Kalat District

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Kalat District
Area	6.62 km²
Population (2002 Estimate)  • Density	500,000  • /km²
Time zone	PST (UTC+4:30)
Established  • District Nazim  • District Naib Nazim  • District Council  • Number of Tehsils	March 1954  • {{{nazim}}}  • {{{naib_nazim}}}  • {{{seats}}} seats   • {{{tehsils}}}
Main language(s)	Balochi
Website	http://www.bdd.sdnpk.org/Kalat.html

Kalat or Qalat (Urdu: قلات) is a district in Balochistan, Pakistan. It is one of 26 in that province, and encompasses an area of 6,621 km². The population of the district is estimated to be over 400,00 in 2005.

Kalat was notified as a district on February 3, 1954. At that time Khuzdar and Mastung districts were sub-divisions of Kalat (which then also included Bolan, Jhal Magsi and Nasirabad (Dera Murad Jamali); these were separated in 1965 as Kachhi District). Khuzdar became a separate district by notification of 1 March 1974, while Mastung was announced to be separate district on 18 February 1992. The district draws its name from the ancient city of Kalat. The old name of the district headquarters was Kahan. The current district consists of two sub-divisions, i.e. Kalat and Surab, five tehsils: Kalat Mangochar, Johan, Gazgz, and Surab, 81 patwar circles and 614 mauza (villages).

The climate is arid, hot in summer and cold in winter, with most rainfall occurring in the winter. The terrain is mountainous with several valleys and one main river, the Moro. The main economic activities are agriculture and livestock farming.

[edit] Population

According to the census of 1995, 89% of the population speak the Brahui language and 10% the Balochi language; presumably, this refers to the proportions of the population that name the said language as their native tongue. Over 98% of the population is Muslim. There is a small Zikri minority. The major Baloch tribes of the district are Mengal and Zehri.