Shindand

Shīnḍanḍ (Pashto: شينډنډ; {{سبزوار) is a town and the center of the Shindand District, Herat Province, Afghanistan. It is located at 33.3036°N 62.14°E / 33.3036; 62.14 at 1,066 m altitude on the Harut River. The Shindand Air Base is located about 15 miles northeast of the town.

For other uses, see Shindand (disambiguation).
Shindand
شينډنډ
Shindand is located in Afghanistan
Shindand
Shindand
Location in Afghanistan
Coordinates: 33°18′13″N 62°8′24″E
Country Afghanistan
ProvinceHerat Province
DistrictShindand District
Elevation
3,497 ft (1,066 m)
Time zoneUTC+4:30

Shindand is at the northern end of Zirko Valley, which is one of main centers of poppy production in western Afghanistan. The town is located south of Adriskan, where a large police training facility exists. The population includes Pashtuns, Tajiks and others, though Pashtuns make up the majority. The main languages spoken in the area are Pashto and Dari. During the Soviet–Afghan War (1979–1989) the 5th Guards Motor Rifle Division was headquartered in the town.

Etymology

The name Shindand means "green pond" in Pashto.[1] The town was previously known as Sabzawar and Asfezar.[2]

History

Shindand was once a city of considerable size, and still possesses a fortress with sides of about 200 metres. In the 19th century the city was said to have a diverse population composed of Ghilzais, Durranis (Alakozais, Popalzais, Barakzais), Tajiks, Zuris, Timuris, Jews, and Hindus.[3] By the early 20th century this fortress had been abandoned, and the town, at the centre of a group of villages, was fairly prosperous, with a bazaar of about 800 shops. The plains about Shindand were highly cultivated by the Nurzai Duranis, each village protected by its own little mud fort.[4]

On August 10, 1990, an Antonov An-12 of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan Air Force (DRAAF) crashed during initial climb after takeoff from Shindand Airport, killing all 83 onboard. This crash was Afghanistan's deadliest until the crash of Kam Air Flight 904 in 2005.[5]

Climate

With an influence from the local steppe climate, Shindand features a cold semi-arid climate (BSk) under the Köppen climate classification. The average temperature in Shindand is 16.5 °C, while the annual precipitation averages 168 mm.

July is the hottest month of the year with an average temperature of 29.4 °C. The coldest month January has an average temperature of 4.1 °C.

Climate data for Shindand
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 11.1
(52.0)		 13.3
(55.9)		 19.4
(66.9)		 24.1
(75.4)		 30.1
(86.2)		 35.8
(96.4)		 37.7
(99.9)		 36.3
(97.3)		 31.9
(89.4)		 25.8
(78.4)		 18.4
(65.1)		 13.1
(55.6)		 24.8
(76.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) 4.1
(39.4)		 6.6
(43.9)		 12.1
(53.8)		 16.5
(61.7)		 21.8
(71.2)		 27.1
(80.8)		 29.4
(84.9)		 27.4
(81.3)		 22.5
(72.5)		 16.2
(61.2)		 9.4
(48.9)		 5.2
(41.4)		 16.5
(61.8)
Average low °C (°F) −2.8
(27.0)		 −0.1
(31.8)		 4.9
(40.8)		 9.0
(48.2)		 13.5
(56.3)		 18.4
(65.1)		 21.1
(70.0)		 18.6
(65.5)		 13.1
(55.6)		 6.7
(44.1)		 0.4
(32.7)		 −2.6
(27.3)		 8.4
(47.0)
Source: Climate-Data.org[6]

Shindand Air Base

The Shindand Air Base is located about 15 miles to the northeast of the town, which currently occupied by Afghan and NATO's International Security Assistance Force. It is a former Soviet airfield, repaired by U.S. forces. The area is flat and arid, with foothills to the north and west. The Kandahar–Herat Highway, which is part of Afghanistan's Highway 1, passes next to the Shindand Air Base. A free medical clinic supported by the Afghan National Army (ANA) provides free medical care for the population of the town.

Notable people

See also

References
  1. L. W. Adamec, Historical And Political Gazetteer Of Afghanistan, Vol. 3, Herat and Northwestern Afghanistan, Akademische Druck-u. Verlagsanstalt, 1972, ISBN 978-3201009423, p. 343
  2. "ASFEZĀR – Encyclopaedia Iranica". www.iranicaonline.org. Retrieved 2020-12-21.
  3. Noelle-Karimi, Christine (2014). The Pearl in Its Midst: Herat and the Mapping of Khurasan (15th-19th Centuries). Austrian Academy of Sciences Press. ISBN 978-3-7001-7202-4.
  4. One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Sabzawar". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 23 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 969.
  5. "ASN Aircraft accident Antonov An-12 registration unknown Shindand". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  6. "Climate: Shindand – Climate-Data.org". Retrieved 9 September 2016.

Further reading
  • Louis Dupree, Afghanistan. 1st Edition: 1973; Ludwig W. Adamec, Historical Dictionary of Afghanistan, 3rd ed., 2003.
  • S. I. Bruk, Narody Peredney Azii (1960); S.I. Bruk, and V. S. Apenchenko, Atlas Narodov Mira (Moscow: Academy of Science, 1964) A. Gabriel, Religionsgeographie von Persien (Vienna, 1971).
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