Sindh (Urdu:سندھ), presently, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Known by various names in the past, the name Sindh comes from the Indo-Aryans whose legends claimed that the Indus River flowed from the mouth of a lion or Sinh-ka-bab. In Sanskrit, the province was dubbed Sindhu meaning “ocean”. The Assyrians (as early as the seventh century BCE) knew the region as Sinda, the Persians Abisind, the Greeks Sinthus, the Romans Sindus, the Chinese Sintow, while the Arabs dubbed it Sind. It is mentioned to be a part of Abhirrdesh (Abhira Kingdom) in Srimad Bhagavatam. Sindh was the first place where Islam spread in South Asia. As a result, it is often referred to as “Bab-al-Islam” (Gate of Islam). The provincial Pakistani region of Sindh covers an area of 54,407 mi² or (140,914 km²).
Geography
Sindh is located on the western corner of South-Central Asia, bordering the Iranian plateau in the west. Geographically it is the third largest province of Pakistan, stretching about 579 km from north to south and 442 km (extreme) or 281 km (average) from east to west, with an area of 54,407 mi² or (140,914 km²) of Pakistani territory. Sindh is bounded by the Thar Desert to the east, the Kirthar mountains to the west, and the Arabian Sea in the south. In the centre is a fertile plain around the Indus River.
Cities
Karachi – the financial capital and the largest city of the country, it’s an industrial port city and the provincial capital of Sindh
Hala – famous for its glazed pottery and enameled wood work. Situated on the National Highway about 56 km from Hyderabad, it is frequently visited by hundreds of devotees of Hazrat Makhdoom Noah (10th century Hijra), a contemporary of Mughal Emperor Akbar and a religious divine, who converted a large number of people of Islam and translated the Quran into Persian which is one of its earliest Persian translations in South Asia.
Hyderabad is the 2nd largest city of Sindh
Sukkur is the 3rd largest city of Sindh
Mirpurkhas – Near Thar Desert
Larkana – Famous for Mohan-Jo-Daro
Thatta – Once a famous center of learning, arts and commerce and provisional capital for about four centuries in the past
(Courtesy: wikitravel.org)