Quetta (/ˈkwɛtə/; Urdu: کوئٹہ, ko'eṭa, [ˈkweːʈə] ⓘ, Pashto: کوټه) is the capital and largest city of the Pakistani province of Balochistan.

Quetta is at an average elevation of 1,680 metres (5,510 feet) above sea level,[5] making it Pakistan's highest altitude major city.

[6] Located in northern Balochistan near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and the road across to Kandahar, Quetta is a trade and communication centre between the two countries.

The first European visited Quetta in 1828, describing it as mud-walled fort surrounded by three hundred mud houses.

[10] In 1856, British General John Jacob had urged his government to occupy Quetta given its strategic position on the western frontier.

[14] After the foundation of Pakistan, Balochistan acquired the status of a province and Quetta became a provincial capital.

[10] Quetta has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk) with a significant variation between summer and winter temperatures.

[36] Quetta is on the western side of Pakistan and is connected to the rest of the country by a network of roads, railways and its international airport close to its centre.

A metalled road runs alongside the railway that connects Quetta to Karachi via the nearby town of Sibi to Jacobabad and Rohri in the plain of the River Indus.

The city has a number of government and private colleges, including the following: Football is the most popular sport among the people of Quetta.

Local facilities were created in the city for mountain climbing and caving as well as water sports.

Hayatullah Khan Durrani (Pride of Performance) is the chief executive of Hayat Durrani Water Sports Academy, Balochistan's first and only Rowing, Canoeing, Kayaking, Sailing, rough swimming and boating academy where all such facilities provide free to the youth members at Hanna Lake.