Balochistan is a vast land full of contrast, and inhibited by cultured and brave Baloch people whose number exceeds 15 millions. Balochistan is one of the ancient inhibited land with a 12000 years history of civilization. Although of common ancestry, history, language, tradition, culture and background, Baloch people  as well as  Balochistan are divided politically among Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. Baloch have always fought for their survival. Balochistan have been looted and oppressed by outside invading forces.  Alexander the Great was  defeated in Balochistan; Balochistan used to be far greater than what is now. Constant invasion and wars, forced the Baloch people to quit their land and move further away. Deliberate administrative and boundary changes by central  governments in recent decades have eroded the actual boundaries of Balochistan ever farther.

The story of Baloch is very similar to the Kurds. Present day divided Balochistan, like every other oppressed region in the world despite being kept deprived and suppressed, is thriving and modern. Some of Baloch characteristics are: bravery, fearlessness, honesty, loyalty, friendship, righteousness, sincerity, integrity, unfussiness and simplicity. Like every other nations who have been suppressed and kept back-ward, Baloch are traditional in the sense they are rather resistant to change.  However, despite being traditional, and despite deliberate deprivation by the ruling governments of Iran and Pakistan, Both Iranian and Pakistani Balochistan are modern places with all the facilities of modern life, though many Baloch people are deprived. The Baloch people are very hospitable, nice and friendly. They are generally intelligent, learned, well-informed, initiated, cultivated, socially accomplished and politically attentive. Culturally, they are rich and self-dependent. The deliberate political, cultural and economic deprivation and blatant discrimination and rampant prejudice against the Baloch people are used as political tools by the central governments of Iran and Pakistan to ensure their respective Balochistan and particularly the Baloch people are kept back-ward, poor and deprived.

Balochistan is a land of contrast. It has places with lofty and rugged mountains under Chiltan, Takatu, Sulaiman, Sultan etc. and plains stretching to hundreds of miles. It has fertile land like that of Nasirabad, as well as, tracks' which are thirsty for centuries, and where even a bush could hardly be sighted like that of Pat section of Sibi District and Dasht-e-Makran in Makran Division.

It has hottest places in the country like Sibi and Dhadar, where temperature shoots up to over 120 ?F, as well as coldest towns like Quetta, Kalat, Ziarat, Kan Mehtarzai where mercury falls down much below freezing point.

"The mountains are the Balochi's forts; the peaks are better than any army; the lofty heights are our comrades; the pathless gorges our friends. Our drink is from the flowing springs; our bed the thorny bush; the ground we make our pillow".

These lines are from a Balochi war song. The land which nurtures such independent and brave people is indeed daunting. Barren, rugged mountains that burn in the summer and freeze in the winter

In between the cheerless mountains are dry and wide deserts and, of course, beautifully fertile valleys - wherever water is available. These give this rugged land great scenic beauty.

Balochistan Province covers a huge area in the southwest of Pakistan. It is a sparsely populated land bordering Afghanistan and Iran. Much of it is a high barren plateau 1,000 to 1,250 meters (3.000 to 4.000 feet) above sea level, enclosed by the Toba Kakar mountain range along the Afghan border and by the Suleman range which borders the Indus river. To the south lies one of the most inhospitable deserts in the world, the Makran. which nearly defeated Alexander the Great when he marched through it on his way home.

Balochi is a generalized term, for the people include the Dravidian-speaking Brahui possibly the last descendants of the Indus Civilization, and the Jat or Zutt, an Indo Aryan speaking people of Indian origin. In the northwest of Balochistan, Pathans make up the majority of the population, and there is a sizeable minority of them elsewhere in the province. Most people speak Brabui, Baiochi and Pushto. Almost half the population of Balochistan lives within 80 Kms (50 miles) of the provincial capital, Quetta.

The north of the Province presents picturesque fruit farms on the slopes of snow-clad hills and blissful juniper forests. In the south there are extensive date farms and rows upon rows of branchless coconut palms in Makran District. There is scanty rainfall throughout. From 3 to 5 inches in the plains: maximum 12 inches in the hills. Variations in temperature are also great. It may be 80 ?F in Ziarat when it is upto 120 ?F sizzling in Lasbella and Turbat in the south.

Naturally, water is scarce and is put to the best use. Wherever available, you can see rows of orchards and belts of cultivated fields. At places these fruit farms and wheat fields merge beautifully in the backdrop of rugged mountainous ranges.When this happens the atmosphere for miles and miles is filled with aroma of fruits. These range from apples, grapes, pomegranates, peaches and plums to almonds, cherries and quinces. Most of the fruit produced is exported out of the province - fresh or canned.

Development of underground and surface water resources laying down of road over its vast stretches and taking industry to Balochistan have been the first priorities of the Government.

Talking of fruit, the date industry occupies a special position - mainly in the Makran district ,which with an area of 23,460 sq. miles is the largest district in the country.

More than a 100 commercial varieties of dates are produced here. Other date-producing areas are Thalwan, sub-division of Kalat and Mashkhel tehsil of Kharan district. Incidentally the Balochi language has one ~ hundred words for dates as also for camels.

The Balochistan coastline extends over 750 Km from near Karachi at Hub River to the Gwadar Bay on Pak-lran border. The whole area is rich in fish.

Over a decade ago the fishing was done by sail boats. Now most of these have been motorised with out-board or inboard engines.The Government have brought about this revolutionary change in fishing techniques with external help from other countries and FAO-UNDP.

Fresh fish is now available for Karachi and the interior of Balochistan. Before this only dried fish could come from these sources. Simultaneously an integrated development project for fisheries in Balochistan, completed in 1983. has improved fishing techniques. fish handling, distribution practices and the improvement in vocational skills.

Under another project a fish harbour has been built at Pasni at the cost of nearly 600 million rupees. A Pasni Fish Harbour Authority also has been set up and with purchase or sale engines from 15 to 55 horse-power for the fishing fleet.

The fishermen from Balochistan now compete with Karachi, trawlers in fishing from small boats. Transport of fish by roads in insulated trucks has already started. Turbat which lies at the cross-road from Makran coast has emerged as a big centre of fresh fish and it is estimated that there has been a 125 per cent increase in the income of small fishermen,

Workshops have been set up at Ormara, Pasni ,Gwadar and Jiwani for modernised repair of boats and their engines. There are also Government operated ice plants at Ormara and Pasni besides private plants at many places.

It is believed that thousands of years before Christ, areas now called Pakistan had commerce with the ancient civilization of Babylon and the trade route passed through Balochistan into Iran and then into the valleys of Tigris and Euphrates

Pakistan in the ancient times was barred from the east by desert and jungle. It looked westwards by land and sea it is presumed that the famous Indus civilization derived most of its material elements from Iran and beyond through the Baloch Borderland.
Trade, no doubt sustained this important though distant relationship between the Indus and the rivers of Tigris and Euphrates. Tangible evidence however is slight. Indus Valley seals have been found in Mesopotamia, and presumably traveled there on bales. Possibly of cotton which has been found at Moen-jo-daro Beads and pottery and little stone or pottery boxes for incense or cosmetics were interchanged on small scale.
Tribal people of Pakistan are well known for their hospitality. They would kill their last chicken for a guest. And resent a refusal to eat their humble fare. Their entertainment is uninhibited, sheer fun It you want to enjoy this entertainment join the wedding ceremonies of some tribal chief's children. The ceremonies are simple; but entertainment and feasting last for days on end. In the words of foreign visitor," the wedding is merely an excuse for the Party".