Karachi grew from a small fishing village known as «Kolachi» in the 18th century into a major trading port under British colonial rule, and in 1947 it became the first capital of newly independent Pakistan before the seat of government moved to Islamabad.

The city is home to the mausoleum of Pakistan's founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, known as «Mazar-e-Quaid», a soaring white marble monument and one of the city's most recognisable landmarks. Karachi remains Pakistan's principal economic engine as its main port on the Arabian Sea.