Jalalabad
Jalalabad (/dʒəˈlæləˌbæd/; جلال آباد [d͡ʒä.lɑː.lɑː.bɑːd̪]) is the fifth-largest city of Afghanistan. It has a population of about 356,274, and serves as the capital of Nangarhar Province in the eastern part of the country, about 130 kilometres (80 mi) from the capital Kabul. Jalalabad is located at the junction of the Kabul River and the Kunar River in a plateau to the south of the Hindu Kush mountains. It is linked by the Kabul-Jalalabad Road to the west and Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, to the east through Torkham and the Khyber Pass.
Jalalabad
جلالآباد | |
|---|---|
City | |
From top left to right: An aerial view of a section of Jalalabad, Irrigation fields in Jalalabad, Jalalabad Cricket Stadium, Jalalabad in January 2011, Jalalabad Bridge, Governor's House in Jalalabad | |
Jalalabad Location in Afghanistan Jalalabad Jalalabad (Hindu-Kush) | |
| Coordinates: 34°26′03″N 70°26′52″E | |
| Country | Afghanistan |
| Province | Nangarhar Province |
| Founded | 1570 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Qari Ehsanullah Sajid |
| Area | |
| • Land | 122 km2 (47 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 575 m (1,886 ft) |
| Population (2021) | |
| • Total | 280,685 |
| Time zone | UTC+4:30 (Afghanistan Standard Time) |
| Climate | BWh |
Jalalabad is a leading center of social and trade activity because of its proximity with the Torkham border checkpoint and border crossing, 65 km (40 mi) away. Major industries include papermaking, as well as agricultural products including oranges, lemon, rice, and sugarcane, helped by its warm climate. It hosts Afghanistan's second largest educational institute, Nangarhar University. For centuries the city has been favored by Afghan kings and it has a cultural significance in Afghan poetry. During Timur Shah's reign of the Durrani Empire, Jalalabad served as the Afghan winter capital.