Karachi Practical Information is a good place to start planning your trip to Karachi, Pakistan. Here World 66 offers some basic information that all travelers should know before traveling to Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan, and 20th largest city in the world.

Location 

Karachi is the capital of the Sindh Provence, in the country of Pakistan. Karachi is a sprawling city that sits along the Arabian Sea in southern Pakistan. The exact coordinates for Karachi are 24 degrees 51' 36" N and 67 degrees 0' 36" East. Karachi is bordered by India to the east, China to the north, Afghanistan and Iran to the west, within South Asia.

Population 

Karachi's estimated population is speculated at roughly 18 million inhabitants in the metro area, although an exact number is difficult to account due to the amount of Afghan refugees. The city grows each year by approximately 5 percent,  and Karachi is one of the fastest growing cities in the world.

Language 

Urdu is the official language of Pakistan and is the most widely spoken language in Karachi, but English is also widely spoken throughout Pakistan. There are other regional dialects used in Karachi such as Punjabi, Pashto, Saraiki, Sindhi, Kashmiri, and Balochi.

Currency 

The official currency of Pakistan is the Pakistani Rupee (PKR), and it is used throughout Pakistan, including Karachi. The sign for the rupee is Rs, and the official code is PKR. The Pakistani Rupee is sometimes referred to as the rupaya. Rupees are counted in thousands. The coins of the rupee are the 1, 2, and 5 rupee, and the paper banknotes of the rupee are the 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1000, and 5000 rupee notes. It is a great idea to exchange a small amount of cash for Pakistani Rupees before you leave home. Major credit cards and traveler's checks are widely accepted throughout Karachi, but it is always advisable to carry a small amount of cash on you at all times. The easiest way to exchange currency upon arrival in Karachi is at a major bank or hotel. ATMs are a great way to pull the local currency from your local bank, but it is a good idea to check with your banking institution before leaving home to make sure that your cards are accepted in Pakistan.

Time Zone 

The time zone is UTC +5 hours, or GMT +5 hours. Pakistan observes Daylight Saving Time (DST), so during the summer months the time zone changes to UTC +6 hours, or GMT +6 hours.

Electricity 

Electrical current is 230 volts, 50Hz. Round 2 or 3-pin plugs are used, so make sure to bring an adapter to convert the electrical current for your electronics.