Nili (Dari: نیلی; Pashto: نیلي) is a city in central Afghanistan, serving as the capital of Daykundi Province since 2004.[2] It is connected by a road network with Bamyan in neighboring Bamyan Province to the northeast and Tarinkot in Uruzgan Province to the south.[3]
Nili نیلی | |
|---|---|
City | |
 A distant view of Nili in 2011 | |
  Nili The location of Nili within Afghanistan | |
| Coordinates: 33°43′N 66°7′E / 33.717°N 66.117°E | |
| Country |  Afghanistan |
| Province | Daykundi |
| District | Nili |
| Elevation | 2,022 m (6,634 ft) |
| Population (2022) | |
| • Total | 30,058[1] |
| Time zone | UTC+4:30 (AFT) |
Nili has a total land area of 9,022 ha (22,290 acres),[4] and a population of around 30,058 people (2022 estimate).[1] The overwhelming majority are ethnic Hazaras, with Pashto-speaking Pashtuns and others being the minority.[5]
The city, which has over 2,000 houses and businesses,[4] is within the Nili District and the Hazarajat region.[2] It sits at 2,022 m (6,634 ft) above sea level. The Nili Airport is located a few miles away from the town center known as Gul-e-Badam Square (Almond Square).
Nili is an urban village in central Afghanistan in which the majority of the land is not built-up.[4][6] Barren land is the largest land use and account for 79% of total land area.[4] There are only 239 hectares of built-up land use, of which 35% is residential and 40% is vacant plots.[4]
History
Nili became the capital of Daykundi Province in March of 2004.[2] Prior to that, it was an ordinary town within the pre-2004 larger Uruzgan Province. Due to its geographical inaccessibility and harsh winter, it was not until April 2007 that the United Nations opened a UNAMA office.
In December 2008, then-President Hamid Karzai selected Azra Jafari as mayor of Nili, which made her Afghanistan's first female mayor.
On 14 August 2021, Nili was seized by Taliban forces, becoming the twenty-fourth provincial capital to be captured by them as part of the wider 2021 Taliban offensive.[7][8]
Climate
Nili has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dsa) in the Köppen climate classification, with dry summers and cold, snowy winters. Precipitation mostly falls in spring and winter.
| month | lowest | highest | date of lowest | date of highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January[9] | -15° | 11° | 13 Jan 2023 | 6 Jan 2023 |
| February[10] | -11° | 15° | 12 Feb 2023 | 24 Feb 2023 |
| March[11] | 1° | 21° | 3 Mar 2023 | 11 Mar 2023 |
| April[12] | 2° | 28° | 6 Apr 2023 | 14 Apr 2023 |
| May[13] | 5° | 30° | 8 May 2023 | 22 May 2023 |
| June[14] | 14° | 41° | 1 Jun 2023 | 23 Jun 2023 |
| July[15] | 14° | 41° | 12 Jul 2023 | 18 Jul 2023 |
| August[16] | 16° | 41° | 26 Aug 2023 | 5 Aug 2023 |
| September[17] | 9° | 41° | 30 Sep 2023 | 12 Sep 2023 |
| October[18] | 2° | 33° | 24 Oct 2023 | 5 Oct 2023 |
| November[19] | 3° | 24° | 30 Nov 2023 | 2 Nov 2023 |
| December[20] | -2° | 19° | 17 Dec 2023 | 6 Dec 2023 |
| Climate data for Nili, Daykundi Province | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −1.7 (28.9) | 0.0 (32.0) | 6.1 (43.0) | 15.6 (60.1) | 21.7 (71.1) | 27.8 (82.0) | 31.1 (88.0) | 30.0 (86.0) | 26.1 (79.0) | 18.9 (66.0) | 9.4 (48.9) | 3.3 (37.9) | 15.7 (60.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −6.9 (19.6) | −4.7 (23.5) | 1.4 (34.5) | 9.8 (49.6) | 15.6 (60.1) | 21.4 (70.5) | 24.7 (76.5) | 23.4 (74.1) | 19.2 (66.6) | 12.5 (54.5) | 3.9 (39.0) | −2.5 (27.5) | 9.8 (49.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −12.2 (10.0) | −9.4 (15.1) | −3.3 (26.1) | 3.9 (39.0) | 9.4 (48.9) | 15.0 (59.0) | 18.3 (64.9) | 16.7 (62.1) | 12.2 (54.0) | 6.1 (43.0) | −1.7 (28.9) | −8.3 (17.1) | 3.9 (39.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 62 (2.4) | 105 (4.1) | 102 (4.0) | 72 (2.8) | 37 (1.5) | 1 (0.0) | 1 (0.0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 2 (0.1) | 46 (1.8) | 25 (1.0) | 453 (17.7) |
| Source: Nomadseason[21] | |||||||||||||
Economy
The main source of income of Nili residents is agriculture, trade, transport, tourism, and remittance. The area is famous for growing almonds. The Sukhtok Dam is located a few miles to the east of the city.[2]
Sport
Association football and cricket are the most popular sports in the area. The Nili Football Stadium is located near Nili Airport.
See also
References
External links
- Afghanistan, Daikundi, Nili on YouTube (April 9, 2023)
- The beautiful village of Nili Daikundi on YouTube (May 1, 2022)
- Nili beauties, snow and happiness of Daikundi people on YouTube (Jan. 3, 2022)
- گزارش از رستورانت و خیاطی بانوی شرقی دایکندی نیلی#دایکندی_نیلی on YouTube (June 20, 2021)