Vahdat (Tajik: Ваҳдат) is a city in western Tajikistan, on the bank of the Kofarnihon River, 21 km east of Dushanbe. It was previously called Yangi-Bozor (1927–1936), Orjonikidzeobod (1936–1993, after Grigoriy Ordzhonikidze)[3] and Kofarnihon (1993–2006).[4] Its population is estimated at 43,200 for the city proper and 342,700 for the city with the outlying communities (2020).[1] Vahdat was the focus on international attention in 2019 when a riot occurred in the city's prison, believed to be instigated by members of Islamic State, which led to the deaths of three guards and 29 inmates.[5]
Vahdat
Tajik: Ваҳдат | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Vahdat Location in Tajikistan | |
| Coordinates: 38°33′11″N 69°01′14″E / 38.55306°N 69.02056°E | |
| Country |  Tajikistan |
| Region | Districts of Republican Subordination |
| Government | |
| • Chairman | Amirzoda Rahmonali Amir |
| Elevation | 870 m (2,850 ft) |
| Population (2020)[1] | |
• City | 342,700 |
| • Urban | 43,200 |
| Time zone | +5 |
| Official languages | |
| Website | www |
Geography
editThe city is located in the upper basin of the river Kofarnihon, and is near the Gissar Range (southern slopes) and the Karategin Range (northern slopes), to the west, the city is on the edge of the Gissar Valley.[6]
Subdivisions
editBefore ca. 2018, Vahdat was the seat of Vahdat District, which covered the rural part of the present city of Vahdat.[7] The city of Hisor covers Hisor proper, the town Nu'mon Roziq and ten jamoats.[8] These are as follows:[9]
| Jamoat | Population (Jan. 2015)[9] |
|---|---|
| Nu'mon Roziq (town) | 11,600[7] |
| Abdullo Abdulvosiev | 43,020 |
| Bahor | 28,276 |
| Bozorboy Burunov | 24,876 |
| Chorsu | 3,913 |
| Chuyangaron | 21,076 |
| Guliston | 37,452 |
| Karim Ismoilov | 34,544 |
| Rajab Ismoilov | 19,185 |
| Romit | 15,440 |
| Simiganj | 35,473 |
Demographics
editThe population is composed primarily of Tajiks and Uzbeks, with small numbers of Russians and Tatars.[4] Numbers of Afghan refugees have also made Vahdat home.[10]
Economy
editThe city's economy is mainly shaped by the surrounding district's agricultural activities: cotton, cattle, grains and vegetable production, and viticulture,[6] with cotton-ginning being the city's dominant industrial activity.[4]
Transportation
editThere are road and rail connections between Vahdat and Dushanbe. Vahdat's railway station was built in 1930.[4] Highway connections are possible to Jirgatol, Khorog, Kulob, Nurak and Yovon.[6]
Education
edit
The Vahdat Statistical College specializes in courses on finance, accounting and economics.[11]
Infrastructure
editVahdat is the location of a prison which included those convicted of terrorist crimes, mainly associated with membership in Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) and the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT). In 2019, a prison riot saw three guards and 29 inmates killed, 24 of whom were said to be Islamic militants.[5] One of those killed was Behruz Gulmurod, a son of Gulmurod Halimov, previously a commander of Tajik Interior Ministry special forces who joined ISIS/ISIL in 2015.[12]
Climate
edit| Climate data for Vahdat | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 0.9 (33.6) |
2.6 (36.7) |
8 (46) |
14.3 (57.7) |
18.5 (65.3) |
23.6 (74.5) |
26 (79) |
24.4 (75.9) |
19.7 (67.5) |
14 (57) |
8.5 (47.3) |
3.9 (39.0) |
13.7 (56.6) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 71.1 (2.80) |
82.3 (3.24) |
117.8 (4.64) |
114.1 (4.49) |
80.9 (3.19) |
10.8 (0.43) |
5.2 (0.20) |
1 (0.0) |
3.3 (0.13) |
36 (1.4) |
49.2 (1.94) |
64.4 (2.54) |
636.1 (25) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 10.3 | 11.6 | 14.4 | 12.9 | 10.6 | 3.3 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 5.4 | 7.1 | 10 | 89 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 69.5 | 68.1 | 64.5 | 61 | 54.5 | 41.3 | 38 | 39.3 | 41.9 | 51.5 | 58.8 | 67 | 54.6 |
| Source: weatherbase.com[13] | |||||||||||||
References
edit- ^ a b "Population of the Republic of Tajikistan as of 1 January 2020" (PDF) (in Russian). Statistics office of Tajikistan. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
- ^ "КОНСТИТУЦИЯ РЕСПУБЛИКИ ТАДЖИКИСТАН". prokuratura.tj. Parliament of Tajikistan. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ Bursa, G. R. F. (1985). "Political Changes of Names of Soviet Towns". The Slavonic and East European Review. 63 (2): 171. ISSN 0037-6795. JSTOR 4209080.
- ^ a b c d Abdullaev, Kamoludin (2018). "Vahdat". Historical Dictionary of Tajikistan. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 471. ISBN 978-1-5381-0252-7.
- ^ a b "Dozens killed in riot at Tajikistan prison holding Isis militants". The Guardian. Reuters. 2019-05-20. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
- ^ a b c "Дар бораи шаҳр". www.vahdat.tj (in Tajik). Retrieved 2020-03-29.
- ^ a b "Population of the Republic of Tajikistan as of 1 January 2015" (PDF) (in Russian). Statistics office of Tajikistan. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 July 2015.
- ^ "Regions of the Republic of Tajikistan 2017" (PDF) (in Russian). Statistics office of Tajikistan. pp. 15–21. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
- ^ a b Jamoat-level basic indicators, United Nations Development Programme in Tajikistan, accessed 8 October 2020
- ^ Berger, Miriam (14 October 2015). "Here's What Life Is Like For Afghan Refugees Who Don't Make It To Europe". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
- ^ "ФАКУЛТЕТҲО". kov.tj (in Tajik). Retrieved 2020-03-29.
- ^ "Tajik Opposition Members Among 32 Killed In Prison Riot". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. 20 May 2019. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
- ^ "Vahdat,Tajikistan". weatherbase.com. Retrieved 29 March 2020.