Washuk District
District of Balochistan in Pakistan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Washuk District (Balochi and Urdu: واشک) is a district in Balochistan province of Pakistan. The town of Washuk, which serves as the district headquarters, is located in the center of the district.
Washuk District
ضلع واشک | |
|---|---|
| Washuk District | |
 | |
| Country |  Pakistan |
| Province |  Balochistan |
| Division | Rakhshan |
| Established | 2005 |
| Headquarters | Washuk |
| Government | |
| • Type | District Administration |
| • Deputy Commissioner | Mansoor Qazi |
| • District Police Officer | N/A |
| • District Health Officer | N/A |
| Area | |
| 33,093 km2 (12,777 sq mi) | |
| Population (2023)[1] | |
| 302,623 | |
| • Density | 9.1446/km2 (23.684/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 41,107 |
| • Rural | 261,516 |
| Literacy | |
| • Literacy rate |
|
| Time zone | UTC+5 (PST) |
Administration
Washuk District was once part of Kharan District in Balochistan province. It was declared a separate district in 2007, but its governance issues are largely managed by Kharan's district administration.[3]
It is further subdivided into 3 Tehsils or subdistricts, 10 union councils and 216 mauzas (villages).[4]
| Tehsil | Area
(km²)[5] |
Pop.
(2023) |
Density
(ppl/km²) (2023) |
Literacy rate
(2023)[6] |
Union Councils |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Besima Tehsil | 6,014 | 63,368 | 10.54 | 31.83% | ... |
| Mashkel Tehsil | 11,663 | 67,142 | 5.76 | 16.33% | ... |
| Washuk Tehsil | 7,494 | 55,585 | 7.42 | 18.10% | ... |
| Nag Tehsil | 4,338 | 57,467 | 13.25 | 18.02% | ... |
| Shahgori Tehsil | 3,584 | 59,061 | 16.48 | 23.55% | ... |
Geography
Washuk District is spread over 33,093 km2, of which only 71,520 hectares are arable. The rest consists mostly of barren desert and mountains of the Central Makran Range.[4]
Demographics
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | N/A | — |
| 1961 | N/A | — |
| 1972 | N/A | — |
| 1981 | N/A | — |
| 1998 | 110,009 | — |
| 2017 | 175,712 | +2.50% |
| 2023 | 302,623 | +9.48% |
| Sources:[7] | ||
Population
As of the 2023 census, Washuk district has 49,049 households and a population of 302,623. The district has a sex ratio of 116.63 males to 100 females and a literacy rate of 21.58%: 26.76% for males and 15.76% for females.[8][9] 122,766 (40.6% of the surveyed population) are under 10 years of age.[10] 41,107 (13.58%) live in urban areas.[8]
Religion
In the 2023 census, 1,045 (0.35%) people in the district were from religious minorities, mainly Christians.[11]
Language
At the time of the 2023 census, 68.29% of the population spoke Balochi and 31.47% Brahui as their first language. Balochi is majority in Mashkel, Shahgori and Washuk tehsils, while Besima and Nag tehsils are Brahui-speaking[12]
Education
According to the Alif Ailaan Pakistan District Education Rankings 2014, Washuk is ranked 131 out of 146 districts in Pakistan in terms of the quality of education. For facilities and infrastructure, the district is ranked 132 out of 146.[13] A detailed picture of the district's education performance is also available online.[14]
