Farāh

Town in southwestern Afghanistan, lying at an altitude of 653 m/2,142 ft on the Farāh River; population (2001 est) 34,200. The building of a bridge over the river in 1958 established it as a focus of routes and the main Kandahar–Herat road passes through the town. Farāh is a commercial centre for the crops of cereals, cotton, and tobacco, the cultivation of which is made possible in this semi-arid region by irrigation from rivers such as the Farāh and Harut, and from underground watercourses. Industries include rug- and carpet-making, using wool from sheep reared locally on the more arid areas.

The town is thought to have been founded in ancient times under the name of Phrada.