Loralai

Loralai, town, northeastern Balochistan province, Pakistan. The town lies just north of the Loralai River, at 4,700 feet (1,430 metres) above sea level. Founded in 1886, it is connected by road with Harnai, Zhob, Pishin, and Dera Ghazi Khan.

The surrounding region consists of a series of long, narrow valleys hemmed in by rugged mountains varying from 3,000 to 10,000 feet (1,000 to 3,000 metres). The higher western ranges form the upper catchment area of the Anambar, or Nari, the principal river of the district. Cattle, sheep, and goat grazing is the main occupation; some cultivation is carried out in the valleys. The chief crops are wheat, millet, rice, corn (maize), and fruit (grapes, apricots, pomegranates, and melons). Pashtun are the predominant ethnic group. Pop. (1998) 31,900.