City in Paktika, Afghanistan
Sharana (Pashto: ښرنه) or Sharan (Persian: شاران) is the capital of Paktika Province, Afghanistan. It is located at an altitude of 2,200 meters.[2] Its population was estimated to be 2,200 in 2006.[3]
The city of Sharana has a population of 15,651 (in 2015)[4] and is located within the heartland of the Sulaimankhel tribe of Ghilji Pashtuns.[5] It has 6 districts and a total land area of 5,893 hectares.[6] The total number of dwellings in this city are 1,739.[6]
On 14 August 2021, Sharana was seized by Taliban fighters, becoming the twentieth provincial capital to be captured by the Taliban as part of the wider 2021 Taliban offensive.[7]
Climate
With an influence from the local steppe climate, Sharana features a cold semi-arid climate (BSk) under the Köppen climate classification. The average temperature in Sharana is 10.8 °C, while the annual precipitation averages 265 mm. September is the driest month with 1 mm of rainfall, while March, the wettest month, has an average precipitation of 54 mm.
July is the warmest month of the year with an average temperature of 23.6 °C. The coldest month January has an average temperature of -4.5 °C, with the average lows at -10.9 °C.
| Climate data for Sharana
|
| Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F)
|
2.0
(35.6)
|
4.8
(40.6)
|
11.4
(52.5)
|
17.9
(64.2)
|
23.8
(74.8)
|
29.6
(85.3)
|
31.2
(88.2)
|
30.4
(86.7)
|
27.3
(81.1)
|
20.5
(68.9)
|
13.2
(55.8)
|
6.7
(44.1)
|
18.2
(64.8)
|
| Daily mean °C (°F)
|
−4.5
(23.9)
|
−1.5
(29.3)
|
5.3
(41.5)
|
11.0
(51.8)
|
16.0
(60.8)
|
21.3
(70.3)
|
23.6
(74.5)
|
22.6
(72.7)
|
18.4
(65.1)
|
11.7
(53.1)
|
5.4
(41.7)
|
−0.2
(31.6)
|
10.8
(51.4)
|
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
|
−10.9
(12.4)
|
−7.7
(18.1)
|
−0.8
(30.6)
|
4.2
(39.6)
|
8.3
(46.9)
|
13.1
(55.6)
|
16.0
(60.8)
|
14.9
(58.8)
|
9.6
(49.3)
|
3.0
(37.4)
|
−2.4
(27.7)
|
−7.0
(19.4)
|
3.4
(38.1)
|
| Average precipitation mm (inches)
|
36
(1.4)
|
51
(2.0)
|
54
(2.1)
|
37
(1.5)
|
14
(0.6)
|
11
(0.4)
|
18
(0.7)
|
13
(0.5)
|
4
(0.2)
|
4
(0.2)
|
13
(0.5)
|
20
(0.8)
|
275
(10.9)
|
| Average precipitation days
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
4
|
2
|
2
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
35
|
| Average relative humidity (%)
|
57
|
67
|
61
|
45
|
30
|
29
|
39
|
42
|
32
|
29
|
45
|
49
|
44
|
| Source: Climate-Data.org[8]
|
Land use
Barren land and agriculture account for 73% of total land. Sharana has the largest share of land classified as institutional (14%) of any Afghan provincial capital.[6]
Afghanistan
