Bela, Pakistan

Bela
بیلہ‬
Town
Bela
بیلہ‬
Coordinates: 26°07′N 66°12′E / 26.12°N 66.20°E / 26.12; 66.20
Country Pakistan
Province Balochistan
Elevation 88 m (289 ft)
Population
 • Estimate (2012) 20,119 [1]
Time zone UTC+5 (PST)

Bela (Urdu: بیلہ‬‎) is an important town of Lasbela District in Balochistan province of Pakistan, and is the chief town of the Bela Tehsil.[2] Bela is an ancient town in a historic track surrounded by hills above the Arabian Sea nearly 200 km west of Karachi. During the autumn of 325 BC was part of the Asian campaign of Alexander the Great, known as Alexandria Rhambacia.[3] Alexander mentions the river name as Arabius, and local people as Oreitans.[4]

Demography

The Bela population consists of Sindhis, Balochis, Brahui and Punjabis. The population is predominantly Muslim with small Hindu minority.[2]

Etymology

Bela comes from the name of the princely state Las Bela, it became a part of Balochistan in 1970 when the provincial system was changed

Significance

Bela and surrounding areas have some mineral reserves. 64 kilometres (40 mi) north of Bela are the Kundi deposits where traces of chalcopyrite, Galena, and silver are also found. Manganese ore is also found in the opholitic belt of Bela.[2] The tomb of Muhammad Bin Qasim's general, Muhammad Ibn-e-Haroon, is located in Bela.[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Population of Bela, Pakistan". Mongabay. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 "Lasbela" (PDF). District Development Profile. Govt. of Balochistan. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  3. ↑ The Macedonian Empire: The Era of Warfare Under Philip II and Alexander
  4. ↑ The Macedonian Empire: The Era of Warfare Under Philip II and Alexander
  5. ↑ "Archaeological sites and historical monuments". Lasbela. Govt. of Balochistan. Archived from the original on 1 June 2012. Retrieved 20 March 2013.

Coordinates: 26°12′N 66°20′E / 26.200°N 66.333°E / 26.200; 66.333

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