Jiwani
Encyclopedia
Jiwani or Jwani is a town and commercial port that is located along the Gulf of Oman
in the Gwadar District
of the Balochistan
province
in Pakistan
. It is located near the Pakistani border with Iran
. The town has a total population of 25,000 and is expected to become a major commercial center in concert with the development of the port of Gwadar
located nearly 80 km to the east.
, which is shared between Iran and Pakistan. The area around the bay includes an important mangrove forest extending across the international border, and is an important habitat for a wide variety of wildlife, especially the endangered Olive Ridley
and Green Turtles. Plans to grant fishing concessions and offshore drilling rights are potentially a threat to the wildlife of the area. The population largely depends upon fishing. There are a number of export oriented fish freezing plants located in Jiwani. Jiwani is 34 km from the Iranian border.
Jiwani holds strategic importance in the region, located immediately adjacent to the shipping lanes to and from the Persian Gulf
. This is the main reason that the town hosts a small naval base and an airport with a 5,500-foot runway.
The special thing about Jiwani is that it was used during the World War II
as an allied base and the remains of some bases are still available. There is another story linked to Jiwani and that is that Queen Victoria planned to visit the area to watch the "sunset" and a hut was built for her, which is now known as the "Victoria Hut". Whether Queen Victoria visited or not, the Victoria Hut is still maintained by the Pakistan Coast Guard
s up to the present day. Visiting the barracks area of the base used during the World War 2 in Jiwani reveals many handwritten small stories and names of allied Pilots
. There is a water system which is now abandoned for use but is a marvel of civil works and holds great uniqueness for meeting water requirements of the base. It used to store rain water in three stages in order to clean the water using its usual flow. The water was then pumped to the base and also up to the Victoria Hut which is nearly 5 km from the water tank system.
With the Makran Coastal Highway now reaching Jiwani from Gwadar
and also connecting Karachi
, Jiwani is a place to be seen especially by those who are interested in observing history more closely.
Gulf of Oman
The Gulf of Oman or Sea of Oman is a strait that connects the Arabian Sea with the Strait of Hormuz, which then runs to the Persian Gulf. It is generally included as a branch of the Persian Gulf, not as an arm of the Arabian Sea. On the north coast is Pakistan and Iran...
in the Gwadar District
Gwadar District
Gwadar District is a coastal district in Balochistan province of Pakistan. Gwadar city is the district headquarters of Gwadar District.-Administration:Gwadar District is subdivided into the following tehsils or subdistricts:* Gwadar* Jiwani* Ormara...
of the Balochistan
Balochistan (Pakistan)
Balochistan is one of the four provinces or federating units of Pakistan. With an area of 134,051 mi2 or , it is the largest province of Pakistan, constituting approximately 44% of the total land mass of Pakistan. According to the 1998 population census, Balochistan had a population of...
province
Subdivisions of Pakistan
The administrative units of Pakistan consist of four provinces, one federal capital territory, and a group of federally-administered tribal areas...
in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. It is located near the Pakistani border with Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. The town has a total population of 25,000 and is expected to become a major commercial center in concert with the development of the port of Gwadar
Gwadar
Gwadar also known as Godar is a developing port city on the southwestern Arabian Sea coast of Pakistan. It is the district headquarters of Gwadar District in Balochistan province and has a population of approximately 50,000.Gwadar is strategically located at the apex of the Arabian Sea and at the...
located nearly 80 km to the east.
Overview
Jiwani is located at the eastern end of Gwadar BayGwadar Bay
Gwadar Bay is located in the Gulf of Oman on the maritime border of Pakistan and Iran. The name is from Persian, Khalij-e Gavader or 'Gulf of Gwadar' on Arabian Sea. It is an inlet of the Arabian Sea indenting the sandy Makran coast at the Iran–Pakistan border. It is about 20 miles long and 10...
, which is shared between Iran and Pakistan. The area around the bay includes an important mangrove forest extending across the international border, and is an important habitat for a wide variety of wildlife, especially the endangered Olive Ridley
Olive Ridley
The olive ridley sea turtle , also known as the Pacific ridley, is a species of sea turtle.- Description :The olive ridley is a small extant sea turtle, with an adult carapace length averaging 60 to 70 cm 1...
and Green Turtles. Plans to grant fishing concessions and offshore drilling rights are potentially a threat to the wildlife of the area. The population largely depends upon fishing. There are a number of export oriented fish freezing plants located in Jiwani. Jiwani is 34 km from the Iranian border.
Jiwani holds strategic importance in the region, located immediately adjacent to the shipping lanes to and from the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
. This is the main reason that the town hosts a small naval base and an airport with a 5,500-foot runway.
The special thing about Jiwani is that it was used during the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as an allied base and the remains of some bases are still available. There is another story linked to Jiwani and that is that Queen Victoria planned to visit the area to watch the "sunset" and a hut was built for her, which is now known as the "Victoria Hut". Whether Queen Victoria visited or not, the Victoria Hut is still maintained by the Pakistan Coast Guard
Pakistan Coast Guard
The Pakistan Coast Guards is an important branch of the Pakistan Civil Armed Forces and one of the six paramilitary services operating under the administrative control of Minisrty of Interior, Government of Pakistan. Pakistan Coast Guards, headquartered in Karachi, is unique in that it has...
s up to the present day. Visiting the barracks area of the base used during the World War 2 in Jiwani reveals many handwritten small stories and names of allied Pilots
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
. There is a water system which is now abandoned for use but is a marvel of civil works and holds great uniqueness for meeting water requirements of the base. It used to store rain water in three stages in order to clean the water using its usual flow. The water was then pumped to the base and also up to the Victoria Hut which is nearly 5 km from the water tank system.
With the Makran Coastal Highway now reaching Jiwani from Gwadar
Gwadar
Gwadar also known as Godar is a developing port city on the southwestern Arabian Sea coast of Pakistan. It is the district headquarters of Gwadar District in Balochistan province and has a population of approximately 50,000.Gwadar is strategically located at the apex of the Arabian Sea and at the...
and also connecting Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, Jiwani is a place to be seen especially by those who are interested in observing history more closely.
See also
- Jiwani AirportJiwani AirportJiwani Airport is situated 10 km away from the city centre of Jiwani in Balochistan. It is not a major airport of Pakistan. At this time, there is no scheduled service to or from the airport.-World War II:...