Kachchh

Kachchh, Kutch, or Cutch (all: kŭch), district (1991 pop. 1,252,507), 17,000 sq mi (44,030 sq km), Gujarat state, W India, bounded on the N by Pakistan. It is largely barren except for a fertile band along the Gulf of Kachchh in the Arabian Sea. Mandvi, Bhuj, and Kadla, a new port, are the chief towns. Limestone, marble, and gypsum are mined; grains, cotton, and lentils are grown; and handcrafts are also produced. Formerly a princely state, Kachchh was established in the 14th cent. by Rajputs and passed under British rule in 1815. Kachchh was incorporated into Gujarat in 1960. Much of the region was devastated by a strong earthquake in Jan., 2001. The Rann of Kachchh (9,000 sq mi/23,310 sq km), a salt waste mainly in the north of the district, was the scene of Indo-Pakistani fighting in 1965. The border between the two countries has long been the site of territorial disputes.