FARAH

also spelled Farrah, or Ferah town, southwestern Afghanistan, on the Farah River. Usually identified with the ancient town of Phrada, it was once a centre of agriculture and commerce until destroyed by the Mongols in 1221; it later revived but was sacked in 1837 by the Persians. The building of the Kandahar-Herat road through Farah in the 1930s and of a bridge over the river (1958) restored some of the town's former importance. Farah is situated in an exposed position with open desert to the south, making the summers hot and dusty. The people are mostly of Tajik origin. Following Soviet military intervention beginning in 1979 and the deployment of Soviet troops between Shindand and Farah, the area near Farah was the scene of heavy fighting. After the Soviet army established a military command and airbase at Shindand in mid-1980, intermittent Afghan guerrilla activities continued. The area around Farah is a dry region consisting mainly of plains and low mountains, drained by the Farah and Harut rivers. The main occupation is agriculture, based on irrigation waters from the rivers or from underground channels (kariz). Crops include wheat, cotton, tobacco, and barley. The plains support goats and sheep, whose wool is used for rug and carpet weaving. Pop. (1988 est.) town, 22,200.