Farah, Afghanistan
Farah
فراه Faridon | |
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UTC+4:30 |
Farah (
Land use
Farah is located in western Afghanistan between Kandahar and Herat, close to the border with Iran, although it lacks a direct road connection with the latter. Farah has a very clear grid of roads distributed through the higher-density residential areas. However barren land (35%) and vacant plots (25%) are the largest land uses and combine for 60% of total land use.[3]
History
History of Afghanistan | |
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Timeline | |
410–557 | |
Nezak Huns | 484–711 |
Ancient history
The Citadel at Farah is probably one of a series of fortresses constructed by Alexander the Great, the city being an intermediate stop between Alexandria Arachosia (modern Kandahar) and Herat, the location of another of Alexander's fortresses.[4][5] The "Alexandria" prefix was added to the city's name when Alexander came in 330 BC.
Under the
In the 5th century AD Farah was one of the major strongholds on the eastern frontier of the
Medieval and early modern
The region came under Muslim rule in 651 during the
Soviet-Afghan War
At the start of the
The mujahideen established themselves in the Farah area in 1979. They maintained a presence in the city until they were forced out in 1982, and established a stronghold at the nearby mountain Lor Koh, which they renamed Sharafat Koh ("Honor Mountain"). Primary among the Farah mujahideen groups was the Sharafat Kuh Front.[13]
Civil war to present
Following the collapse of the Soviet-backed government of Najibullah in 1992, Ismail Khan returned to power in Herat, and came to control Farah, as well as the other surrounding provinces of Ghor and Badghis, until Herat fell to the Taliban in 1995.[14]
The roads in Farah Province have seen massive improvement since May 2005. The education system has been greatly improved and a great number of illegal weapons have been collected and destroyed in the province by the Provincial Reconstruction Team. The United States built a base at Farah Airport, which also houses the Afghan National Security Forces (ANFS).
On May 7, 2009, thousands of Afghan villagers shouting "Death to America" and "Death to the Government" protested in Farah over American bomber airstrikes on May 4 that killed 147 civilians. Clashes with police started when people from the three villages struck by US B1-bombers brought 15 newly discovered bodies in a truck to the house of the provincial governor. Four protesters were wounded when police opened fire. Going by the account of survivors, the air raid was not a brief attack by several aircraft acting on mistaken intelligence, but a sustained bombardment in which three villages were pounded to pieces.[15] An Afghan government investigation concluded on May 16, 2009 with the Afghan Defense Ministry announcing an official death toll of 140 villagers. A copy of the government's list of the names and ages of each of the 140 dead showed that 93 of those killed were children, and only 22 were adult males.[16]
On 20 November 2009 it was reported that a
During late evening of 14 May 2018,
On 28 May 2020, the Taliban killed seven policemen in Farah in an attack on a police post during which eight Taliban militants were also killed.[21] The attack was conducted just after the end of the three-day Eid ceasefire announced by the Taliban in the country, which lasted from 24 to 26 May 2020.
On 10 August 2021, the Taliban captured the Police HQ and Governor's office of the city as part of the 2021 Taliban offensive.[22]
Demographics
Recent statistics (2015) showed the city population of about 54,000.
The provincial dominant language is Farsi (Dari) and Pashto.[27]
Economy
The city is a major trading and farming center in this area.[citation needed]
Transport
The Farah Airport is located next to the city and as of May 2014 had regularly scheduled flights to Herat.
There are secondary roads in different directions from the city. As of 2010, Farah City had 30 km (19 mi) of paved roads, 136 km (85 mi) of gravel roads and 150 km (93 mi) of unpaved roads.
Healthcare
The city is served by Farah City Hospital.
Climate
Farah has a
Climate data for Farah | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 14.9 (58.8) |
16.7 (62.1) |
23.6 (74.5) |
28.1 (82.6) |
34.6 (94.3) |
40.3 (104.5) |
42.4 (108.3) |
40.7 (105.3) |
35.6 (96.1) |
29.3 (84.7) |
22.1 (71.8) |
16.5 (61.7) |
28.7 (83.7) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −0.1 (31.8) |
2.2 (36.0) |
8.3 (46.9) |
12.1 (53.8) |
17.0 (62.6) |
22.0 (71.6) |
24.8 (76.6) |
21.8 (71.2) |
16.3 (61.3) |
9.4 (48.9) |
2.4 (36.3) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
11.3 (52.3) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 18 (0.7) |
22 (0.9) |
13 (0.5) |
8 (0.3) |
3 (0.1) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
4 (0.2) |
10 (0.4) |
78 (3.1) |
Source: Climate-Data.org, Climate data |
Books relating to Farah
Little has been written about Farah; some fleeting references can be found in works related to Afghanistan or works that focus on the Great Game Politics of the UK and the Russian Empire during the 19th century. However, 2011 saw the publication of Words in the Dust[30] by author Trent Reedy, who was one of the first American soldiers to enter Farah in 2004. His book, while fiction, is set in Farah City and the wider province. Also in 2021, Trent Reedy also published another book with a writer currently in Afghanistan named Jawad Arash. In the book Enduring Freedom, it was set in the province of Farah.
See also
References
- ^ "The State of Afghan Cities report 2015". Archived from the original on 31 October 2015.
- ^ "Settled Population of Farah province by Civil Division, Urban, Rural and Sex-2012-13" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
- ^ "The State of Afghan Cities report 2015". Archived from the original on 31 October 2015. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
- ^ Caii Plinii secundi Naturalis historiae libri XXXVII interpretatione et notis illustravit Joannes Harduinus in usum Delphini Jean Hardouin, Pline l'Ancien, Hardouin page 698.
- ^ Ralph Griffiths, George Edward Griffiths The Monthly Review May 1749-September 1803 Page 514
- ^ A manual of ancient history. Clarendon, 1880
- ^ William Woodthorpe Tarn "The Greeks in Bactria and India", 2010 p.14
- ^ a b Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 10 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 175.
- ^ Stephanus of Byzantium, Ethnica, Ph670.21
- ^ Balland, Daniel. "FARAÚH". In Ehsan Yarshater (ed.). Encyclopædia Iranica (Online ed.). United States: Columbia University. Archived from the original on 27 May 2008. Retrieved 2 January 2008.
- ^ The Kingdom of Afghanistan: A Historical Sketch. By George P. Tate. Bennet, Coleman & Co, Bombay, 1911. p213-4
- ISBN 978-0-312-29398-7
- ISBN 978-0-7603-1322-0
- ISBN 978-0-7425-4032-3
- ^ Afghans riot over air-strike atrocity
- ^ U.S. strikes killed 140 villagers: Afghan probe
- ^ a b Roggio, Bill. "Suicide Bomber strikes in Western Afghanistan." 20 November 2009. Long War Journal. Accessed at: http:.net//www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2009/11/suicide_bomber_strik_3.php
- ^ Karimi, Storay. "Taliban battle into west Afghan city in new crisis for government". U.S. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ Sukhanyar,Jawad and Nordland, Rod. "Taliban Claim They've Taken Control of Western Afghan City, Farah." 15 May 2018. The New York Times. Accessed at: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/15/world/asia/afghanistan-taliban-farah-.html
- ^ "Afghan officials say Taliban removed from western city". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
- ^ "14 Afghan forces killed in 'Taliban attacks' after ceasefire ends". 28 May 2020 – via today.rtl.lu.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "US vows to isolate Taliban if they take power by force". AP News. 10 August 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
- ^ "The State of Afghan Cities report 2015". Archived from the original on 31 October 2015.
- University of Nebraska at Omaha; Matthew S. Baker, Stratfor. National Geographic Society. 2003. Archived from the original(PDF) on 27 February 2008. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
- ^ "Farah Provincial Overview". Program for Conflict and Culture Studies. Naval Postgraduate School (NPS). Retrieved 13 January 2013.
- ^ "Provincial Development Plan, Farah Provincial Profile" (PDF). Afghanistan Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 December 2010.
- ^ "Farah - Program for Culture and Conflict Studies - Naval Postgraduate School".
- ^ National Area-Based Development Programme, Farah Provincial Profile,"Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development National Area Based Development Program" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
- ]
- ^ Trent Reedy, Words in the Dust, Arthur A. Levine 2011