Vahdat

Template:Short description {{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}} Template:Infobox settlement Vahdat (Template:Langx) is a city in western Tajikistan, on the bank of the Kofarnihon River, 21 km east of Dushanbe. It was previously called Yangi-Bozor (1927–1936), Orjonikidzeobod (1936–1993, after Grigoriy Ordzhonikidze)<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> and Kofarnihon (1993–2006).<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref> Its population is estimated at 43,200 for the city proper and 342,700 for the city with the outlying communities (2020).<ref name=pop2020>Template:Cite web</ref> Vahdat was the focus on international attention in 2019 when a riot occurred in the city's prison, believed to be instigated by members of Islamic State, which led to the deaths of three guards and 29 inmates.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite news</ref>

Geography

The city is located in the upper basin of the river Kofarnihon, and is near the Gissar Range (southern slopes) and the Karategin Range (northern slopes), to the west, the city is on the edge of the Gissar Valley.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref>

Subdivisions

Before ca. 2018, Vahdat was the seat of Vahdat District, which covered the rural part of the present city of Vahdat.<ref name=pop2015>Template:Cite web</ref> The city of Hisor covers Hisor proper, the town Nu'mon Roziq and ten jamoats.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> These are as follows:<ref name=jambi>Jamoat-level basic indicators, United Nations Development Programme in Tajikistan, accessed 8 October 2020</ref>

Jamoat	Population (Jan. 2015)<ref name=jambi/>
Nu'mon Roziq (town)	11,600<ref name=pop2015/>
Abdullo Abdulvosiev	43,020
Bahor	28,276
Bozorboy Burunov	24,876
Chorsu	3,913
Chuyangaron	21,076
Guliston	37,452
Karim Ismoilov	34,544
Rajab Ismoilov	19,185
Romit	15,440
Simiganj	35,473

Demographics

The population is composed primarily of Tajiks and Uzbeks, with small numbers of Russians and Tatars.<ref name=":0" /> Numbers of Afghan refugees have also made Vahdat home.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Economy

The city's economy is mainly shaped by the surrounding district's agricultural activities: cotton, cattle, grains and vegetable production, and viticulture,<ref name=":1" /> with cotton-ginning being the city's dominant industrial activity.<ref name=":0" />

Transportation

There are road and rail connections between Vahdat and Dushanbe. Vahdat's railway station was built in 1930.<ref name=":0" /> Highway connections are possible to Jirgatol, Khorog, Kulob, Nurak and Yovon.<ref name=":1" />

Education

Vahdat Statistical College

The Vahdat Statistical College specializes in courses on finance, accounting and economics.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Infrastructure

Vahdat is the location of a prison which included those convicted of terrorist crimes, mainly associated with membership in Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) and the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT). In 2019, a prison riot saw three guards and 29 inmates killed, 24 of whom were said to be Islamic militants.<ref name=":2" /> One of those killed was Behruz Gulmurod, a son of Gulmurod Halimov, previously a commander of Tajik Interior Ministry special forces who joined ISIS/ISIL in 2015.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>