [[Deputy Commissioner (Pakistan)|Deputy Commissioner]]
| leader_name3            = Saad Bin Asad<ref name="dawn1"/>
| established_title       = Settled
| established_date        = {{start date and age|1876}}
| unit_pref               = PAK
| area_footnotes          = 
| area_metro_km2          = 3501
| area_total_km2          = 3501
| area_water_percent      = 
| elevation_footnotes     = 
| elevation_m             = 1,680
| elevation_ft            = 5,510
| elevation_max_m         = 
| elevation_min_m         = 
| population_as_of        = [[2023 Census of Pakistan|2023]]
| population_footnotes    = <ref name="census2017">{{cite report |year=2017 |title=DISTRICT WISE CENSUS RESULTS CENSUS 2017 |url=http://www.pbscensus.gov.pk/sites/default/files/DISTRICT_WISE_CENSUS_RESULTS_CENSUS_2017.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829164748/http://www.pbscensus.gov.pk/sites/default/files/DISTRICT_WISE_CENSUS_RESULTS_CENSUS_2017.pdf |archive-date=29 August 2017 |publisher=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics |page=13 |access-date=29 March 2018 }}</ref>
| population_note         = 
| total_type              = [[City]]
| population_total        = 1,565,546
| population_rank         = [[List of most populous cities in Pakistan|9th in Pakistan]];<br />[[List of cities in Balochistan, Pakistan by population|1st in Balochistan]]
| population_density_km2  = auto
| population_blank1_title = [[Demonym]]
| population_blank1       = Quettan or Quettawal (kʰwətə.wal)
| timezone                = [[Pakistan Standard Time|PKT]]
| utc_offset              = +05:00
| timezone_DST            = 
| utc_offset_DST          = 
| postal_code_type        = [[Postal codes in Pakistan|Postal code]]
| postal_code             = 87300
| area_code               = 081
| area_code_type          = [[Dialling codes in Pakistan|Dialing code]]
| website                 = {{URL|http://www.balochistan.gov.pk/}}
}}

'''Quetta'''{{efn|{{IPAc-en|'|k|w|ɛ|t|ə}}; {{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|کوئٹہ}}}}, ''ko'eṭa'', {{IPA|hns|ˈkweːʈə||Quetta pronunciation.ogg}} {{langx|bal|کویٹہ}} {{Langx|ps|کوټه}}}} is the capital and largest city of the [[Administrative units of Pakistan|Pakistani province]] of [[Balochistan, Pakistan|Balochistan]]. It is the ninth [[List of cities in Pakistan by population|largest city]] in [[Pakistan]], with an estimated population of over 1.6 million in 2024.<ref>{{cite web |title=Quetta Population 2024 |url=https://worldpopulationreview.com/world-cities/quetta-population |website=worldpopulationreview.com }}</ref> It is situated in the south-west of the country, lying in a valley surrounded by mountains on all sides. Quetta is at an average elevation of {{convert|1680|m|ft|abbr=off}} above sea level,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://population.mongabay.com/population/pakistan/1167528/quetta |title=Mongabay -environmental science and conservation news |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304052058/http://population.mongabay.com/population/pakistan/1167528/quetta |archive-date=4 March 2016 }}</ref> making it Pakistan's highest altitude major city. The city is known as the ''"Fruit Garden of Pakistan,"'' due to the numerous fruit orchards in and around it and the large variety of fresh and dried fruits produced there.<ref name="Quetta fruit garden of Pakistan">{{cite news |url=https://www.bolnews.com/trending/2020/01/winter-destinations-mesmerizing-places-in-pakistan/ |title=Winter destinations – Mesmerizing places in Pakistan |work=[[Bol News]] |date=18 January 2020 |access-date=7 January 2022 |archive-date=24 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624133958/https://www.bolnews.com/trending/2020/01/winter-destinations-mesmerizing-places-in-pakistan/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Located in northern [[Balochistan]] near the [[Durand line|Pakistan-Afghanistan border]] and the road across to [[Kandahar]], Quetta is a trade and communication centre between the two countries.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gazdar |first1=Haris |last2=Kaker |first2=Sobia Ahmad |last3=Khan |first3=Irfan |title=Buffer zone, colonial enclave or urban hub? Quetta: between four regions and two wars |website=www.crisisstates.com |date=February 2010 |url=https://eprints.lse.ac.uk/28472/ |language=en |archive-date=28 May 2024 |access-date=28 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240528184740/https://eprints.lse.ac.uk/28472/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The city is near the [[Bolan Pass]], which was on a major gateway from [[Central Asia]] to [[South Asia]].

== Etymology ==
The name ''Quetta'' is a variation of the [[Pashto language|Pashto]] word ''Kwatkōṭ'', or ''kōta'' meaning "fortress".<ref>{{Citation |last=Everett-Heath |first=John |title=Quetta |date=24 October 2019 |url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780191882913.001.0001/acref-9780191882913-e-6164 |work=The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Place Names |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-188291-3 |access-date=4 September 2021 |doi=10.1093/acref/9780191882913.001.0001 |archive-date=4 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210904184459/https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780191882913.001.0001/acref-9780191882913-e-6164 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref> Quetta was formerly known as Shalkot ({{langx|ps|ښالکوټ}}, {{langx|ur|شالکوٹ}}).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Thornton |first=Thomas Henry |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mHpCAAAAIAAJ&dq=shalkot+Quetta&pg=PA211 |title=Colonel Sir Robert Sandeman: His Life and Work on Our Indian Frontier. A Memoir, with Selections from His Correspondence and Official Writings |date=1895 |publisher=J. Murray |language=en }}</ref>

== History ==
{{See also|History of Quetta}}
=== Early history ===
<gallery mode="packed" widths="200">
File:Quetta 1880.JPG|Fort Mirri in 1880
File:Quetta4m.jpg|Quetta Cantonment, 1889
</gallery>Modern day Quetta was captured by [[Mahmud of Ghazni|Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi]] during his [[Ghaznavids|invasion of India]].<ref name="Burki">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rk-sBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA470 |title=Historical Dictionary of Pakistan |last=Burki |first=Shahid Javed |year=2015 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=9781442241480 }}</ref> In 1543, Mughal emperor [[Humayun]] came to Quetta en route to [[Safavid Persia]], leaving his son and future Mughal emperor [[Akbar]] here. In 1709, the region was a part of Afghan [[Hotak dynasty]] and stayed a part until 1747 when [[Ahmed Shah Durrani]] conquered it and made it a part of [[Durrani Empire]]. The first European visited Quetta in 1828, describing it as ''mud-walled fort surrounded by three hundred mud houses''.<ref name="BHC Govt">{{cite web |url=https://bhc.gov.pk/district-judiciary/quetta/introduction/history |title=History of District |work=bhc.gov.pk |access-date=26 November 2017 |archive-date=1 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201034148/https://bhc.gov.pk/district-judiciary/quetta/introduction/history |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Foundation ===
[[File: Quetta map before 1935.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Map of Quetta after the [[1935 Quetta earthquake]]|left]]
In 1856, British General [[John Jacob (East India Company officer)|John Jacob]] had urged his government to occupy Quetta given its strategic position on the western frontier.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G-48AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA458 |title=The Cambridge History of the British Empire |last=Dodwell |first=H. H. |date=1929 |publisher=CUP Archive }}</ref> British troops constructed the infrastructure for their establishment as a garrison town.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shah |first=Syed Ali |date=29 December 2013 |title=Quetta: 'Little Paris' lost |url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1077071 |access-date=18 July 2024 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en |archive-date=18 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240718151952/https://www.dawn.com/news/1077071 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1877, the [[British Empire|British]] made an agreement with then [[Khanate of Kalat|Khan of Kalat]], [[Khudadad Khan (ruler)|Mir Khudadad Khan]] to rule Quetta, which started the regime of [[Robert Groves Sandeman|Sir Robert Groves Sandeman]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Waters Gilbertson |first1=George |title=The Balochi Language: A Grammar and Manual |date=1923 |publisher=Stephen Austin & Sons, ltd |location=Hertford |page=1-2 |url=https://ia601506.us.archive.org/27/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.57563/2015.57563.Balochi-Language-A-Grammar-And-Manual_text.pdf#:~:text=Balochi%20Language%20A%20Grammar%20And,•raging%20torrents |access-date=16 June 2025 |language=en |chapter=Forward}}</ref>

It was reconstructed after the [[1935 Quetta earthquake]], which razed the city to the ground. The epicentre of the earthquake was close to the city and destroyed most of the city's infrastructure, killing an estimated 40,000 people.<ref name="ڈان اردو">{{cite web |author=ڈان اردو |date=30 December 2013 |title=پاکستانی شہروں کی تاریخ |url=http://www.dawnnews.tv/news/1001058 |access-date=26 February 2016 |work=dawnnews.tv |archive-date=6 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306213852/http://www.dawnnews.tv/news/1001058 |url-status=live }}</ref> After the foundation of Pakistan, Balochistan acquired the status of a province and Quetta became a provincial capital.<ref name="Burki" />

== Climate ==
{{Main|Climate of Quetta}}
Quetta has a [[cold semi-arid climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''BSk'') with a significant variation between summer and winter temperatures. Summer starts from late May and goes on until early September with average temperatures ranging from {{convert|24|–|26|C|F}}. The highest temperature in Quetta is {{convert|42|C|F}} which was recorded on 10 July 1998.<ref name="pakmet.com.pk">{{cite web |url=http://www.pakmet.com.pk/cdpc/Climate/Quetta_Climate_Data.txt |title=Mean FOR THE PERIOD 1961 – 2009 |publisher=Climate Data Processing Centre (CDPC), Pakistan Meteorological Department |location=Karachi |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100613053237/http://www.pakmet.com.pk/cdpc/Climate/Quetta_Climate_Data.txt }}</ref> Autumn starts in mid-September and continues until mid-November with average temperatures in the {{convert|12|–|18|C|F}} range. Winter starts in late November and ends in late February with average temperatures near {{convert|4|–|5|C|F}}. The lowest temperature in Quetta is {{convert|-18.3|C|F}} which was recorded on 8 January 1970.<ref name="pakmet.com.pk"/> Spring starts in early March and ends in mid-May with average temperatures close to {{convert|15|°C|°F|abbr=on}}. Unlike more easterly parts of Pakistan, Quetta does not have a [[monsoon]] season of heavy rainfall. Highest rainfall during 24 hours in Quetta is {{convert|113|mm|in}} which was recorded on 17 December 2000,<ref name="pakmet.com.pk"/> Highest monthly rainfall of {{convert|232.4|mm|in}} was recorded in March 1982 which was also the year of the highest annual rainfall, {{convert|949.8|mm|in}}.<ref name="pakmet.com.pk"/> In the winter, snowfall has become quite erratic (December, January and February).

{{Quetta weatherbox}}

The city saw a severe drought from 1999 to 2001 during which the city did not receive snowfall and below normal rains. In 2002, the city received snow after a gap of five years. In 2004 and 2005, the city received normal rains after three years without snowfall while in 2006, 2007 and 2009 the city received no snow. In 2008, it received a snowfall of {{convert|10|cm|in|0}} in four hours on 29 January,<ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090104081930/http://www.dawn.com/2008/01/29/nat4.htm |archive-date=4 January 2009 |url-status=live |url=http://www.dawn.com/2008/01/29/nat4.htm |title=Cold wave intensifies with heavy snowfall |date=29 January 2008 |website=Dawn }}</ref> followed on 2 February by {{convert|25.4|cm|in|0}} in 10 hours<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C02%5C04%5Cstory_4-2-2008_pg7_22 |title=Leading News Resource of Pakistan |work=Daily Times |date=4 February 2008 |access-date=8 May 2012 |archive-date=19 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119011506/http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C02%5C04%5Cstory_4-2-2008_pg7_22 |url-status=live }}</ref> – the city's heaviest snowfall in a decade. During the winter of 2010, it received no snow and saw below normal rains due to the presence of [[El Niño-Southern Oscillation|El-Nino]] over Pakistan.{{citation needed|date=March 2020}}

==Demographics==
{{Historical populations
|title       =
|align       =
|direction   =
|width       =
|state       =
|shading     =
|pop_name    =
|percentages =
|footnote    =
|source      = <ref name="pocketbook2006">{{cite book |last1=Elahi |first1=Asad |year=2006 |chapter=2: Population |chapter-url=http://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/other/pocket_book2006/2.pdf |title=Pakistan Statistical Pocket Book 2006 |url=http://www.pbs.gov.pk/content/pakistan-statistical-pocket-book-2006 |publisher=Government of Pakistan: Statistics Division |place=Islamabad, Pakistan |publication-date=2006 |page=28 |access-date=29 March 2018 |archive-date=30 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180330211332/http://www.pbs.gov.pk/content/pakistan-statistical-pocket-book-2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="census2017" />
|1941 |65000
|1951 |84000
|1961 |107000
|1972 |158000
|1981 |286000
|1998 |565137
|2017 |1001205
|2023|1,565,546}}

According to the [[2023 Pakistani census|2023 Census of Pakistan]], the population of the city was a total of 1,565,546.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pakistan: Provinces and Major Cities - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/pakistan/cities/ |access-date=31 August 2024 |website=www.citypopulation.de |archive-date=28 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028210633/https://www.citypopulation.de/Pakistan-100T.html |url-status=live }}</ref> This makes it the largest city in Balochistan province and one of the major cities of Pakistan. Quetta is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the country.<ref name="The Pashtun Question">{{cite book |author=Abubakar Siddique |title=The Pashtun Question: The Unresolved Key to the Future of Pakistan and Afghanistan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PkVeBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA22 |year=2014 |publisher=Hurst |isbn=978-1-84904-292-5 |page=22 }}</ref> The city has a [[Pashtuns|Pashtun]] plurality followed by [[Baloch people|Balochs]], [[Hazara people|Hazaras]], [[Brahui people|Brahui]], [[Punjabi people|Punjabis]] and [[Muhajir (Urdu-speaking people)|Muhajir people]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bianchi |first=Robert |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6dzQCwAAQBAJ |title=Guests of God: Pilgrimage and Politics in the Islamic World |date=25 March 2008 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-971183-3 |page=92 |language=en |quote=The largest communities are Pashtuns, Punjabis, and muhajirs, but no group is a majority. Quetta is one of the few districts in all Pakistan where no linguistic group can claim dominance, either numerically or politically. Aside from occasional clashes with Shi‘ite protesters encouraged by proximity to Iran, Quetta seems like a model of tolerance compared with the carnage ravaging the much larger melting pot of Karachi. |archive-date=19 February 2025 |access-date=28 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250219204702/https://books.google.com/books?id=6dzQCwAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref>{{sfn|Jonah Blank|Christopher Clary|Brian Nichiporuk|2014}}<ref name="Paksitan & The Karakoram Highway">{{cite book |author=Sarina Singh |title=Pakistan & the Karakoram Highway |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zn8I4qEew9oC&pg=PA142 |year=2008 |publisher=Lonely Planet |isbn=978-1-74104-542-0 |page=142 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Fair |first1=C. Christine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FW4Cx75_7usC&dq=Quetta+punjabis+pashtuns&pg=PA12 |title=Pakistan: Can the United States Secure an Insecure State? |last2=Crane |first2=Keith |last3=Chivvis |first3=Christopher S. |last4=Puri |first4=Samir |last5=Spirtas |first5=Michael |date=13 April 2010 |publisher=Rand Corporation |isbn=978-0-8330-4870-7 |pages=12 |language=en |archive-date=19 February 2025 |access-date=28 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250219204634/https://books.google.com/books?id=FW4Cx75_7usC&dq=Quetta+punjabis+pashtuns&pg=PA12 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Urdu]] being the national language is used and understood by all the residents and serves as a [[lingua franca]].

According to [[Reuters]] and the [[BBC]], there are as many as 500,000-600,000 [[Hazaras]] living in Quetta and its surrounding areas.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pakistan-shooting/two-killed-in-sectarian-attack-in-southwestern-pakistan-idUSKBN1HT0N2 |title=Two killed in sectarian attack in southwestern Pakistan |work=Reuters |date=22 April 2018 |archive-date=22 April 2018 |access-date=22 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180422170948/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pakistan-shooting/two-killed-in-sectarian-attack-in-southwestern-pakistan-idUSKBN1HT0N2 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-42219669 |title=The community caged in its own city |work=BBC News |date=12 December 2017 |last1=Kermani |first1=Secunder |author-link1=Secunder Kermani |archive-date=26 July 2018 |access-date=21 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726200108/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-42219669 |url-status=live }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Religious groups in Quetta City (1891–2023){{efn|1891–1941: Data for the entirety of the town of Quetta, which included Quetta Municipality and Quetta Cantonment.<ref name="Census1941"/>{{rp|13–14}}<br>2017 & 2023: Urban population of Quetta District.|name="QuettaCity1891to2023"}}
! rowspan="2" |[[Religion in Pakistan|Religious]]<br />group
! colspan="2" |1891<ref name="Census1891">{{cite web |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25318666 |jstor=saoa.crl.25318666 |access-date=8 December 2024 |title=Census of India, 1891. General tables for British provinces and feudatory states. |year=1891 |pages=70 |last1=Baines |first1=Jervoise Athelstane |author2=India Census Commissioner |volume=1 |archive-date=31 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230531191628/https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25318666 |url-status=live }}</ref>
! colspan="2" |1941<ref name="Census1941">{{cite web |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.28215993 |jstor=saoa.crl.28215993 |access-date=27 January 2023 |title=Census of India, 1941. Vol. 14, Baluchistan |year=1942 |volume=14 |author1=India Census Commissioner |pages=13–14 |archive-date=29 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230129064900/https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.28215993 |url-status=live }}</ref>
! colspan="2" |2017<ref name="Census2017B">{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/content/final-results-census-2017 |title=Final Results (Census-2017) |access-date=27 January 2023 |archive-date=17 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211017214726/https://www.pbs.gov.pk/content/final-results-census-2017 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Census2017C">{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2017/results/12309.pdf |title=District Wise Results / Tables (Census – 2017) TABLE 9 – POPULATION BY SEX, RELIGION AND RURAL/URBAN |access-date=27 January 2023 |archive-date=27 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127110235/https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2017/results/12309.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
! colspan="2" |2023<ref name="Census2023B">{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/digital-census/detailed-results |title=7th Population and Housing Census - Detailed Results Table-9 Population by sex, religion and rural/urban |website=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics |access-date=6 August 2024 |archive-date=3 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241203030321/https://www.pbs.gov.pk/digital-census/detailed-results |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
![[Population|{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}]]
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
|-
| [[Hinduism]] [[File:Om.svg|15px]]
| 7,180
| {{Percentage | 7180 | 16967 | 2 }}
| 24,010
| {{Percentage | 24010 | 64476 | 2 }}
| 6,112
| {{Percentage | 6112 | 999385 | 2 }}
| 5,366
| {{Percentage | 5366 | 1291856 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Islam]] [[File:Star and Crescent.svg|15px]]
| 6,281
| {{Percentage | 6281 | 16967 | 2 }}
| 27,935
| {{Percentage | 27935 | 64476 | 2 }}
| 975,815
| {{Percentage | 975815 | 999385 | 2 }}
| 1,264,791
| {{Percentage | 1264791 | 1291856 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Christianity]] [[File:Christian cross.svg|15px]]
| 2,650
| {{Percentage | 2650 | 16967 | 2 }}
| 5,024
| {{Percentage | 5024 | 64476 | 2 }}
| 16,842
| {{Percentage | 16842 | 999385 | 2 }}
| 20,897
| {{Percentage | 20897 | 1291856 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Sikhism]] [[File:Khanda.svg|15px]]
| 807
| {{Percentage | 807 | 16967 | 2 }}
| 7,364
| {{Percentage | 7364 | 64476 | 2 }}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| 123
| {{Percentage | 123 | 1291856 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Zoroastrianism]] [[File:Faravahar.svg|15px]]
| 31
| {{Percentage | 31 | 16967 | 2 }}
| 73
| {{Percentage | 73 | 64476 | 2 }}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| 46
| {{Percentage | 46 | 1291856 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Judaism]] [[File:Star of David.svg|15px]]
| 16
| {{Percentage | 16 | 16967 | 2 }}
| 11
| {{Percentage | 11 | 64476 | 2 }}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
|-
| [[Buddhism]] [[File:Dharma Wheel (2).svg|15px]]
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 16967 | 2 }}
| 42
| {{Percentage | 42 | 64476 | 2 }}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
|-
| [[Jainism]] [[File:Jain Prateek Chihna.svg|15px]]
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 16967 | 2 }}
| 6
| {{Percentage | 6 | 64476 | 2 }}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
|-
| [[Tribal religions in India|Tribal]]
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 16967 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 64476 | 2 }}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
|-
| [[Ahmadiyya]] [[File:Liwa-e-Ahmadiyya 1-2.svg|15px]]
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| 363
| {{Percentage | 363 | 999385 | 2 }}
| 127
| {{Percentage | 127 | 1291856 | 2 }}
|-
| Others
| 2
| {{Percentage | 2 | 16967 | 2 }}
| 11
| {{Percentage | 11 | 64476 | 2 }}
| 253
| {{Percentage | 253 | 999385 | 2 }}
| 506
| {{Percentage | 506 | 1291856 | 2 }}
|-
! Total population
! 16,967
! {{Percentage | 16967 | 16967 | 2 }}
! 64,476
! {{Percentage | 64476 | 64476 | 2 }}
! 999,385
! {{Percentage | 999385 | 999385 | 2 }}
! 1,291,856
! {{Percentage | 1291856 | 1291856 | 2 }}
|}

== Administration ==
At the local level, the city is governed by a municipal corporation consisting of 66 ward members which elects a mayor and a deputy mayor.<ref name="Government"/> In addition, [[Quetta Development Authority]] is responsible for provision of municipal services for the city.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://qda.gob.pk/index.php/about-us/about-qda |title=About QDA – Quetta Development Authority |access-date=12 April 2021 |archive-date=12 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412133333/https://qda.gob.pk/index.php/about-us/about-qda |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Transportation ==
[[File:Engine at Quetta Railway Station.jpg|thumb|Passengers boarding a Chaman bound train at Baleli, Quetta|left]]
[[File:Quetta Railway Station - 40311.jpg|thumb|[[Quetta railway station]] was built during the [[British Raj]]]]
Quetta is on the western side of [[Pakistan]] and is connected to the rest of the country by a network of roads, railways and its international airport close to its centre.

At an altitude of {{convert|1605|m|ft|abbr=off}} above sea level, [[Quetta International Airport]] is the second-highest airport in Pakistan.<ref>[http://www.caapakistan.com.pk/quetta.aspx Quetta Airport] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090629224734/http://www.caapakistan.com.pk/quetta.aspx |date=29 June 2009 }} CAA Pakistan. Retrieved 24 June 2009</ref> [[Pakistan International Airlines]] has regular flights to and from the other major cities of Pakistan including [[Islamabad]], [[Gwadar]], [[Karachi]], [[Lahore]] and [[Peshawar]].

[[Quetta Railway Station]] is one of the highest railway stations in Pakistan at {{convert|1676|m|ft|abbr=off}} above sea level. The railway track was laid in the 1890s during the British era to link Quetta with rest of the country. The extensive network of [[Pakistan Railways]] connects Quetta to Karachi in the south, by a {{convert|863|km|mi|abbr=on}} track, [[Lahore]] in the northeast (1,170&nbsp;km or 727 miles) and [[Peshawar]] further northeast (1,587&nbsp;km or 986 miles). A metalled road runs alongside the railway that connects Quetta to Karachi via the nearby town of [[Sibi]] to [[Jacobabad]] and [[Rohri]] in the plain of the [[River Indus]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/01/bomb-attack-targets-worshipers-quetta-mosque-killing-14-200110153518661.html |title=Bomb attack targets Worshippers at Quetta mosque, killing 14 |website=www.aljazeera.com |access-date=12 January 2020 |archive-date=14 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200214213529/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/01/bomb-attack-targets-worshipers-quetta-mosque-killing-14-200110153518661.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Education ==
Quetta serves as the learning centre for the Balochistan province. The city has a number of government and private colleges, including the following:
* [[Balochistan Agriculture College]]
* [[Balochistan University of Information Technology Engineering and Management Sciences|Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences]] (BUITEMS)
* [[Bolan Medical College]]
* Islamia High School, Quetta; frequently visited by Quaid-e-Azam [[Muhammad Ali Jinnah]] in 1937, and was nicknamed as ''Chhota Aligarh'' (Little [[Aligarh Muslim University|Aligarh]]) by him.{{cn|date=May 2025}} 
* [[Pakistan Command and Staff College]]
* [[Sardar Bahadur Khan Women's University]]
* [[St Francis Grammar School]]
* [[St. Joseph's Convent School, Quetta]]
* Government Science College, Quetta
* [[Tameer-e-Nau Public College, Quetta|Tameer-e-Nau Public College]]
* University Law College, Quetta
* [[University of Balochistan]]

== Sports ==
[[File:Qayyum Changezi.jpg|thumb|200x200px|The [[Qayyum Papa Stadium]] is named after [[Pakistan national football team]] captain [[Qayyum Changezi]], hailing from Quetta]]
[[association football|Football]] is the most popular sport among the people of Quetta.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Raheel |first=Natasha |date=5 December 2021 |title=Football, Balochistan and hope |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2332579/football-balochistan-and-hope |access-date=11 May 2024 |website=The Express Tribune |language=en }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Wasim |first=Umaid |date=26 November 2021 |title=Balochistan's boundless passion for football has nowhere to go but an event is keeping the flame alive |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1660239 |access-date=30 May 2024 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en |archive-date=12 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241112010809/https://www.dawn.com/news/1660239 |url-status=live }}</ref> The city has produced notable footballers for the [[Pakistan national football team]] including [[Abdul Wahid Durrani]], [[Qayyum Changezi]], [[Ayub Dar]], [[Mohammad Ali (footballer, born 1989)|Mohammad Ali]], and [[Rajab Ali (footballer)|Rajab Ali Hazara]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=InpaperMagazine |first=From |date=13 January 2013 |title=In-depth: Pakistan football |url=https://www.dawn.com/2013/01/13/in-depth-pakistan-football/ |access-date=5 May 2024 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en |archive-date=25 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525043530/http://dawn.com/2013/01/13/in-depth-pakistan-football/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Main football clubs from Quetta include [[Baloch FC Quetta|Baloch Quetta]]. [[Balochistan United W.F.C.|Balochistan United WFC]] won the [[2014 National Women Football Championship|2014 National Women Championship]]. The major football ground is [[Ayub National Stadium]], a multipurpose stadium also used for athletics. Other football grounds include [[Qayyum Papa Stadium]] and [[Sadiq Shaheed Stadium]].
[[File:Bugti stadium Quetta.jpg|thumb|alt=Quetta cricket stadium|[[Bugti Stadium]], home of [[Quetta Gladiators]]|left]]

[[Bugti Stadium]] is the home of [[Balochistan cricket team]], a [[first-class cricket]] team which competes in domestic tournaments,<ref name=Cricinfo1>{{cite web |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/27504448/pcb-unveils-new-domestic-set-stay-top-mantra |title=PCB unveils new domestic set-up with 'stay at the top' mantra |work=ESPN Cricinfo |access-date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=31 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190831140727/https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/27504448/pcb-unveils-new-domestic-set-stay-top-mantra |url-status=live }}</ref> and the Quetta-based team [[Quetta Gladiators]] compete in the [[Pakistan Super League]] (PSL). They were the champion of the [[2019 Pakistan Super League|PSL 2019]].

Boxing is highly popular as well.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://caravanmagazine.in/lede/the-hazaras-who-made-quetta-boxing-powerhouse |title=The Hazaras who made Quetta a boxing powerhouse |last=Faruqi |first=Sama |website=The Caravan |access-date=7 December 2019 |archive-date=7 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191207132800/https://caravanmagazine.in/lede/the-hazaras-who-made-quetta-boxing-powerhouse |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Muhammad Waseem]] is a professional boxer from Quetta. In Body Building Nisar Ahmed Khilji has Mr. Balochistan and Mr. Pakistan Titles and Pakistan representation in International Body Building Contests. In hockey, Quetta has produced [[Zeeshan Ashraf]] and [[Shakeel Abbasi]], who were members of the [[Pakistan men's national field hockey team|Pakistan's national hockey team]].

=== Facilities ===
Local facilities were created in the city for [[mountain climbing]] and [[caving]] as well as water sports. [[Hayatullah Khan Durrani]] ([[Pride of Performance]]) is the chief executive of Hayat Durrani Water Sports Academy, Balochistan's first and only Rowing, Canoeing, Kayaking, Sailing, rough swimming and boating academy where all such facilities provide free to the youth members at [[Hanna Lake]].

== Twin towns and sister cities ==
{{Main|List of twin towns and sister cities in Pakistan}}

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="180">
File:Quetta Infantry School.png|Junior officers in a tactical discussion at the Infantry School, Quetta
File:Hanna Lake Quetta P1140271.jpg|[[Hanna Lake]]
File:Askrri park quetta - panoramio.jpg|Askari Park
File:Jinnah Road, Quetta.JPG|Jinnah Road
File:Quetta1880---.JPG|Quetta in 1880
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[2008 Ziarat earthquake]]
* [[Balochi cuisine]]
* [[Governor's House, Quetta]]
* [[List of people from Quetta]]
* [[Quetta hut]]
* [[Quetta Memorial Precinct]]
* [[RMS Quetta]]

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{EI2|last=Bosworth|first=C.E.|title=Kwat́́t́́a|volume=5 |url=https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-2/kwatta-SIM_4599?s.num=8&s.f.s2_parent=s.f.book.encyclopaedia-of-islam-2&s.q=brahui }}
* {{citation |author1=Jonah Blank |author2=Christopher Clary |author3=Brian Nichiporuk |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jeE9BgAAQBAJ |title=Drivers of Long-Term insecurity and Instability in Pakistan: Urbanization |date=30 October 2014 |publisher=Rand Corporation |isbn=978-0-83-308751-5 |page=29 }}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Quetta}}
* [http://www.quettaresults.com/matric-results/balochistan-board/ Balochistan Board] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122131259/http://www.quettaresults.com/matric-results/balochistan-board/ |date=22 January 2015 }}
* {{Official website|1=https://web.archive.org/web/20101018000923/http://www.balochistan.gov.pk:80/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=801&Itemid=1087|name=Official webpage on Balochistan.gov.pk}} (archived 18 October 2010)

{{Quetta}}
{{Neighbourhoods of Quetta}}
{{Pakistani cities}}
{{Districts of Balochistan (Pakistan)}}
{{Most populous cities of Balochistan, Pakistan}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Quetta| ]]
[[Category:Quetta District|*]]
[[Category:Capitals of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Populated places destroyed by earthquakes]]
[[Category:Populated places in Balochistan, Pakistan]]
[[Category:Metropolitan areas of Pakistan]]