Wakhan Corridor
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The Wakhan Corridor or Wakhan Salient (also spelt as Vakhan; وخان in Persian) is a narrow (in some places less than 10 mi. wide) corridor in the Badakhshan velayat (province) of Afghanistan. It is located in the Pamir mountain region, with Tajikistan to the north, Pakistan-administered Kashmir to the south and China to the east. It was created at the end of 19th century by the British Empire, to act as a buffer against potential Russian ambitions in India during the Great Game.
Historically the Wakhan has been an important region for thousands of years as it is where the Western and Eastern portions of Central Asia meet. Before the advent of Islam the region was disputed between Tibet and China.
At the eastern end, the Wakhjir is a pass through the Hindu Kush at 4,923 m, and has the sharpest official change of clocks of any international frontier (+4:30 UTC in Afghanistan to +8 UTC in China). The border here with China is among the tallest in the world.
The Corridor is sparsely populated. The main people present in the corridor are the Wakhi, along with smaller numbers of Kyrgyz.
External links
- [Pamir Trekking Information]
- [CIA Relief Map]
- [The Source of the Oxus River: Journey to the Wakhan Pamir & Across Dilisang Pass to Misgar (2004)]
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