Wakhan
Wakhan is a high, narrow valley in the Pamir Mountains of northeastern Afghanistan, between Tajikistan and Pakistan. It is located in northeastern Badakhshan Province around the Wakhan River and extends from Ishkashim in the west to China in the east. The Great Silk Road passed through Wakhan, and Marco Polo is said to have stopped there on his way to China.
In 1896, the Anglo-Russian Boundary Commission awarded this area to Afghanistan in order to create a buffer zone between British India and Russia; thereafter, the area became known as the Wakhan Corridor. Previously, it had been an autonomous region ruled by an independent emir (prince) until 1882, when it came under the administrative control of the governor of Badakhshan.
The region is known for its biodiversity. It has an alpine fauna, which provides a good habitat for the famous Marco Polo sheep, ibex, snow leopard, and brown bear. The area is also rich in lapis lazuli, the rare, bright blue semiprecious stone much prized in antiquity.
Its inhabitants are the Wakhis and Tajik, who live along the upper reaches of the Panj River and who speak an Indo-Aryan language. The main occupations are farming (wheat, barley, and legumes), and herding (cattle, sheep, and goats). As well, there are Kyrgyz herders, who have domesticated the yak. Both the yak and the two-humped Bactrian camel are important beasts of burden in the region.
Before the Marxist coup in 1978 (known as the Saur Revolt), the Corridor attracted hunters who came for the Marco Polo sheep, as well mountain climbers. Few outsiders currently venture into the area, but this may change as the region stabilizes.
Further Reading
Faizi, Inayatullah. (1996) Wakhan: A Window into Central Asia. Islamabad, Pakistan: Al-Qalam.
Gopalakrishnan, Ramamoorthy. (1980) The Geography and Politics of Afghanistan. New Delhi: Concept.
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