Sher Khan or Shir Khan ( ps, شیر خان بندر; prs, شیرخان بندر) is a
border town
A border town is a town or city close to the boundary between two countries, states, or regions. Usually the term implies that the nearness to the border is one of the things the place is most famous for. With close proximities to a different cou ...
in the northern
Kunduz Province of
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
, next to the
Panj River
The Panj (russian: Пяндж; fa, رودخانه پنج) (; tg, Панҷ, پنج), traditionally known as the Ochus River and also known as ''Pyandzh'' (derived from its Russian name "Пяндж"), is a tributary of the Amu Darya. The river ...
. The town's main attraction is the Sher Khan Bandar, which is a
dry port
A dry port (sometimes referred to as an inland port) is an inland intermodal terminal directly connected by road or rail to a seaport, operating as a centre for the transshipment of sea cargo to inland destinations.
In addition to their role in ...
and
border checkpoint
A border checkpoint is a location on an international border where travelers or goods are inspected and allowed (or denied) passage through. Authorization often is required to enter a country through its borders. Access-controlled borders ofte ...
that officially connects by road Afghanistan with
Tajikistan
Tajikistan (, ; tg, Тоҷикистон, Tojikiston; russian: Таджикистан, Tadzhikistan), officially the Republic of Tajikistan ( tg, Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон, Jumhurii Tojikiston), is a landlocked country in Centr ...
. It is located about northwest from the center of the town. The city of
Kunduz
, native_name_lang = prs
, other_name =
, settlement_type = City
, image_skyline = Kunduz River valley.jpg
, imagesize = 300
, image_alt =
, image_caption =
, image_ ...
is about of driving distance south from Sher Khan Bandar. The historical name of the town was Qizil Qalah. It was given the current name in honor of
Sher Khan Nashir,
Khan of the
Nashers. The town as around 600 families.
Situated at an altitude of approximately in the
Imam Sahib District of Kunduz Province, Sher Khan Bandar is one of the major transporting, shipping and receiving locations in Afghanistan. It is also an official
border crossing
Border control refers to measures taken by governments to monitor and regulate the movement of people, animals, and goods across land, air, and maritime borders. While border control is typically associated with international borders, it a ...
between the people of Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Security in and around the town is provided by the
Afghan National Security Forces, which includes the
Afghan Border Force. Every visitor or traveler between Afghanistan and Tajikistan is required to possess a valid
travel visa
A visa (from the Latin ''charta visa'', meaning "paper that has been seen") is a conditional authorization granted by a polity to a foreigner that allows them to enter, remain within, or leave its territory. Visas typically include limits on ...
.
Sher Khan has begun to grow after the completion of the
Tajik–Afghan bridge at Panji Poyon in 2007. This bridge and the easy connectivity with the neighboring country boosted trade between Afghanistan and
Central Asia
Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...
. As many as 400 shipping trucks pass through the town every day, carrying trade goods from one country to the other. This trade has also made many local shop owners wealthy. In November 2012, Afghan officials announced that they plan to build about 2,000 new residential houses, 41 business plazas including offices, shops and stores.
See also
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Transport in Afghanistan
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Afghanistan–Tajikistan border
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Afghanistan–Tajikistan relations
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Ishkashim (border crossing between Afghanistan and Tajikistan)
*
Hairatan
Hairatan ( prs, حیرتان; ps, حیراتان; Uzbek Cyrillic: Ҳайратон, Uzbek Latin: Hayraton) is a border town in northern Balkh Province of Afghanistan. The Hairatan dry port and border checkpoint is located in the eastern section ...
(border crossing between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan)
*
Aqina
Aqina ( prs, اقينه; ps, اقينه), also known as Aqina Port, is a border checkpoint and border crossing in the northern Faryab Province of Afghanistan. It has a train station by the same name, which serves as the second rail service betwe ...
(border crossing between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan)
References
External links
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Afghanistan–Tajikistan border crossings
Populated places in Kunduz Province
{{Kunduz-geo-stub