Ishkashim, Afghanistan

Ishkashim Persian: اشکاشم, also transliterated Ishkashem or Eshkashem, is a town in Badakhshan Province in north-eastern Afghanistan,[2] the capital of Ishkashim District. It lies on the Panj River, at a point where its direction turns sharply north. Ishkashim lies opposite a town of the same name in Tajikistan, although the Tajik town is normally transliterated Ishkoshim following Tajik practice. A bridge linking the two towns was reconstructed in 2006.[3]

Ishkashim

Eshkāshem

اشکاشم
Ishkashim
Location in Afghanistan
Coordinates: 36°42′33″N 71°34′26″E
Country Afghanistan
ProvinceBadakhshan Province
DistrictIshkashim
Elevation8,500 ft (2,600 m)
Time zone+ 4.30

The town of Ishkashim lies in a fertile valley at an elevation of 3037 meters.[4] There are roughly 20 settlements in the valley, but, considering the cultivation in the valley is contiguous, it could also be considered one single, larger settlement. The total population of the valley is 12,120.[4]

The valley has only one harvest per year. Wheat and barley are cultivated.[5] Poplar and chinar trees grow as well, but there is little firewood.

The climate is generally cold, but much warmer than that of neighboring areas, such as Wakhan.[1]

The people of the town are predominantly Nizārī Ismā'īlī, and are called Ishkashimi. Most of them speak the Ishkashimi language.[1]

The valley lies in an important strategic area, as it commands the only route between Badakhshan, Shighnan, and Wakhan accessible during the winter. There had been a mud fort located in the central village.[1]

Ishkashim was earlier a state of the Emir of Badakhshan on the Upper Oxus River. The lands of the state stretched some 16 miles north of the town of Ishkashim, on both sides of the river, to the border of Gharan. Together with Zebak, Eshkashem was under the direct rule of the naib of Zebak, thus also placing them indirectly under the governor of Badakhshan.[1]

Climate

Ishkashim has a warm, dry-summer continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dsb). In winter there is more rainfall than in summer. The average annual temperature in Ishkashim is 7.3 °C (45.1 °F). About 433 mm (17.05 in) of precipitation falls annually.

Climate data for Ishkashim
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) −1.6
(29.1)
−0.5
(31.1)
4.8
(40.6)
12.0
(53.6)
16.8
(62.2)
22.9
(73.2)
25.9
(78.6)
25.8
(78.4)
21.6
(70.9)
15.2
(59.4)
7.7
(45.9)
1.2
(34.2)
12.6
(54.8)
Average low °C (°F) −10.8
(12.6)
−9.1
(15.6)
−3.2
(26.2)
2.6
(36.7)
6.0
(42.8)
10.3
(50.5)
12.6
(54.7)
12.5
(54.5)
7.9
(46.2)
3.1
(37.6)
−1.8
(28.8)
−6.5
(20.3)
2.0
(35.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 41
(1.6)
55
(2.2)
81
(3.2)
85
(3.3)
57
(2.2)
14
(0.6)
9
(0.4)
4
(0.2)
6
(0.2)
20
(0.8)
20
(0.8)
41
(1.6)
433
(17.0)
Source: Climate-Data.org,Climate data

References

  1. Adamec, Ludwig W., ed. (1972). Historical and Political Gazetteer of Afghanistan. 1. Graz, Austria: Akadamische Druck-u. Verlangsanstalt. p. 85.
  2. "NGA GeoName Database". National Geospatial Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on 2008-05-22. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
  3. "News: Aga Khan and President Rahmonov inaugurate reconstructed bridge in Ishkashim". Asia-Plus. 2006-10-31. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2009-05-07.
  4. Population of Ashkāsham, Afghanistan Archived 2009-07-03 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Salopek, Paul (October 16, 2017). "Walking the Wild Rim of War". National Geographic. Retrieved October 17, 2017. We hail daydreaming Wakhi farmers threshing their crops the Neolithic way, driving their oxen over the wheat in tight circles.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.