Badakhshan Province

Badakhshan (Persian: بدخشان - Badakhshān) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, consisting of 28 districts. It is located in the north-east of the country, between the Hindu Kush and the Amu Darya. It is part of the Badakhshan region.

Geography

Badakhshan is primarily bordered by Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province and Khatlon Province in Tajikistan to the north and east. In the east of the province a long spur called the Wakhan Corridor extends above northern Pakistan's Chitral and Northern Areas to a border with China. The province has a total area of 44,059 km², most of which is occupied by the Hindu Kush and Pamir mountain ranges.

Badakhshan was a stopover on the ancient Silk Road trading path, and China has shown great interest in the province after the fall of the Taliban, helping to reconstruct roads and infrastructure in the province.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, the following ecoregions are found within the boundaries of Badakshan:Temperate Grasslands, Savannas and ShrublandsGissaro-Alai open woodlands—found along the Pamir River. Common plants are pistachio, almond, walnut, apple, and juniper. sagebrush.Montane Grasslands and ShrublandsHindu Kush alpine meadow—found in the high mountains in the northern and southwestern regions. Common vegetation includes meadow and birch forests.Karakoram-West Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe—found in the Wakhan corridor.Pamir alpine desert and meadow—found in the Wakhan corridor.Deserts and......
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