Wakhan

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/wakhan

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How big is Wakhan?Approximately 3,900 square kilometers (1,500 sq mi)
2. How many people live in Wakhan?Estimated between 10,000 and 15,000 people, primarily Wakhi
3. What is the capital of Wakhan?Khandud serves as the administrative center for the Wakhan District
4. What language do people speak in Wakhan?Wakhi, Dari (Afghan Persian), and Pashto are spoken
5. What is the Wakhan Corridor and why is it called the Roof of the World?The Wakhan Corridor is a thin strip of land in northeastern Afghanistan. It is surrounded by very high mountains, so it is sometimes called the Roof of the World.
6. Why do the Wakhi people live in such a cold and high place?The Wakhi people live in a very cold, high place because the mountains give them a unique home. They have learned to survive there by raising yaks and sheep.

Geopolitical Nexus: A central point where different countries and strategic interests converge.
Subsistence Agriculture: Farming primarily to feed oneself and one's family, with little surplus for sale.
Pastoralism: A way of life focused on raising grazing livestock, often involving seasonal movement.
Buffer Zone: An area of land that separates two larger or more powerful political entities.