Panjshir Province
This article is about the province of Punjir. For information on the river of the same name, see Punjir (river).
35.570Coordinates: 35° 30′ N, 70° 0′ E
Punjshir (also Panjshir or Panjshar; Persian پنجشیر Panjshir, DMG Panǧšīr, 'five lions', Pashto پنجشېر Panjsher) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan.
It was established on April 13, 2004. However, the province itself goes back to a millennium long history. The population is about 153,500 and the province covers 3610 km². The administrative seat is Bazarak. In Punjir mainly Dari is spoken and the inhabitants are mainly Tajiks. The province is located about 100 km northeast of Kabul.
Ahmad Shah Massoud, known as "the Lion of Punjir", was a famous Afghan commander who was assassinated by suicide bombers on September 9, 2001. He organized the defense of the valley during the Soviet-Afghan War until the withdrawal of the Soviet army. Even in the civil war that followed, the Taliban were never able to take Punjir.
View over the Pandschir valley
Geography
The province is shaped by the namesake Punjir River, which has deeply carved the narrow Punjir Valley into the surrounding Hindu Kush mountains. The province covers the catchment area of the Punjir above the city of Golbahar. An important trunk road runs through the Punjir Valley. It connects the capital Kabul with the northeastern province of Badakhshan.
Administration breakdown
The province of Punjir is divided into 7 districts:
- Bazarak - lower Punjshir valley between Khenj and Rukha
- Dara - catchment area of a left Panjir tributary in the southeast.
- Khenj - middle section of the Pandschir valley
- Onaba - lower Punjshir valley between Shotol and Rukha
- Pariyan - upper section of the Punjshir valley in the north
- Rukha - lower Punjshir valley between Onaba in the south and Bazarak in the north
- Shotol - river valley of the Shotol in the southwest as well as lowest section of the Punjshir valley
A map of the districts can be found on the Library of Congress website.
Questions and Answers
Q: What is Panjshir?
A: Panjshir is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan.
Q: What does the name Panjshir mean?
A: The name Panjshir means "Five Lions" in Persian.
Q: Why is Panjshir province famous?
A: Panjshir province is famous for not being taken by the Soviets during their occupation in the 1980s.
Q: How does Panjshir compare to the rest of Afghanistan in terms of violence?
A: There has not been as much violence in Panjshir as the rest of the country.
Q: What language is spoken in Panjshir?
A: The official language of Panjshir is Dari, which is a dialect of Persian.
Q: What are some of the notable features of Panjshir province?
A: Panjshir is known for its natural beauty, with rugged mountains, crystal-clear rivers, and picturesque valleys.
Q: Has Panjshir province been part of any significant historical events?
A: Yes, Panjshir played a significant role in the resistance against the Soviet occupation and the Taliban regime. It was also the site of the Battle of Panjshir during the Afghan Civil War in the 1990s.
