Badghis Province
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| Badghis بادغیس |
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| — Province of Afghanistan — | |
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| Coordinates: 35°0′N 63°45′E / 35°N 63.75°ECoordinates: 35°0′N 63°45′E / 35°N 63.75°E | |
| Country |  Afghanistan |
|---|---|
| Provincial seat | Qala i Naw |
| Districts |
7
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| Government | |
| - Governor | Enayatullah Enayat |
| Area | |
| - Total | 20,591 km2 (7,950.2 sq mi) |
| - Water | 0 km2 (0 sq mi) |
| Population [1] | |
| - Total | 420,400 |
| - Density | 20.9/km2 (54.1/sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | |
| - | Aimaks |
| -  : | Hazaras |
| - | Pashtuns |
| - | Uzbeks |
| - | Turkmen |
| Languages | |
| - | Persian Pashto Turkmen |
| ISO 3166-2 code | AF-BDG |
Bādghīs (Persian: بادغیس Lap of Wind) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is located in northwestern Afghanistan, between the Murghab and Hari rivers, extending as far northward as the edge of the desert of Sarakhs. The province was carved out of portions of Herat and Meymaneh provinces in 1964 and has a total area of 20,591 km².[2] Its name is from Persian word Bādkhīz (بادخیز) meaning "where the winds arise" or "home of the winds". The Province has a Aimak and Hazara majority of 62%.[3]. The other ethnic groups are Pashtuns, Uzbeks and Turkmen.
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[edit] History
The name "Badghis" is from the Pashto word Bādghezz (باد غېږ) meaning "lap of wind" or "home of the winds". The province was one of the last captured by the Taliban in their military offensive before the American invasion in 2001. Even after their official takeover of the province, the largely Aimak population of the province never welcomed the Pashtun Taliban. The province was quickly retaken by Northern Alliance forces as the United States initiated hostilities, which was followed by a brutal cleansing of the Pashtun minority in the province.
Various influential warlords have traded control of the province in recent years, including: Abdul Malik, Rashid Dostum, Juma Khan and Ismail Khan. During the fight against the Taliban, the Northern Alliance commanders received military aid from Shia Iran, fearful of the Sunni Taliban. In one notable incident, Malik temporarily switched his allegiances from Dostum, allowing the Taliban to gain control of the province.
[edit] Demography
The Province has a 62% population of Aimaks and Hazaras[4] who are dominant throughout the south, and Pashtuns are mostly in Ghormach, Murghab, Muqur and Qala i Naw districts. It is counted as one of the most underdeveloped of the country's 34 provinces. Qala i Naw, a small town half-way between Sheberghan and Herat serves as the provincial center.
[edit] Politics
The current Governor of the province is Enayatullah Enayat.
At the province is a Provincial Reconstruction Team, which is led by Spain.
[edit] Districts
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| District | Capital | Population | Area[5] | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km² | sq mi | ||||
| Ab Kamari | Sang Atesh | 36,300 | 1,233 km2 | 476 sq mi | |
| Ghormach | Ghormach | 34,455 | Created in 2004 within Murghab District | ||
| Jawand | 186,000 | 7,925 km2 | 3,060 sq mi | ||
| Muqur | 15,900 | 695 km2 | 268 sq mi | ||
| Murghab | Murghab | 63,798 | 4,708 km2 | 1,818 sq mi | |
| Qadis | Qadis | 55,727 | 3,202 km2 | 1,236 sq mi | |
| Qala i Naw | Qala i Naw | 88,032 | 1,061 km2 | 410 sq mi | |
[edit] Economy
Agriculture is the main source of people's income and the existence of Murghab and Hari rivers makes the available land suitable for cultivation. The province faced severe drought during the late 1990s and early 2000s, causing tens of thousands of residents to flee to refugee camps outside Herat. The situation has since improved [2]. Badghis is also one of the carpet-making capitals of the country.
[edit] Transportation
Badghis Province suffers from a lack of adequate transportation. A single airport exists at the provincial seat--Qala i Naw Airport (QAQN) which is capable of handling light aircraft[6].
[edit] References
- ^ [1]
- ^ C. E. Bosworth; D. Balland. "BAÚD¨GÚÈS". in Ehsan Yarshater. Encyclopædia Iranica. United States: Columbia University. http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v3f4/v3f4a026.html. Retrieved on 2007-12-19.
- ^ http://www.nps.edu/Programs/CCS/Badghis/Badghis_Executive_Summary.pdf Cultural and Conflict Studies, Badghis Province
- ^ http://www.nps.edu/Programs/CCS/Docs/PDF%20Maps/NewTribal/Badghis.pdf
- ^ Afghanistan Geographic & Thematic Layers
- ^ Qala-i-Naw Airport at the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation
- Afghanistan Information Management Service
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
[edit] External links
- Map of Badghis Province (PDF)
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