Parun

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Wikipedia

Parun
پارون
Provincial capital
View of Parun in 2014
View of Parun in 2014
Parun is located in Afghanistan
Parun
Parun
Location in Afghanistan
Coordinates: 35°25′0″N 70°55′01″E / 35.41667°N 70.91694°E / 35.41667; 70.91694
Country Afghanistan
ProvinceNuristan
DistrictParun
Government
 • TypeMunicipality
Area
[1]
 • Land4 km2 (1.5 sq mi)
Elevation
[2]
2,265 m (7,431 ft)
Population
 (2025)[3]
11,563
 • Density2,900/km2 (7,500/sq mi)
 • Rural
11,563
Time zoneUTC+04:30 (Afghanistan Time)
ISO 3166 codeAF-PAR

Parun or Paroon (Pashto[a]; Dari[b]: پارون), historically called Prasun and Prasungul, is a town in eastern Afghanistan, serving as the capital of Nuristan Province.[4][5][6] It is within the jurisdiction of Parun District and has an estimated population of 11,563 people.[3]

Parun is home to Nuristan University, which has about 400 student.[7] The town is near the Nuristan National Park, which is one of the major tourist attractions in Afghanistan.[8] It is surrounded by the Kuran wa Munjan District of Badakshan Province and the other districts of Nuristan. The town covers a land area of 4 km2 (1.5 sq mi) or 350 ha (860 acres).[1][2]

The nearest city to Parun is Asadabad to the southeast in neighboring Kunar Province, which can be reached by the main road. There is also a road in the western Mandol District of Nuristan that leads into Panjshir Province.[9]

Geography

Parun is located in the eastern Nuristan Province of Afghanistan, in a remote area of the Hindu Kush mountain range near the Nuristan National Park. It is predominantly forested (54%) and agricultural land (33%). Built-up land accounts for about 7% of total land use. But unlike many other cities, Parun does not have any barren land and only 4 ha (9.9 acres) of vacant plots.[2] Car accidents are regular in the area due to bad roads, which the government is currently busy trying to improve.[10][11][12]

Parun has around 6 villages: Ishtewi, Pronz, Dewa, Kushteki, Tsutsum and Pashki. They are located over a distance of 20 km (12 mi) from north to south along the Parun River. Ishtewi, the upper village, lies at an altitude of 2,850 m (9,350 ft) above sea level, while Pashki, the lowest village, lies at 2,500 m (8,200 ft) above sea level.

Climate

Under the Köppen climate classification, Parun has a subarctic climate (Dsc). The average temperature for the year in Parun is 1.2 °C (34.2 °F). The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of 11.7 °C (53.1 °F), while the coldest month on average is January, with an average temperature of −11.1 °C (12.0 °F). It receives heavy snow as early as in the month of December.[13][14]

Climate data for Parun
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Daily mean °C (°F) −11.1
(12.0)		 −9.5
(14.9)		 −4.8
(23.4)		 0.7
(33.3)		 4.5
(40.1)		 9.6
(49.3)		 11.7
(53.1)		 11.3
(52.3)		 7.9
(46.2)		 3.1
(37.6)		 −2.3
(27.9)		 −7
(19)		 1.2
(34.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 83.0
(3.27)		 113.8
(4.48)		 154.0
(6.06)		 147.0
(5.79)		 103.3
(4.07)		 33.5
(1.32)		 44.5
(1.75)		 44.3
(1.74)		 20.7
(0.81)		 35.7
(1.41)		 55.1
(2.17)		 82.2
(3.24)		 917.1
(36.11)
Average relative humidity (%) 57.1 60.9 60.1 60.0 56.0 46.0 48.4 50.3 48.1 47.5 46.8 51.9 52.8
Source: Weatherbase[15]

Demographics

Parun has an estimated population of 11,563 people.[3] They are mostly the native Nuristanis followed by Pashtuns and others. Because Afghans from all across the country visit the city,[13] it would be expected to hear members of all ethnic groups speaking in their language. Pashto and Dari are the official languages of Afghanistan. In addition to these two, people of Nuristan normally use their native Nuristani languages when communicating with each other. The Gujars also speak their native Gujari language.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Pashto pronunciation: [pɑˈrun]
  2. ↑ Dari pronunciation: [pʰɑːˈɾuːn]

References

  1. 1 2 "State of Afghan Cities report 2015 (Volume-I English)". UN-Habitat. pp. 8, 131. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 "State of Afghan Cities report 2015 (Volume-II)". UN-Habitat. p. 94. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 "Estimated Population of Afghanistan 2025-26" (PDF). National Statistics and Information Authority. September 2025. p. 60. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  4. ↑ "Nuristan Sees Rise in Domestic Tourism During Eid al-Adha". TOLOnews. 8 June 2025. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  5. ↑ "AWCC opens new customer services center in Parun, Nuristan". Ariana News. 12 June 2024. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  6. ↑ "Afghan Governor Has Big Plans for Lonely Province". NPR. 13 November 2007. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  7. ↑ "Delay in allowance payment irked Nuristan university students". Pajhwok Afghan News. 9 June 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  8. ↑ "Off the Afghan Map: Nuristan residents appeal for decent road access". Ariana News. 27 May 2025. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  9. ↑ "Nuristan and Panjshir Linked by Road for the First Time". TOLOnews. 12 November 2025. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  10. ↑ "Work on nearly 90m afs projects kicks off in Nuristan". Pajhwok Afghan News. 1 June 2025. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  11. ↑ د کونړ، آسداباد او نورستان ترمنځ د غځېدلي سړک د جوړېدو چارې پيل شوې on YouTube
  12. ↑ Work on Nuristan–Kunar highway reaches 70% completion.... on YouTube
  13. 1 2 "Winter Tourism Booms in Nuristan as Snowfall Begins". TOLOnews. 23 December 2025. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  14. ↑ نورستان کې د کال لومړۍ واورې ته د خلکو هیله مندي او اندېښنې. Hurriyat Radio (in Pashto). 22 December 2025. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  15. ↑ "Parun, Afghanistan. Weatherbase". Retrieved 5 November 2022.