Torghundi, also spelled Turghundi or Towrgondi (Pashto: تورغونډۍ, romanized: Tōrghūnḍəi, Turkmen: Torghundi), is a border town in northern Herat Province of Afghanistan. The town's main attraction is the Torghundi custom house and border checkpoint, which officially connects Afghanistan by road with Turkmenistan. Torghundi is the second checkpoint and border crossing between the two countries, with Aqina to the northeast being the other. Torghundi is connected by both a regular road and a 1520 mm gauge railroad with the neighboring town of Serhetabat in Turkmenistan. The city of Herat in Afghanistan is located about 100 km (62 mi) of driving distance south from Torghundi.
Torghundi
تورغونډۍ | |
|---|---|
 View of Torghundi in 2013 | |
  Torghundi Location in Afghanistan | |
| Coordinates: 35°15′N 62°17′E / 35.250°N 62.283°E | |
| Country |  Afghanistan |
| Province | Herat Province |
| District | Kushk District |
| Elevation | 2,224 ft (678 m) |
| Time zone | UTC+4:30 (AFT) |
The railroad at Torghundi was originally established in the early 1960s as a single track,[1] and was upgraded in 2017.[2][3] Torghundi has become the starting point of the Lapis Lazuli trade corridor.
Situated at 678 m (2,224 ft) above sea level in the Kushk District of Herat Province, Torghundi serves as one of the major transporting, shipping and receiving locations in Afghanistan.[4] It also serves as one of the official border crossings between the people of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. Security in and around the town is provided by the Afghan National Security Forces, which include the Afghan Border Force. The town fell to Taliban forces in July 2021, as part of the wider 2021 Taliban offensive.[5][6] Every visitor or traveler between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan is required to possess a valid travel visa.[7][8]
Name
editThe name Torghundi means Dark Hill or Black Hill in Pashto language.
Climate
editWith an influence from the local steppe climate, Torghundi features a cold semi-arid climate (BSk) under the Köppen climate classification. The average temperature in Toraghundi is 15.8 °C, while the annual precipitation averages 300 mm.
July is the hottest month of the year with an average temperature of 28.5 °C. The coldest month January has an average temperature of 3.4 °C.
| Climate data for Torghundi | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 9.0 (48.2) |
10.4 (50.7) |
16.4 (61.5) |
22.5 (72.5) |
29.4 (84.9) |
34.6 (94.3) |
36.7 (98.1) |
35.1 (95.2) |
30.8 (87.4) |
24.8 (76.6) |
17.3 (63.1) |
11.6 (52.9) |
23.2 (73.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 3.4 (38.1) |
4.8 (40.6) |
10.0 (50.0) |
15.5 (59.9) |
21.2 (70.2) |
26.0 (78.8) |
28.5 (83.3) |
26.8 (80.2) |
21.7 (71.1) |
16.0 (60.8) |
9.7 (49.5) |
5.5 (41.9) |
15.8 (60.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −2.2 (28.0) |
−0.7 (30.7) |
3.7 (38.7) |
8.6 (47.5) |
13.0 (55.4) |
17.4 (63.3) |
20.4 (68.7) |
18.5 (65.3) |
12.7 (54.9) |
7.3 (45.1) |
2.2 (36.0) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
8.4 (47.1) |
| Source: Climate-Data.org[9] | |||||||||||||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Grantham, Andrew. "Torghundi and the railway from Turkmenistan". United Kingdom. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
- ^ "Construction of Turkmen-Afghan railroad begins". Pajhwok Afghan News. 1 December 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
- ^ "Великий Шёлковый путь, пролегавший в древности по территории Туркменистана, получает новое воплощение". State Information Agency of Turkmenistan. 8 December 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
- ^ "3,442MT goods exported via Torghundi railway line". Pajhwok Afghan News. 22 June 2023. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
- ^ "Two Border Towns in Western Afghanistan Fall to Taliban". TOLOnews. 9 July 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
- ^ "Taliban capture key Afghanistan border crossings". BBC News. 9 July 2021. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
- ^ "Afghanistan tourist visa for Turkmen citizens". visalist. 7 July 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
- ^ "Turkmenistan tourist visa for Afghan citizens". visalist. 7 July 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
- ^ "Climate: Towrgondi - Climate-Data.org". Retrieved 9 September 2016.
External links
edit- "Torghundi" (3D visual). Google Earth.
- "Analysts Predict Decrease in Govt Revenue as Border Town Falls". TOLOnews. 7 August 2021.
35°15′N 62°17′E / 35.250°N 62.283°E
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