Wakhan Corridor

The Wakhan Corridor is a protruding strip of territory that is part of the Wakhan District in the Badakhshan Province of Afghanistan. It begins in Afghanistan's northeastern corner and stretches eastward, connecting the country to the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region within China. The strip narrowly separates the Badakhshan Mountainous Autonomous Region in Tajikistan from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan as well as Pakistani-administered Gilgit–Baltistan. This high mountain valley, which rises to a maximum altitude of 4,923 m (16,152 ft), serves as the source of both the Panj and Pamir rivers, which converge to form the larger Amu Darya River. For countless centuries, a vital trade route has traversed this valley, facilitating the movement of travelers to and from East, South, and Central Asia. The corridor was formed out of the Wakhan Mirdom after the signing of the 1893 Durand Line Agreement and the 1895 Pamir Boundary Commission protocols, so that the Russian Turkestan dominion, now Tajikistan, would not touch British dominion, now Pakistan. This agreement also created the Durand Line, which today forms the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The last Mir of Wakhan fled with a quarter of Wakhi population to Chitral, whose ruler settled the refugees in Ishkoman; many Wakhis were also forced to migrate to Hunza and Sarikol. Its eastern end bordered China's Xinjiang region, then claimed by the Qing dynasty. The corridor is today the Wakhan District of Badakhshan Province. As of 2024, the district has an estimated population of 18,000 residents. The northern part of the Wakhan, populated by the Wakhi, Pamiri and Kyrgyz peoples, is also referred to as the Pamir. The closest major airport is Fayzabad Airport in the city of Fayzabad to the west, which is accessible by the road network.