| Official Name: | Bela |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Coordinates: | 26.2267°N 66.3113°W |
| Pushpin Map: | Pakistan#Pakistan Balochistan |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Pakistan |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Balochistan |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Lasbela |
| Subdivision Type3: | Tehsil |
| Subdivision Name3: | Bela |
| Population Est: | 20119 [1] |
| Pop Est As Of: | 2012 |
| Elevation M: | 88 |
| Area Code Type: | Calling code |
| Timezone1: | PST |
| Utc Offset1: | +5 |
Bela (Baluchi: {{nq|بݔلہ), is an important city of Lasbela District in the Balochistan province of Pakistan.[2] It is an ancient city in a historic track surrounded by hills above the Arabian Sea, nearly 180km (110miles) northwest of Karachi and 500km (300miles) south of Quetta. During the autumn of 325 BC, the settlement was part of the Asian campaign of Alexander the Great under the name Rhambacia (Greek, Modern (1453-);: Ῥαμβακία). After Alexander conquered the town, he commended the place and thought that if he built a city there it would become great and prosperous and he left Hephaestion behind to build it.[3] In 711 AD, it was part of Muhammad bin Qasim's campaign under the name Armabil.
Alexander's historians mention the river name as Arabius, and local people as Oreitans. The Arab sources call it Armabil or Armanil. The Chachnama, in addition, uses the names Armael, Armana-Bil, Armapilla. It is described as the second port city of Sindh, after Debal.
Majority of Bela's population consists of Sindhi speaking Lasis as well as some Brahui speakers. The population is predominantly Muslim with a small Sindhi Hindu community.[2]
| 1941[4] | 2017[5] [6] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,389 | 23,156 | ||||
| 469 | 1,436 | ||||
| 47 | |||||
| 0 | 9 | ||||
| Others | 0 | 2 | |||
| Total population | 3,905 | 24,603 | |||
Bela and surrounding areas have some mineral reserves. 64km (40miles) north of Bela are the Kundi deposits where traces of chalcopyrite, Galena, and silver are also found. Manganese ore is also found in the ophiolitic belt of Bela.[2] The tomb of Muhammad ibn al-Qasim's general, Muhammad ibn Haroon, is located in Bela.[7]