Sindh Area: The Complete Guide to Pakistan’s Coastal Province
140,914 km² of Indus plain, Thar desert and Arabian Sea coast — how big Sindh is, where it sits, and what fills it.
Last updated: 11 October 2026
The Essentials
Sindh at a Glance
The key figures for Pakistan’s southeastern province.
Scale
How Big Is Sindh, Really?
Bigger than Greece, nearly the size of Tajikistan — and about 18% of Pakistan.
At 140,914 km², Sindh covers roughly 17.7% of Pakistan’s land. For a sense of scale: it is larger than Greece (131,957 km²) and just smaller than Tajikistan (143,100 km²). It stretches about 579 km from north to south and up to 442 km east to west at its widest — or 14.1 million hectares, 34.84 million acres, in the units farmers use.
Among Pakistan’s four provinces it ranks third by area — behind Balochistan (347,190 km²) and Punjab (205,345 km²), ahead of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (101,741 km²). See the full provincial ranking →
Location
Where Sindh Sits: Borders & Neighbours
The lower Indus basin — sea to the south, desert to the east, mountains to the west.
| Direction | Neighbour | Boundary |
|---|---|---|
| North | Punjab | Provincial boundary along the upper Indus plain |
| East | India (Rajasthan, Gujarat) | International border through the Thar Desert |
| South | Arabian Sea | ~350 km of coastline with Karachi and Port Qasim |
| West | Balochistan | The Kirthar mountain range |
This position made Sindh the Bab-ul-Islam — the “Gateway of Islam” to South Asia — and today makes it Pakistan’s trade gateway: the country’s two biggest ports sit on its coast.
Landscape
The Land: Indus Plain, Thar and Kirthar
Mostly flat, famously hot — and entirely dependent on one river.
The Indus Plain
The fertile heartland: the Indus runs the length of the province, feeding the Sukkur and Kotri barrages that irrigate wheat, rice, cotton and sugarcane.
The Thar Desert
The eastern “friendly desert” — vast, arid, and home to a distinct culture. Temperatures cross 46°C in summer.
The Kirthar Range
The western wall against Balochistan, home to the Ranikot Fort — the “Great Wall of Sindh”.
Sindh is tropical to subtropical: hot summers, mild winters, and minimal rainfall — which is why nearly all its agriculture depends on Indus irrigation.
Administration
Divisions and Districts
Six divisions, 30 districts, 138 tehsils — how the province is organised.
| Division | Headquarters | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Karachi | Karachi | The megacity; 7 districts after the 2023 reorganisation |
| Hyderabad | Hyderabad | Second city; historic and industrial centre |
| Sukkur | Sukkur | Upper Sindh; the great barrage city |
| Larkana | Larkana | Home to Mohenjo-daro; Bhutto family heartland |
| Mirpur Khas | Mirpur Khas | Agricultural belt; Tharparkar district |
| Shaheed Benazirabad | Nawabshah | Central Sindh (formerly Nawabshah division) |
Below the divisions sit 30 districts, 138 tehsils and 1,108 union councils. Karachi alone — with districts including Karachi East, West, South, Central, Malir, Korangi and Keamari — holds over a third of the province’s people.
People
People and Cities
55.7 million people — Pakistan’s most urbanised province.
Hyderabad
The second city, famed for its history, glass bangles and industry.
Sukkur
The barrage city on the Indus, gateway to upper Sindh.
Larkana & Thatta
Mohenjo-daro’s 5,000-year-old ruins and the Makli necropolis — Sindh’s UNESCO treasures.
Sindh is about 52% urban — the highest urban share of any province. Sindhi is the provincial language, Urdu the national one; the population is roughly 91% Muslim, with the country’s largest Hindu minority concentrated in Tharparkar and Umerkot. For the full provincial portrait, see Sindh Province: Pakistan’s Coastal Powerhouse →
Past
A Short History of the Province
Five thousand years of civilisation in one province.
Sindh’s story starts with the Indus Valley Civilization — Mohenjo-daro, near Larkana, was among the world’s first planned cities around 2500 BCE. In 711 AD, Muhammad bin Qasim’s arrival made Sindh the “Bab-ul-Islam”, the first part of South Asia to come under Muslim rule. Successive dynasties — Soomras, Sammas, Arghuns, Tarkhans, Mughals, Kalhoras and Talpurs — ruled until the British conquered Sindh in 1843, folding it into the Bombay Presidency.
Sindh became a separate province of British India on 1 April 1936, its assembly voted to join Pakistan in 1947, and after the One Unit interlude (1955–1970) it regained provincial status on 1 July 1970 — the shape it holds today.
Answers
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything people ask about Sindh’s size and area.
What is the area of Sindh?
140,914 square kilometres (54,407 sq mi) — about 17.7% of Pakistan’s land area.
What is the size of Sindh province?
The size of Sindh — “Sindh size” in search terms — is 140,914 km²: larger than Greece, slightly smaller than Tajikistan, stretching 579 km north to south.
Is Sindh the largest province of Pakistan?
No — it is the third-largest by area, after Balochistan (347,190 km²) and Punjab (205,345 km²). It is the second-largest by population (55.7 million).
What is the capital of Sindh?
Karachi — also Pakistan’s largest city and economic capital.
How many districts are in Sindh?
30 districts across 6 divisions, with 138 tehsils and 1,108 union councils.
What are Sindh’s nicknames?
Mehran and Bab-ul-Islam (Gateway of Islam) — the name itself comes from Sindhu, the Sanskrit word for the Indus river.
Explore Pakistan’s Provinces, One by One
Sindh is one of four provinces — browse the full Geography section for Punjab, Balochistan, KP and the territories.
Feature Pakistan’s Pakistan Guides explain the country’s provinces, cities and terrain in plain language — verified against official sources.