Syrqindo
Syrqindo
ꌩꏾꅝ | |
|---|---|
 Syrqindo seen from Mount Ggasho | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Country | Duran |
| Autonomous tribal region | Ro Autonomous Tribal Region |
| County | Syrqindo County |
| Control |  Ro Salvation Socialist Front |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Hxi Yi |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2,338 km2 (903 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 3,282 m (10,768 ft) |
| Population (2016) | |
| • Total | 136,971 |
| • Density | 59/km2 (150/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-1 |
Syrqindo (Ro: ꌩꏾꅝ Syr qi ndo, Namkha: ལྕང་མ་ང་སྡེ Changmangade) is the capital city of Ro Autonomous Tribal Region and second largest Duranian city to have a majority hill tribe population. As the Ro traditionally practice shifting cultivation, Syrqindo is a new town which was first established under the Shangean occupation in order to settle the Ro into sedentary life. The city saw significant investment from the Duranian government in order to placate the Ro, which has resulted in the construction of major housing complexes.
As a central locus of the Ro population, Syrqindo has been the centre of the Ro Salvation Socialist Front's insurgency. Its importance to the regional economy has meant that the city's control has been contested by the rebel faction and the central government. The government claims the city is under their control, but it is believed that the RSSF are more influential on the ground.
Name
The name Syrqindo is derived from the Ro ꌩꏾ Syr qi, meaning leaf, and ꅝ ndo meaning to throw. The name therefore has been interpreted as "the place the leaf was thrown" or "where the leaf fell".
History
Geography
Syrqindo has a total area of 2,338 square kilometres and a population of 136,971, making it the largest city in the Ro Autonomous Tribal Region. 81% of the city's population is composed of ethnic Ro, with another 10% being members of other hill tribes. This is the largest percentage of hill peoples as total share of population in a city of county significance, ahead of Luquzo, the capital of the Hua Autonomous Tribal Region which is larger but which has a larger Nampa population.
Syrqindo is located at a high altitude and has a subtropical highland climate, which gives dry and mild winters and wet summers. This rainfall has allowed for limited terrace farming in the environs of Syrqindo.
| Climate data for Syrqindo (1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 22.6 (72.7) |
23.6 (74.5) |
26.3 (79.3) |
28.9 (84.0) |
30.8 (87.4) |
31.8 (89.2) |
31.4 (88.5) |
28.2 (82.8) |
28.7 (83.7) |
25.9 (78.6) |
23.6 (74.5) |
22.8 (73.0) |
31.8 (89.2) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 14.0 (57.2) |
15.0 (59.0) |
17.3 (63.1) |
20.2 (68.4) |
22.9 (73.2) |
24.1 (75.4) |
23.3 (73.9) |
22.9 (73.2) |
21.4 (70.5) |
20.2 (68.4) |
17.1 (62.8) |
14.6 (58.3) |
19.4 (67.0) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 6.4 (43.5) |
8.0 (46.4) |
10.7 (51.3) |
13.6 (56.5) |
16.6 (61.9) |
18.6 (65.5) |
18.2 (64.8) |
17.5 (63.5) |
15.9 (60.6) |
13.6 (56.5) |
9.5 (49.1) |
6.6 (43.9) |
12.9 (55.3) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 0.3 (32.5) |
2.5 (36.5) |
5.4 (41.7) |
8.3 (46.9) |
11.3 (52.3) |
14.5 (58.1) |
14.8 (58.6) |
14.0 (57.2) |
12.4 (54.3) |
8.9 (48.0) |
3.7 (38.7) |
0.3 (32.5) |
8.0 (46.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −6.1 (21.0) |
−5.7 (21.7) |
−4.0 (24.8) |
0.7 (33.3) |
3.5 (38.3) |
6.2 (43.2) |
8.6 (47.5) |
6.6 (43.9) |
3.4 (38.1) |
1.7 (35.1) |
−3.7 (25.3) |
−10.3 (13.5) |
−10.3 (13.5) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 4.0 (0.16) |
5.7 (0.22) |
14.6 (0.57) |
18.2 (0.72) |
66.0 (2.60) |
165.1 (6.50) |
242.3 (9.54) |
215.7 (8.49) |
165.5 (6.52) |
66.3 (2.61) |
13.4 (0.53) |
3.4 (0.13) |
980.2 (38.59) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 1.9 | 3.9 | 6.6 | 7.9 | 11.7 | 20.3 | 24.2 | 22.3 | 20.8 | 11.5 | 4.3 | 1.5 | 136.9 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 45 | 44 | 47 | 51 | 59 | 71 | 80 | 82 | 83 | 72 | 61 | 52 | 62 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 259.9 | 229.7 | 248.4 | 233.4 | 225.1 | 156.7 | 134.2 | 155.0 | 138.8 | 195.2 | 226.6 | 260.3 | 2,463.3 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 79 | 73 | 67 | 61 | 54 | 38 | 32 | 38 | 38 | 55 | 70 | 80 | 56 |
| Source: Duranian Meteorological Administration (precipitation days and sunshine 1971–2000) | |||||||||||||
Gallery
A view of Syrqindo's central business district
The Momist pyre festival in Syrqindo.
Infrastructure development on a road.
The Syrqindo canal.
Economy
Syrqindo is the centre of the local economy, and has in recent years expanded beyond agriculture and commerce to the market of tourism. It labels itself as a centre for ethnic tourism, with many hotels and restaurants advertising an authenti Ro experience. The area is thought to have potential for mining, though attacks on miners by the RSSF have led to this sector's underdevelopment. Due to the RSSF's presence in Syrqindo, criminal activity such as drug smuggling and prostitution is commonplace.
Transportation
Syrqindo is serviced by a basic bus service, and linked to other parts of the country by road. A rail link has been proposed, though this has faced budgetary constraints and fear of sabotage by militants.