GBAO

vafo — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 10:25:51 +0000

Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province (GBAO) (Tajik: Вилояти Мухтори Кӯҳистони Бадахшон/Viloyati Mukhtori Kuhistoni Badakhshon; Russ.: Горно-Бадахшанская автономная область, ГБАО) is an autonomous, mountainous province in the east of Tajikistan. Located in the Pamir Mountains, it makes up 45% of the land area of the country.

The Persian name Kuhistoni-Badakhshon (or Kohistan-Badakhshan) expresses the meaning Mountainous Badakhshan, which is equivalent to Gorno-Badakhshan, a standard construction derived from Горный Бадахшан (Gornyy Badakhshan) in Russian.

Wakhis

vafo — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 10:12:46 +0000

The Wakhs inhabit the highest part of the Pamirs in the former Soviet Union, Afghanistan, Pakistan and China (Chinese Turkmenistan). Their habitat more or less corresponds to the historical Wakhan region, which mainly occupied the valley of the River Wakhandarya (in present Afghanistan), on the upper reaches of the River Pyandzh. The historical Wakhan was situated between the ranges of the Pamir and Hindukush, 2,500–3,000 m above sea level. The Great Silk Road to China crossed it, caravans on their way to India and Persia passed through it, and Marco Polo also travelled here. A more detailed description of the Wakhs can be found in 7th century Chinese chronicles.

The Wakhs themselves call only the valley of the River Pyandzh, Wakhan, from the confluence of the Wakhandarya and the Pamir to the point where the Pyandzh bends sharply to the north, in the vicinity of Ishkashmi. The valley of the Wakhandarya is called Sarkhadd. The right bank of the Wakhan belonged to the Ishkashmi district of the Gorno-Badakhshan autonomous province in Tadzhikistan. The left bank and Sarkhadd belong to Afghanistan. The border runs along the River Pyandzh

Pamir- the roof of the world

GBAO

Wakhis