Nili, Afghanistan
Nili has a total land area of 9,022 ha (22,290 acres), and a population of around 30,058 people (2022 estimate). The overwhelming majority are ethnic Hazaras, with Pashto-speaking Pashtuns and others being the minority.
The city, which has over 2,000 houses and businesses, is within the Nili District and the Hazarajat region. 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. Barren land is the largest land use and account for 79% of total land area. There are only 239 hectares of built-up land use, of which 35% is residential and 40% is vacant plots.
History
Nili became the capital of Daykundi Province in March of 2004. 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.
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 | -15° | 11° | 13 Jan 2023 | 6 Jan 2023 |
| February | -11° | 15° | 12 Feb 2023 | 24 Feb 2023 |
| March | 1° | 21° | 3 Mar 2023 | 11 Mar 2023 |
| April | 2° | 28° | 6 Apr 2023 | 14 Apr 2023 |
| May | 5° | 30° | 8 May 2023 | 22 May 2023 |
| June | 14° | 41° | 1 Jun 2023 | 23 Jun 2023 |
| July | 14° | 41° | 12 Jul 2023 | 18 Jul 2023 |
| August | 16° | 41° | 26 Aug 2023 | 5 Aug 2023 |
| September | 9° | 41° | 30 Sep 2023 | 12 Sep 2023 |
| October | 2° | 33° | 24 Oct 2023 | 5 Oct 2023 |
| November | 3° | 24° | 30 Nov 2023 | 2 Nov 2023 |
| December | -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 | |||||||||||||
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.
Sport
Association football and cricket are the most popular sports in the area. The Nili Football Stadium is located near Nili Airport.