# small panhandle in afghanistan - why?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-panhandle-in-afghanistan-why/87301>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 13, 2001, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-panhandle-in-afghanistan-why/87301 "2001-10-13T21:26:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![curwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@curwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curwin)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2001, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-panhandle-in-afghanistan-why/87301/1 "2001-10-13T21:26:55Z")

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I happened to be looking closely today at a map of Afghanistan, and noticed that there is a small panhandle extending out of it, which connects Afghanistan to China, but also, perhaps more significantly, prevents Russia/ the Former Soviet Union from bordering Pakistan. What is the origin to this panhandle? I can guess that the British didn’t want the Russians getting their hands on what was then India and Pakistan together, but is there more of a story? Also, what is the region called? I couldn’t find it on any online maps.

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**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2001, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-panhandle-in-afghanistan-why/87301/2 "2001-10-13T21:32:51Z")

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From a relief map I found online, it appears to follow a particular mountain range. Perhaps there’s something significant in that.

Sorry, couldn’t get a name for the region or the range, either.

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**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2001, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-panhandle-in-afghanistan-why/87301/3 "2001-10-13T21:47:14Z")

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It’s called the **Wakhan Corridor** (or Vakhan) From the _Encyclopædia Britannica_

> [@](#):
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> a mountainous region and panhandle in the Pamir Mountains of extreme northeastern Afghanistan. From the demarcation of the Afghan frontier (1895-96), the panhandle formed a political buffer between Russian Turkistan, British India, and China. It is now bounded by Tajikistan (north), China (east), and Pakistan (south).

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**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-panhandle-in-afghanistan-why/87301/4 "2001-10-15T22:16:37Z")

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Excellent work, **bibliophage**.