Koh-i-Baba
Encyclopedia
The Baba mountain range ( Koh-i-Baba; , də bābā γar) is a western extension of the Hindu Kush
, and the origin of all three of Afghanistan’s major river systems, the Kabul
, the Hilmand
-Arghandab
, and the Hari River. It is crowned by Foladi peak (Shah Fuladi, 34°38′43"N 67°37′27"E) rising 4951 m; 16,244 ft. above sea level, just south of Bamiyan.
The Firozkhoi plateau (Karjistan) merges still farther to the west by gentle gradients into the Paropamise, and which may be traced across the Hari River to Mashad.
To the south-west of the culminating peaks, long spurs divide the upper tributaries of the Helmand, and separate its basin from that of the Farah River
. These spurs retain a considerable altitude, for they are marked by peaks exceeding 11,000 ft. They sweep in a broad band of roughly parallel ranges to the south-west, preserving their general direction till they abut on the Great Registan
desert to the west of Kandahar
, where they terminate in a series of detached and broken anticlinals whose sides are swept by a sea of encroaching sand. The long, straight, level-backed ridges which divide the Argandab, the Tarnak
and Arghastan valleys, and flank the route from Kandahar to Ghazni.
The high jagged peaks above the Hajigak Pass, blue-black and shining, shimmer in the sunlight for they contain an estimated reserve of 2 billion tons of iron ore; Asia’s richest deposit. The very steep descent from the Hajigak Pass (3700 m; 140 ft.) with its numerous hairpin bends leads to the sparkling Kalu River, known locally as the Sauzao or Green Waters. It is bordered by poplars and several charming villages.
There is a mining camp high above the road at the bottom of the pass and almost any black stone picked from the side of the road in its vicinity will impress you with its weight. Piles of neatly stacked rock cleared from the fields impress one with the industry of these Hazara farmers. In the fall you may also see the ladies weaving in open fields beside their houses.
The Hajigak Pass with its natural beauty remains rugged and unpaved despite being the transit way into almost the whole central Afghanistan. The pass and its surrounding territories remain snow-covered through most part of the year, during which the traffic shifts to Shibar Pass
.
The area is home to the Hazara ethnic group, who are one of the most neglected in Afghanistan and have a very low literacy rate. Much of the population heavily depends on agriculture as their prime source of income and potato the prime crop.
http://nostalgia.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan/Article_from_the_1911_Encyclopedia
Hindu Kush
The Hindu Kush is an mountain range that stretches between central Afghanistan and northern Pakistan. The highest point in the Hindu Kush is Tirich Mir in the Chitral region of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.It is the westernmost extension of the Pamir Mountains, the Karakoram Range, and is a...
, and the origin of all three of Afghanistan’s major river systems, the Kabul
Kabul River
Kabul River , the classical Cophes , is a 700 km long river that starts in the Sanglakh Range of the Hindu Kush Mountains in Afghanistan and ends in the Indus River near Attock, Pakistan. It is the main river in eastern Afghanistan and is separated from the watershed of the Helmand by the Unai Pass...
, the Hilmand
Helmand River
The Helmand River is the longest river in Afghanistan and the primarily watershed for the endorheic Sistan Basin....
-Arghandab
Arghandab River
Arghandab is a river in Afghanistan, about in length. It rises in the Hazarajat country north-west of Ghazni, and flows south-west falls into the Helmand below Girishk. In its lower course it is much used for irrigation, and the valley is cultivated and populous; yet the water is said to be...
, and the Hari River. It is crowned by Foladi peak (Shah Fuladi, 34°38′43"N 67°37′27"E) rising 4951 m; 16,244 ft. above sea level, just south of Bamiyan.
The Firozkhoi plateau (Karjistan) merges still farther to the west by gentle gradients into the Paropamise, and which may be traced across the Hari River to Mashad.
To the south-west of the culminating peaks, long spurs divide the upper tributaries of the Helmand, and separate its basin from that of the Farah River
Farah River
The Farah River is a river in western Afghanistan. The river originates in the Band-e Bayan Range, and flows for 560 km to the Helmand swamps on the Afghanistan-Iran border. The town of Farah is located on the river....
. These spurs retain a considerable altitude, for they are marked by peaks exceeding 11,000 ft. They sweep in a broad band of roughly parallel ranges to the south-west, preserving their general direction till they abut on the Great Registan
Registan
The Registan was the heart of the ancient city of Samarkand, now in Uzbekistan. The name Registan means "Sandy place" in Persian....
desert to the west of Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
, where they terminate in a series of detached and broken anticlinals whose sides are swept by a sea of encroaching sand. The long, straight, level-backed ridges which divide the Argandab, the Tarnak
Tarnak
Tarnak may refer to:*Tarnak River, Afghanistan*Tarnak Wa Jaldak District, Afghanistan*Tarnak Farms, Afghanistan...
and Arghastan valleys, and flank the route from Kandahar to Ghazni.
The high jagged peaks above the Hajigak Pass, blue-black and shining, shimmer in the sunlight for they contain an estimated reserve of 2 billion tons of iron ore; Asia’s richest deposit. The very steep descent from the Hajigak Pass (3700 m; 140 ft.) with its numerous hairpin bends leads to the sparkling Kalu River, known locally as the Sauzao or Green Waters. It is bordered by poplars and several charming villages.
There is a mining camp high above the road at the bottom of the pass and almost any black stone picked from the side of the road in its vicinity will impress you with its weight. Piles of neatly stacked rock cleared from the fields impress one with the industry of these Hazara farmers. In the fall you may also see the ladies weaving in open fields beside their houses.
The Hajigak Pass with its natural beauty remains rugged and unpaved despite being the transit way into almost the whole central Afghanistan. The pass and its surrounding territories remain snow-covered through most part of the year, during which the traffic shifts to Shibar Pass
Shibar Pass
Shibar Pass is situated at a height of 3,000 m above sea-level and is one of the two main routes from Kabul to Bamiyan in central Afghanistan. The journey is approximately 6 and half hours long covering around ....
.
The area is home to the Hazara ethnic group, who are one of the most neglected in Afghanistan and have a very low literacy rate. Much of the population heavily depends on agriculture as their prime source of income and potato the prime crop.
Literature
- Peter Lumsden, Countries and Tribes Bordering on the Koh-i-Baba Range, Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society and Monthly Record of Geography (1885).
http://nostalgia.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan/Article_from_the_1911_Encyclopedia