Quetta, Pakistan

Capital City

At over 1 million residents, Quetta is Pakistan's ninth largest city - but its high altitude and precarious location make it a challenging place to live. The capital of Balochistan province, Quetta's strategic position near the Afghan border has turned it into a bureaucratic headache, with colonial-era property disputes and land ownership battles persisting to this day. And while the region's temperate climate yields an abundance of fruit, the city's harsh winters and erratic snowfall can be equally trying. Overall, Quetta's mix of natural beauty and ongoing security concerns make it best suited for resilient adventurers, not the faint of heart.