Shindand شينډنډ | |
|---|---|
  Shindand Location in Afghanistan | |
| Coordinates:33°18′13″N62°8′24″E / 33.30361°N 62.14000°E /33.30361; 62.14000 | |
| Country |  Afghanistan |
| Province | Herat Province |
| District | Shindand District |
| Elevation | 3,497 ft (1,066 m) |
| Time zone | UTC+4:30 |
Shīnḍanḍ (Pashto:شينډنډ), originally, is a town and the center of theShindand District,Herat Province,Afghanistan. It is located at33°18′13″N62°08′24″E / 33.3036°N 62.14°E /33.3036; 62.14 at 1,066 m altitude on theHarut River. TheShindand Air Base is located about 15 miles northeast of the town.
Shindand is at the northern end ofZirko Valley, which is one of main centers of poppy production in western Afghanistan. The town is located south ofAdriskan, where a large police training facility exists. The population includesPashtuns, thoughPashtuns make up the majority. The main languages spoken in the area arePashto. During theSoviet–Afghan War (1979–1989) the5th Guards Motor Rifle Division was headquartered in the town.
The nameShindand means "green pond" inPashto.[1]
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 ofGhilzais,Durranis (Alakozais,Popalzais,Barakzais),Tajiks,Zuris,Timuris,Jews, andHindus.[2] 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 theNurzaiDuranis, each village protected by its own little mud fort.[3]
On August 10, 1990, anAntonov An-12 of theDemocratic 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 ofKam Air Flight 904 in 2005.[4]
With an influence from the local steppe climate, Shindand features acold semi-arid climate (BSk) under theKöppen 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 |
| Mean daily maximum °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) |
| Mean daily minimum °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[5] | |||||||||||||
TheShindand Air Base is located about 15 miles to the northeast of the town, which was occupied by Afghan andNATO'sInternational 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. TheKandahar–Herat Highway, which is part of Afghanistan'sHighway 1, passes next to the Shindand Air Base. A free medical clinic supported by theAfghan National Army (ANA) provided free medical care for the population of the town.
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Sabzawar".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 23 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 969.| Districts |  | |
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