Larkana or Larkano (Sindhi: لاڙڪاڻو) is the fourth largest city located in the Northwest of Sindh Province, Pakistan, located in Larkana District. In August 2000 Larkana celebrated its hundred years of existence. It is located on the south bank of the Ghar canal, 40 miles south of Shikarpur town, and 36 north-east of Mehar

During British rule Larkana became headquarters of Larkana District and Larkana Taluka - and for a time was part of the Bombay Presidency of British India, it was on the route of the North-Western Railway. The population according to the 1901 census of India was 14,543.

The Imperial Gazetteer of India describes the town as follows:

"The country surrounding Lārkāna is fertile and populous, and perhaps the finest tract in the whole of the province: The spacious walks, well laid-out gardens, and luxuriant foliage, have gained for Lārkāna the title of the 'Eden of Sindh. It is one of the most important grain marts of Sindh, and is famous for a variety of rice called sugdāsi. There is a large local traffic in metals, cloth, and leather. The principal manufactures are cloth of mixed silk and cotton, coarse cotton cloth, metal vessels, and leathern goods. The town contains a dispensary, an Anglo-vernacular school attended by 80 pupils, and a vernacular school with three branches, attended altogether by 379 pupils. The chief local object of interest is the tomb of Shāh Bahārah, who was a military officer of Nūr Muhammad Kalhora, and died in 1735. Of modern buildings the most noteworthy are the Collector's office, a fine domed building with an ornamental Darbār hall; erected in 1902 ; and a neatly-built school and boarding- house for the, sons of zamīndārs, erected by public subscription in the same year. This school has 60 inmates and teaches English and Sindhi. The municipality, established in 1855, had an average income of Rs. 46,000 during the decade ending 1901. In 1903-4 the income was Rs. 54,000."

Land and region

Larkana has a fertile land that cultivates all kind of fruits and vegetables, including potatoes, melons, olives, oranges, peas, carrots, cucumber, mangoes and guava. Some 10km far away from the city, sugarcane is cultivated and processed at the Sugar Mill established in 1990 in Nau Dero Village, which is the birth place of former Prime Ministers of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto.

Animals and birds

Various kinds of birds roam in the city, including migratory birds coming to this region during winter, from Russia and Siberia. They make swamp on the bank of Indus River near Mohenjo-daro

Language

Sindhi is the main language but Siraikis, a dialect of Sindhi is also spoken, which is similar to the Sindhi language. Sindhi and English are the official languages.

Education

Some of the major educational institutions in Larkana include:

• Chandka Medical College   

It is upgraded as the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University in the month of April 2008 By the Newly established PPP Government.

Location:27°33′11.23″N 68°11′56.81″E / 27.5531194, 68.1991139

• Z A Bhutto Agricultural College

Location:27°25′57.96″N 68°7′12.84″E / 27.4327667, 68.1202333

• Government Commerce College, Larkano
• Govt. Degree College Larkano
• Govt. Girls Degree College Larkano (Two Colleges)
• Cadet College Larkano at Moen Jo Daro.
• Govt. Pilot Higher Secondary School, Larkano
• Larkano Public School
• Municipal Govt. School Larkano
• Govt. DC High School Larkano
• Govt. Polytechnic Institute Larkano
• Govt. Commercial Training college Larkano
• Govt. Girls high School Larkano (About Five High Schools)
• Sindh Science college Larkano
• Baqa Grrammer School, Larkano
• Strength More School System Larkano
• Allam Iqbal Open University Campus Larkano
• Virtual University Campus Larkano
• And lot of private Schools.

Archaeological site

One of the world's oldest archaeological sites, Mohenjo-daro, lies 28 km away from the Larkana City. As it is a major archaeological site, it has its own airport, which is shared by Larkana.

• Moen-Jo-Daro
• Jhukar Jo Daro