Vahdat
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-Bazar (1927–1936), Ordzhonikidzeabad (1936–1993, after Grigoriy Ordzhonikidze)[2] and Kofarnihon (1993–2006).[3] 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.[4]
Vahdat | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Vahdat Location in Tajikistan | |
| Coordinates: 38°33′11″N 69°01′14″E | |
| Country |  |
| Province | Region of Republican Subordination |
| District | Vahdat |
| Government | |
| • Chairman | Amirzoda Rahmonali Amir |
| Elevation | 870 m (2,850 ft) |
| Population (2019)[1] | |
| • Total | 55,000 |
| Time zone | +5 |
| Website | www |
Geography
The city is located in the upper basin of the Kofarnihon River, 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.[5]
Demographics
The population is composed primarily of Tajiks and Uzbeks, with small numbers of Russians and Tatars.[3] Numbers of Afghan refugees have also made Vahdat home.[6]
Economy
The city's economy is mainly shaped by the surrounding district's agricultural activities: cotton, cattle, grains and vegetable production, and viticulture,[5] with cotton-ginning being the city's dominant industrial activity,[3]
Transportation
There are road and rail connections between Vahdat and Dushanbe. Vahdat's railway station was built in 1930.[3] Highway connections are possible to Jirgatol, Khorog, Kulob, Nurak and Yovon.[5]
Education
The Vahdat Statistical College specializes in courses on finance, accounting and economics.[7]
Infrastructure
Vahdat 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.[4] One of the 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.[8]
Climate
| 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[9] | |||||||||||||
References
- "Population size, Republic of Tajikistan on January 1, 2019" (PDF) (in Tajik). Tajikistan Statistics Agency. 2019. p. 26. Retrieved 28 March 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.
- Abdullaev, Kamoludin (2018). "Vahdat". Historical Dictionary of Tajikistan. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 471. ISBN 978-1-5381-0252-7.
- Reuters (2019-05-20). "Dozens killed in riot at Tajikistan prison holding Isis militants". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
- "Дар бораи шаҳр". www.vahdat.tj (in Tajik). Retrieved 2020-03-29.
- 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.