Karachi
Encyclopedia : K : KA : KAR : Karachi
| Karachi | |
| Flag of Sindh | Emblem of Karachi |
| |
| Province | Sindh |
| Location - Altitude | 8 metres AMSL |
| Area | km² |
| Population - Census (1998) - Estimate (2006) | 9,339,023 11,969,284 |
| Density | 3,394 persons/km² |
| Calling code | 021 |
| Time zone | PST +05:00 ahead of GMT |
| No. of Towns | 18 |
| No. of Union Councils | 178 |
| City Mayor (Nazim) | Syed Mustafa Kamal |
| [Karachi Government Website] | |
The site of an ancient community of fishing villages, the modern port-city of Karachi was developed by authorities of the British Raj in the 19th century. Upon the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the city was selected to become the national capital, and was exposed to a massive influx of immigrants from India, which radically expanded the city's population and transformed the demographics and economy. Karachi has faced major infrastructural and socio-economic challenges, but modern industries and businesses have developed in the city, and the population expanded even after the capital was moved to Islamabad in 1959.
Karachi is the most ethnically and religiously diverse city in the nation. In the 1980s and early 1990s, Karachi witnessed a major influx of refugees from the war in Afghanistan, and increasing political and sectarian violence between the Punjabi and Sindhi communities, and the Mohajirs (descendants of immigrants from India). The intervention of the Pakistani army and martial law scarred the city, but a national economic boom in the early 21st century has resulted in economic growth, peace and prosperity for the city.
History
The history of Karachi prior to the nineteenth century is brief. Karachi was known as Barbarikon during the Indo-Greek Kingdom. According to legend, Krokola was settled when an old fisherwoman by the name of Mai Kolachi settled near the delta of the Indus River to start a community . At Krokola, Alexander the Great camped and built a fleet for the voyage back to Babylonia. Alexander's admiral Nearchus sailed back to Mesopotamia from 'Morontobara' port, which is probably the modern Manora Island at Karachi harbor. When Muhammad bin Qasim conquered modern Pakistan in 712, the area was called Debal (or Debul) which may have been the ancestral village of present-day Karachi. According to the British historian Eliot, parts of city of Karachi and the island of Manora at port of Karachi constituted the city of Debal.
It was in 1772 that the village Kolachi-jo-Goth was changed from a fishing village to a trading post when it was selected as a port for trade with Muscat and Bahrain. In the following years, a fort was built and cannons brought in from Muscat were mounted on it. The fort had two doorways, one facing the sea called the Kharo Dar (in Sindhi), Khara Dar (in Urdu) or Brackish Gate Kharadar and one facing the River Lyari called the Mitho Dar (in Sindhi), Meetha Dar (in Urdu) or Sweet Gate Mithadar. Currently, the site of those gates corresponds to the location of the neighborhoods of Kharodar and Mithodar. In 1795 the city passed from the Khan of Kalat to the rulers of Sindh.
Karachi gained in position as a port which led to its importance being recognized by the British, and consequently led to the conquering of the town on the February 3, 1839. Three years later, it was annexed into British India as a district. The British recognized the importance of Karachi as a natural harbor and port for the produce of the Indus basin, and the city was rapidly developed into a bustling port city. A famous quote about Karachi attributed to Charles Napier is: Would that I could come again to see you in your grandeur!. Napier's quote proved almost prophetic as it was under the British Raj that Karachi would grow rapidly as its harbor was developed. When the First Indian War for Independence broke out in 1857, the 21st Native Infantry stationed in Karachi declared allegiance to the rebellion and joined the cause of the war on September 10, 1857. The British quickly reasserted control over Karachi and defeated the uprising.
In 1876, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, was born in the city, and he would later be buried there. By this time Karachi was a developed city with railroads, churches, mosques, paved streets, courts and many commercial centers as well as a magnificent harbor built by the British. Many of the buildings were built in classical British colonial style, contrasting significantly with the "Mughal Gothic" of Lahore. Many of these old buildings exist today and provide interesting destinations for visitors. Karachi continued to grow in size as well as importance due to its position as a major port. A railroad connected Karachi to the rest of British India in the 1880s. Population grew from 73,500 (1881), to 105,199 (1891), to 115,407 (1901) (Britannica 1911 ed.). In 1899 Karachi was said to be the largest wheat exporting port in the East (Feldman 1970:57). In 1911 when the capital was shifted to Delhi, Karachi became closer to being a Gateway to India. Karachi was declared the capital of the newly formed Sindh province in 1936, chosen over the traditional capital city, Hyderabad.
In 1947, Karachi was made the capital of the new nation of Pakistan. At that time Karachi was a city of only 400,000 people, and its growth accelerated as a result of its new status. Being the capital, Karachi became a focal point for the new nation and this added to its status as a cultural centre in this part of the world. Although the capital later moved to Rawalpindi and then Islamabad, Karachi remains the economic centre of Pakistan, accounting for a large portion of the GDP of the country and large chunk of the nation's white collar workers. In the 1960s, Karachi was seen as an economic role model around the area and there was much praise for the way its economy was progressing, but in the 1990s, the city was wracked with sectarian violence. In the last 20 years, Karachi has continued to grow, passing the 17.5 million mark. The current economic boom in Pakistan has created a sudden growth spurt in Karachi as jobs and infrastructure projects are increasing with time.
Geography and climate
Karachi is located in southern Pakistan, directly north of the Arabian Sea. The city covers 3527 Square Kilometers. Karachi mostly comprises flat or rolling plains with hills on the western and northern boundaries of the urban sprawl. Two rivers pass through the city: the Malir River (north east to centre) and the Lyari River (north to south). Many other smaller rivers pass through the city as well with general drainage being from the western and northern areas towards the south. The Karachi Harbor is a protected bay to the south west of the city. The harbor is protected from storms by Kiamari Island, Manora Island and Oyster Rocks, which together block the greater part of the harbor entrance in the west. The southern limit of the city is the Arabian Sea and forms a chain of warm water beaches that are rich in natural beauty.
Karachi is located on the coast and as a result has a relatively mild climate. The level of precipitation is low for most of the year (approximately 10 inches per annum). However, due to the city's proximity to the sea, humidity levels usually remain high throughout the year. The city enjoys mild winters and hot summers. Karachi also receives the tail end of the monsoon rains. Since summer temperatures are quite high (the end of April through mid-July are approximately 33 to 41 degrees Celsius), the winter months (November through March) are the best time to visit Karachi. December, which is the most popular month for social events such as weddings, fundraisers and charity balls, is frequently the time when most visitors, tourists and expatriates come to Karachi.
Government
The City of Karachi Municipal Act was promulgated in 1933. Initially the Municipal Corporation comprised the mayor and deputy mayor as well as 57 councilors. In 1976, the Karachi Municipal Corporation was changed to a Metropolitan Corporation. In order to decentralize the political, administrative and financial resources and responsibilities, the government of Pakistan designed a new devolution plan in 2000. Prior to the implementation of the devolution plan in 2001, the administrative area of Karachi was a second-level division known as Karachi Division, which was subdivided into five districts: Karachi Central, Karachi East, Karachi South, Karachi West and Malir. When the second-level divisions were abolished in 2000, the five districts were merged into Karachi District, and officially became a City District in 2001. Karachi now has a three-tier federated system, formed by:
- The City District Government (CDG)
- * Town Municipal Administrations
- ** Union Council Administrations
The towns are sub-divided into 178 localities governed by elected union councils (UC's), which are the core element of the local government system. Each UC is a body of thirteen directly elected members including a Nazim (mayor) and a Naib Nazim (deputy mayor). The UC Nazim heads the union administration and is responsible for facilitating the CDG to plan and execute municipal services, as well as for informing higher authorities about public concerns and complaints.
In the local body elections of 2005, Syed Mustafa Kamal was elected City Nazim of Karachi to succeed Naimatullah Khan & Nasreen Jalil was elected as the City Naib Nazim. Mustafa Kamal took the oath on October 17, 2005 at Bagh-e-Jinnah. Mustafa Kamal was the provincial minister for information technology in Sindh before assuming office as the city's mayor. His predecessor, Naimatullah Khan was chosen as one of the best mayors of 2004-05 in Asia.
- Note: Defense Housing Society Karachi is located in Karachi but is not a town of Karachi nor part of any town of Karachi. It is administered by the Defence Housing Authority, Karachi of Pakistan Army.
Demographics
The population and demographic distribution of Karachi during last 150 years have greatly changed. Non-governmental and international sources report that Karachi's current population is estimated to be 15 to 18 million#redirect [[Template:Fact]] — a thirty-seven-fold increase over its population in 1947 (400,000). The city's population is currently growing at about 5% per year (mainly on account of rural-urban internal migration), including an estimated 45,000 migrant workers coming to the city every month. Karachi is the 2nd largest megacity in the world.
Karachi is a multi-ethnic, cosmopolitan city. The dominant ethnic group in Karachi is the Urdu speaking Muhajirs who migrated to Pakistan from different parts of the Indian subcontinent after independence in 1947.The Indian Muslim refugees with the help of the newly established government of Pakistan Muslim League allotted most of the property leftover by the departing Hindus, Sikhs and other groups the incoming Muhajirs. The vagaries of mass migration of populations between the two newly independent countries gave rise to ethnic tension which continues to date. The power shifted to the Indian Muhajirs who had the claim to creation of Pakistan.
The other large groups include the Sindhis, Balochis, Punjabis, Pashtuns,Gujarati, Kashmiris, Seraikis and more than one million Afghan refugees who have permanently settled in Karachi after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. The refugees include several ethnic groups: Pakhtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, Uzbeks, and Turkmen, who have raised the number of Afghans to about 3 million. There are also hundreds of thousands of Bengalis, Arabs, Iranians, Arakani Muslim refugees (from Rakhine State in Myanmar) and African immigrants who are also settled in Karachi. A large community of Zoroastrian-Persian Parsis also existed in Karachi prior to independence in 1947. The Parsis of Karachi have played an important role in the history of the city serving in key government positions, undertaking large philanthropic projects and conducting business in the city. Since independence however, most of them migrated to western nations and currently, the Parsi population of the city numbers about 5000. There is also a large community of Goan Catholic Christians who settled in Karachi during the British era. Most refugee minorities of the city live in slum areas.
According to 1998 census the linguistic distribution of population, is as follows. Urdu speaking 48.52%; Punjabi 13.94%; Sindhi 7.22%; Pushto 11.42%; Balochi 4.34%; Seraiki 2.11%; others 12.4%. The others include Gujarati, Dawoodi Bohra, Memon, Ghanchi, Brahui, Makrani, Khowar, Burushaski, Arabic, Persian and Bengali. The religious breakup of the city is as follows: Muslim 96.49%; Christian 2.35%; Hindu 0.83%; Qadiani 0.17%; others 0.13%. The others include Parsi, Jews and Buddhist.#redirect [[Template:Fact]]
Economy
Karachi is the financial capital of Pakistan. It accounts for the lion's share of Pakistan's GDP and generates about 35% percent of the national revenue.#redirect [[Template:Fact]] Most of Pakistan's public and private banks have their head offices in Karachi. Nearly all of these are located on I.I Chundrigar Road (Karachi Wall Street) which is fast becoming home to the high-rise headquarters of major corporations. The most notable of these are the Habib Bank Plaza, which was the tallest building in Pakistan before it was surpassed by Muslim Commercial Bank's MCB Tower.
With collaboration from a Qatar-based company, the Karachi Port Trust is taking on a Rs. 20 billion project, the Port tower complex, which will be 1,400 feet high. It should be finished within six years. It will comprise a hotel, a shopping center, and an Expo center. Integrating into Karachi’s skyline, the main feature of the venture shall be a revolving restaurant, a viewing gallery offering a panoramic view of the coastline and the city. The Tower is planned to be located at the Clifton shoreline. It will be amongst the ten tallest buildings of the world.
Besides banking and finance, Karachi also hosts the offices of foreign multinational corporations as well as corporations based in Pakistan. It is home to the largest stock exchange of Pakistan: the Karachi Stock Exchange. This financial boom helped Pakistan to achieve its ambitious goal of exceeding a seven percent growth in GDP for the fiscal year 2004-05.
The recent trend of ICT (Information & Communications Technology), electronic media and call centers has become a significant part of Karachi business hierarchy. Call centers for foreign companies have been targeted as a significant area of growth, with the government making efforts to reduce taxes by as much as 80 per cent in order to gain foreign investments in the IT sector.
Many of Pakistan’s independent television and radio channels are headquartered in Karachi. KTN, Sindh TV, Kashish TV, Geo television, Ary Digital and Aaj TV are the most popular ones. They generate huge business revenues for the city in advertising and provide jobs and entertainment. These channels are on satellite and can be seen all over the world.
Karachi also has a huge industrial base. There are several large industrial zones on the fringes of the main city. The main industries are textiles, pharmaceuticals, steel, and automobiles. Apart from these, there are many cottage industries in the city as well. Karachi is also the software outsourcing hub of Pakistan. It also has a rapidly flourishing Free Zone with an annual growth rate of nearly 6.5 per cent. An Expo center has also been set up in Karachi and is now available to host many regional and international exhibitions.
Karachi is also home of major automobile manufacturing companies. Toyota is in the process of increasing production capacity to over 120,000 units/ annum.#redirect [[Template:Fact]] Suzuki Motor Company is also located in Karachi. The manufacturing plant located in Bin Qasim has a production capacity of 50,000 vehicles per year. Among others Millat Tractors, Adam Motors, HinoPak Buses and Trucks manufacturing plants are also located in Karachi. The automobile manufacturing sector is one of the fastest growing industries in Pakistan, and a large vendor industry associated with it is also located pricipally in Karachi.
The Port of Karachi and nearby Port Qasim are the two main seaports of Pakistan, and Quaid-e-Azam International Airport is the largest airport in Pakistan.
During 1960s, Karachi was seen as an economic role model around the developing world, and there was much praise for the way its economy was progressing. Many countries sought to emulate Pakistan's economic planning strategy and one of them, South Korea, copied its Second Five Year Plan, 1960-65, not just that, World financial center in Seoul was designed and modeled after Karachi.#redirect [[Template:Fact]] While in the early 1960s the per capita income of Pakistan was more or equal to Korea, the latter ended up among the more developed of the developing countries, with a GDP per capita greater than $8,000 today.
Culture
Karachi is home to some of Pakistan's important cultural institutions. The National Academy of Performing Arts, located in the newly renovated Hindu Gymkhana offers a two year diploma course in performing arts that include classical music and contemporary theatre. The All Pakistan Musical Conference, linked to the 45-year old similar institution in Lahore, has been holding its Annual Music Festival since its inception in 2004. The Festival is now a well-established feature of the city life of Karachi that is awaited anxiously and attended by more than 3000 citizens of Karachi as well as people from other cities.#redirect [[Template:Fact]] The National Arts Council (Koocha-e-Saqafat) also has musical performances and Mushaira (poetry recitations). Karachi has several excellent museums including the Mohatta Palace museum that regularly has exhibitions as well as the National Museum of Pakistan. The Kara Film Festival organized annually showcases independent Pakistani and international films and documentaries.
The everyday lifestyle of Karachi differs substantially from that of other Pakistani towns. The culture of Karachi is characterized by the blending of Middle Eastern, South Asian and Western influences, as well as the status of the city as a major international business centre. As a whole, there is considerable diversity in culture, and this diversity has produced unique cultural amalgam of its own type. Karachiites are urbane in humor, pragmatic in approach and rational in practice.[[Citing sources citation needed]] Professionalism is appreciated over emotional and conservative attitude. Most of the dwellers live in medium sized houses and flats rather than large open space houses of other cities in Pakistan. Karachi also hosts the largest middle class stratum of the country. Skewed difference of living standard and showy feudal living style do not exist in Karachi. Nearly all parties, functions and celebrations are scheduled at nighttime. Karachi is described as the National City of the country for leading the nations capital during independence, now a provincial capital of Sindh Provincial region.
Education
Karachi has the highest literacy rate of any of Pakistan's other cities as well as the highest number of universities and colleges. The city is well-known for its young student population who flock there from all parts of Pakistan. Most universities of Karachi are considered to be amongst the premier educational institutions of Pakistan with competitive admissions processes. The universities include the Ziauddin Medical University, University of Karachi, NED University of Engineering and Technology, the Aga Khan University, the Institute of Business Administraton, the College of Business Management, the National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences-(FAST), Dow University of Health Sciences, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology, Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology, Iqra University, Hamdard University and Bahria University.
Sports
Popular sports in Karachi include cricket, hockey, boxing, football and horse racing. The major venue for cricket matches is the National Stadium but matches are also hosted at the UBL Sports Complex, the A. O. Cricket Stadium, the KCCA Cricket Ground, the Karachi Gymkhana Field and the DHA Cricket Stadium. The city also has facilities for hockey (the Hockey Stadium of Pakistan, UBL Hockey Ground), boxing (KPT Sports Complex), squash (Jehangir Khan Squash Complex) and football (Peoples Football Stadium and the Polo Grounds). In 2005, the city hosted the SAFF Cup Football Tournament at the People's Football Stadium. Marinas and Boating Clubs also add to the diverse sporting activities in Karachi.
Karachi has a number of sporting clubs such as the Karachi Gymkhana, the Sindh Club, the Karachi Club, the Muslim Gymkhana, the Creek Club and the DHA Club that provide excellent sporting facilities to their members, including tennis, badminton and squash courts, swimming pools, jogging tracks, gymnasiums, billiards and much more. There is a world class golf club in DHA as well. Informal sporting activities are also popular, such as night-time cricket which can be seen at weekends when people play brightly-lit night matches on less traversed city streets.
Sites of interest
![The newly built Port Fountain Jet: one of the world's tallest fountains#redirect <strong><strong>[[Template:Fact]]</strong></strong>](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:KPT_Fountain.jpg "The newly built Port Fountain Jet: one of the world's tallest fountains#redirect <strong><strong>[[Template:Fact]]</strong></strong>")
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- General
- * Mazar-e-Quaid (Mausoleum of the founder of Pakistan- Muhammad Ali Jinnah)
- * Koocha-e-Saqafat (National Arts Council)
- * Masjid e Tooba (Largest single-domed mosque in the world)
- * Ibrahim Ismail Chundrigar Road (Karachi's Wall Street)
- * Aga Khan University Hospital
- Beaches and Waterfront
- * Manora Beach
- * Clifton beach and the Jehangir Kothari Parade
- * Seaview, Clifton beach
- * Hawke's Bay Beach (breeding ground for endangered turtles)
- * Paradise Point (a rock promontory in the sea with a natural arch)
- * Sandspit Beach
- * French Beach
- * Russian Beach
- * Port Fountain Jet (600ft high pressure water fountain)
- * Zamzama Commercial Area (famous for its designer outlets and cafes)
- * Abdullah Shah Ghazi Mausoleum (Ummayad general and Karachi's patron Sufi saint)
- Museums
- * Pakistan Air Force Museum
- * Pakistan Maritime Museum
- * National Museum of Pakistan
- * The Mohatta Palace Museum of Karachi and regional history
- * Karachi Expo Centre
- Colonial Buildings
- * Merewether Tower
- * Frere Hall
- * Khaliq Deena Hall
- * Jehangir Kothari Parade
- * Governor's House
- * St. Patrick's Cathedral
- * Sindh High Court
- * Former Victoria Museum (later used by the Supreme Court)
- * Hindu Gymkhana (now National Academy of Performing Arts)
- * Empress Market
- * Sind Club
- Islands
- * Clifton Oyster Rocks
- * Manora Island
- * Bundle Island
- * Bhit Shah
- Amusement Parks
- * Aladdin Park
- * Sindbad
- * Karachi Zoo (Gandhi Garden)
- Food
- * Hyderabad Colony
- * Burns Road
Shopping
Karachi is dotted with many shopping areas, large and small, all across the city. Karachiites are avid shoppers, as can be seen from the crowds of people these markets attract every evening. Saddar, Gulf Shopping Mall, Bahadurabad, Tariq Road, Zamzama and Zaib-un-nissa Street are the most famous shopping areas in the city. One can find all sorts of clothing, garments, and beautiful fabrics in Karachi's bazaars, as well as a number of other items. The Saddar area in downtown Karachi is also home to countless large and small markets dealing from everyday household items to clothing and fabrics to electronics. Empress Market in Saddar is a large Victorian-era market, home to wholesalers of spices and other items. Some other notable shopping areas include Paposh Market and Hydari.
Karachi also has a number of large modern shopping malls, among which the Park Towers, The Forum, Millennium Mall and Dolmen Mall are notable. More of these malls are currently being built, including the Atrium Mall, Jumeira Mall and the Dolmen City Mall.
Transportation
The city has a modern international airport called the Jinnah International Airport, Pakistan's busiest. The city's old airport terminals are now used for Hajj flights, cargo facilities, and ceremonial visits from heads of state. U.S. Coalition forces used the old terminals for their logistic supply operations as well. Apart from this, the city also has two other airstrips used primarily by the armed forces.
Karachi has the largest shipping ports in Pakistan at the Port of Karachi and Port Qasim. These seaports have modern facilities and not only handle trade for Pakistan, but also serve as ports for Afghanistan and the land-locked Central Asian countries. Plans have been announced for new passenger facilities at Karachi Port.
Karachi is linked via railway to the rest of the country by the Pakistan Railways. The Karachi City Station and Karachi Cantonment Station are the city's two major railway stations. The railway system handles a large amount of freight to and from the Karachi port apart from providing passenger services to people travelling up country. There are plans to extend the circular railway system to play a part in the city's mass transit.
Currently, primarily motorists and minibuses handle commuter traffic, but there are plans to construct a light-rail based mass transit system in the city to decongest the roads and provide quick service to commuters.
Problems
As one of the most rapidly growing cities in the world, Karachi faces problems that are central to many developing metropolises including overpopulation, overcrowding, traffic, terrorism and crime.Karachi faces a very severe problem of excessive traffic. According to official statistics, on an average annually 550 people are killed in road traffic accidents. The number of cars far outstrips the roads that they need to ply on. This makes driving considerably dangerous and causes loss of time due to traffic congestion.
Currently a number of projects are underway in Karachi to battle these problems. These include construction of flyovers and underground passages such as one constructed recently in Schön circle in Clifton. It is hoped that with these added traffic routes, the problem of traffic congestion can be controlled.
Land ownership
Karachi is located in semi-arid coastal desert area with very limited agriculture land along the two small seasonal rivers, Lyari River and Malir River that pass through the city. Before independence, the area around Karachi had sparse nomadic population and most of the land was state owned. At the time of independence, Karachi was chosen as the first capital of Pakistan and the land area came under tight state control. According to the data prepared by the Master Plan and Environmental Control Unit of the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) in 1988, nearly 400,000 acres of the 425,529 acres that make up Karachi's metropolitan area is in some form of public ownership. Government of Sindh owns 137,687 acres, KDA 124,676 acres, Karachi Port Trust (KPT) 25,259 acres, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) 24,189 acres, Army Cantonment Board 18,596 acres, Pakistan Steel Mills 19,461 acres, Defense Housing Society 16,567 acres, Port Qasim 12,961 acres, Government of Pakistan 4,051 acres and Pakistan Railways 3,119 acres. In late 1990s the undeveloped land belonging to KDA was transferred to the Malir Development Authority (MDA) and Lyari Development Authority (LDA).The Defence Housing Authority has purchased 12,000 acres of land from the Sindh government along the Super Highway and will build Phase II of Defense Housing Society.
External links
- Official
- [Karachi City-District Government]
- [Karachi Stock Exchange]
- [Jinnah International Airport] (new website)
- [Quaid-e-Azam International Airport] (old website)
- [Karachi Port Trust]
- [Islamic Multimedia Library] Islam and karachi
- [Historic Karachi]- An exploration of the history of the city of Karachi with old photographs
- [Urban Resource Centre, Karachi] - A discussion of Karachi's urban development issues
- [Flickr.com] - Photographs of Karachi
- [Ansar Burney Trust] - A human rights organization based in Karachi
- () [Old Soviet map at Czech Technical University website]
- [The KaraFilm Festival]
See also
Notes
References
| Provincial and Territorial Capitals of Pakistan |
|
|---|---|
| Sindh: Karachi | Punjab: Lahore | NWFP: Peshawar | Balochistan: Quetta | |
| Northern Areas: Gilgit | Federally Administered Tribal Areas: Peshawar | Azad Kashmir: Muzaffarabad | |
| Federal Capital: Islamabad | |
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