Sharana (Pashto: ښرنه) is the capital of Paktika Province, Afghanistan. It is located at an altitude of 2,200 meters.[2] Its population was estimated to be 2,200 in 2006.[3] The city of Sharana has a population of 15,651 (in 2015)[4] and is located within the heartland of the Sulaimankhel tribe of Ghilji Pashtuns.[5] It has 6 districts and a total land area of 5,893 hectares.[6] The total number of dwellings in this city are 1,739.[6]

Sharana
ښرنه
City
Sharana is located in Afghanistan
Sharana
Sharana
Location in Afghanistan
Coordinates: 33°7′48″N 68°46′48″E / 33.13000°N 68.78000°E / 33.13000; 68.78000
Country Afghanistan
ProvincePaktika
DistrictSharana
Elevation
2,200 m (7,200 ft)
Population
 (2010)
 • City5,929
 • Urban
15,651[1]
Time zoneUTC+4:30

On 14 August 2021, Sharana was seized by Taliban fighters, becoming the twentieth provincial capital to be captured by the Taliban as part of the wider 2021 Taliban offensive.[7]

Climate

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With an influence from the local steppe climate, Sharana features a cold semi-arid climate (BSk) under the Köppen climate classification. The average temperature in Sharana is 10.8 °C, while the annual precipitation averages 265 mm. September is the driest month with 1 mm of rainfall, while March, the wettest month, has an average precipitation of 54 mm.

July is the warmest month of the year with an average temperature of 23.6 °C. The coldest month January has an average temperature of -4.5 °C, with the average lows at -10.9 °C.

Climate data for Sharana
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 2.0
(35.6)
4.8
(40.6)
11.4
(52.5)
17.9
(64.2)
23.8
(74.8)
29.6
(85.3)
31.2
(88.2)
30.4
(86.7)
27.3
(81.1)
20.5
(68.9)
13.2
(55.8)
6.7
(44.1)
18.2
(64.8)
Daily mean °C (°F) −4.5
(23.9)
−1.5
(29.3)
5.3
(41.5)
11.0
(51.8)
16.0
(60.8)
21.3
(70.3)
23.6
(74.5)
22.6
(72.7)
18.4
(65.1)
11.7
(53.1)
5.4
(41.7)
−0.2
(31.6)
10.8
(51.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −10.9
(12.4)
−7.7
(18.1)
−0.8
(30.6)
4.2
(39.6)
8.3
(46.9)
13.1
(55.6)
16.0
(60.8)
14.9
(58.8)
9.6
(49.3)
3.0
(37.4)
−2.4
(27.7)
−7.0
(19.4)
3.4
(38.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 36
(1.4)
51
(2.0)
54
(2.1)
37
(1.5)
14
(0.6)
11
(0.4)
18
(0.7)
13
(0.5)
4
(0.2)
4
(0.2)
13
(0.5)
20
(0.8)
275
(10.9)
Average precipitation days 4 5 6 4 2 2 3 2 1 1 2 3 35
Average relative humidity (%) 57 67 61 45 30 29 39 42 32 29 45 49 44
Source: Climate-Data.org[8]

Land use

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Barren land and agriculture account for 73% of total land. Sharana has the largest share of land classified as institutional (14%) of any Afghan provincial capital.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "The State of Afghan Cities report 2015".
  2. ^ "what is the elevation of sharan, afghanistan? - Wolfram|Alpha". www.wolframalpha.com. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  3. ^ "Afghanistan: Provinces, Districts, Cities, Towns, City Districts - Population Statistics in Maps and Charts". www.citypopulation.de.
  4. ^ "State of Afghan Cities report 2015 (Volume-I English) | UN-Habitat". unhabitat.org. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  5. ^ Paktika Province Tribal Map (Page 11). Naval Postgraduate School.
  6. ^ a b c "State of Afghan Cities report 2015 (Volume-II) | UN-Habitat". unhabitat.org. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  7. ^ Seir, Ahmad; Faietz, Rahim; Krauss, Joseph (14 August 2021). "Taliban approach capital's outskirts, attack northern city". Associated Press News. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  8. ^ "Climate: Sharan - Climate-Data.org". Retrieved 9 September 2016.