Takhar Province

Takhar
Persian: تخار‎
Pashto: تخار ولايت‎
Province
View from atop a hill in Khawajah Bahawuddin, Takhar Province, Afghanistan.

Map of Afghanistan with Takhar highlighted
Coordinates (Capital): 36°42′N 69°48′E / 36.7°N 69.8°E / 36.7; 69.8Coordinates: 36°42′N 69°48′E / 36.7°N 69.8°E / 36.7; 69.8
Country Afghanistan
Capital Taloqan
Government
 • Governor Dr.fazlullah Mujaddedi
Area
 • Total 12,333 km2 (4,762 sq mi)
Population (2012)[1]
 • Total 933,700
 • Density 76/km2 (200/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+4:30
Main languages Dari (Afghan Persian)

Takhar (Persian: تخار‎; Pashto: تخار ولايت‎) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northeast of the country next to Tajikistan. It is surrounded by Badakhshan in the east, Panjshir in the south, and Baghlan and Kunduz in the west. The city of Taloqan serves as its capital.

The province contains about 16 districts, over 1,000 villages, and approximately 933,700 people,[1] which is multi-ethnic and mostly a rural society.[2]

History

Part of a series on the
History of Afghanistan
Timeline
Associated Historical Regions
  • Book
  • Category
  • Portal

Early history

7th to 16th centuries

16th to 20th centuries

Between the early 16th century and the mid-18th century, the territory was ruled by the Khanate of Bukhara.

It was given to Ahmad Shah Durrani by Murad Beg of Bukhara after a treaty of friendship was reached in or about 1750, and became part of the Durrani Empire. It was ruled by the Durranis followed by the Barakzai dynasty, and was untouched by the British during the three Anglo-Afghan wars that were fought in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

1964–2001

It was established in 1964 when Qataghan Province was divided into three provinces: Baghlan, Kunduz and Takhar. During the 1980s Soviet–Afghan War, the area fell under the influence of Rabbani and Ahmad Shah Massoud. It was controlled by the Northern Alliance in the 1990s. It experienced some fighting between the Northern Alliance and the Taliban forces. Takhar holds notoriety as the location where Mujahideen Commander Ahmad Shah Massoud was assassinated on 9 September 2001 by suspected al-Qaeda agents.

2001–2015

International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) took over security responsibility of the area in the early 2000s, which was led by Germany. The province also began to see some developments and the establishment of Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). In a small incident in July 2008, the Afghan National Police killed Mullah Usman when several armed Taliban militants under his command raided a police checkpoint in the Kalafgan district. This was the first time since the fall of Taliban regime in 2001 that the Taliban insurgents engaged police in this province. Mullah Usman was the most senior Taliban commander in the northeast region of Afghanistan, according to the Afghan Interior Ministry.[3]

In May 2009, Taliban insurgents fighting Afghan government attacked the Baharak district in Takhar province.[4] A bomb attack on 28 May 2011 killed Mohammed Daud Daud and injured Governor Taqwa. Several German soldiers and Afghans were also killed.[5]

In April 2012, the water supply at the Rostaq district's school for girls was poisoned by unknown insurgents, sickening at least 140 Afghan schoolgirls and teachers ranging in age from 14 to 30, causing them to be hospitalized and some to partially lose consciousness, though there have been no deaths so far.[6]

2015 earthquake

On October 26, the 7.5 Mw Hindu Kush earthquake shook northern Afghanistan with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). This earthquake destroyed almost 30,000 homes, left several hundred dead, and more than 1,700 injured.[7]

Politics and governance

The current governor is Abdul Jabbar Taqwa. The border with neighboring Tajikistan are monitored by the Afghan Border Police (ABP). All law enforcement activities throughout the province are handled by the Afghan National Police (ANP). A provincial Police Chief is assigned to lead both the ANP and the ABP. The Police Chief represents the Ministry of the Interior in Kabul. The ANP is backed by the military, including the NATO-led forces.

Demographics

Ethnolinguistic groups in Afghanistan
Districts of Takhar

The population of the province is about 933,700,[1] which is mostly tribal and a rural society. The main inhabitants of Takhar province are Tajiks at 60% and Uzbeks at 35%. The remainders are Pashtun, Hazara, Pashai, Kho and Turkmen. There are also a population of Kuchis (nomads) whose numbers vary in different seasons.

District information

Districts of Takhar Province
District Capital Population[8] Area Number of villages and ethnic groups
Baharak40,902231 km274 villages 65% tajik 35% Uzbek.[9]
Bangi28,197566 km259 villages.[10]
Chah Ab64,151764 km263 villages 85% Tajik.[11]
Chal24,596330.8 km258 villages. Uzbek, Tajik, Pashtun, Hazara, Pashai and Gujjar.[12]
Darqad25,771393 km234 villages 80% tajik.[13]
Dashti Qala35,347280 km249 villages. 60% Uzbek, 35% Tajik, 5% Pashtun.[14]
Farkhar79,8641,214 km275 villages 95% Tajik.[15]
Hazar Sumuch9,774309 km228 villages.[16]
Ishkamish51,153806 km2103 villages. 55% Tajik, 35% Uzbek and 10% Pashtun.[17]
Kalafgan28,122479 km242 villages 85% Tajik.[18]
Khawajah Bahawodin26,280178.2 km225 villages. Uzbek, Tajik, Pashtun.[19]
Khwaja Ghar44,909402 km262 villages.[20]
Namak Ab11,563584 km228 villages.[21]
Rustaq248,7801,939 km2179 villages. 45%Uzbek, 40%Tajik, 15% Baloch.[22]
TaluqanTaluqan194,471 85% Tajik- Warsaj33,5062705.3 km294 villages. 80%Tajik,10%Uzbek,Gujjar, Pashai and Hazara.[23]
Yangi Qala39,398247 km264 villages.[24]

Economy

Agriculture and mining are the main industries of the province. Takhar has coal reserves of fairly good quality which are being exploited by hand in some villages and sold in the region. The local population considers gold the most relevant resource for the Province. Gold is being washed in Takhar River, and about 2 kg are being transported to the specific weekly markets in the city of Taloqan. Also the city is a main source of construction materials like: loam, sand, and different types of stones. Takhar province is known for its salt mountains and you can find large deposits of fine salt in the region. The Takcha Khanna salt mine is one of the growing number of salt supplier, for the population of Takhar and northern Afghanistan. While the mines offer economic opportunities in the region, the availability of iodized salt considerably reduces the prevalence of health problems related to iodine deficiency.

See also

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 3 "Settled Population of Takhar province by Civil Division, Urban, Rural and Sex-2012-13" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-10-20.
  2. ↑ "Takhar provincial profile" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  3. ↑ "Takhar police kill Taliban commander"
  4. ↑ "Taliban attack district in NE Afghanistan". Military-world.net. 24 May 2009. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  5. ↑ "Three German soldiers die in Afghan attack". Thepeninsulaqatar.com. 29 May 2011. Archived from the original on 31 May 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  6. ↑ Masoud Popalzai, CNN (17 April 2012). "Extremists poison schoolgirls' water, Afghan officials say". CNN. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  7. ↑ USGS. "M7.5 - 45km E of Farkhar, Afghanistan". United States Geological Survey.
  8. ↑ "Takhar Province". Government of Afghanistan and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development. Retrieved 2012-11-05.
  9. ↑ Baharak District
  10. ↑ Bangi District
  11. ↑ Chah Ab District
  12. ↑ Chal District
  13. ↑ Darqad District
  14. ↑ Dasht e Qala Agha
  15. ↑ Farkhar District
  16. ↑ Hazar Smoch District
  17. ↑ Eshkamish District
  18. ↑ Baharak District
  19. ↑ Khwaja Bahawodin District
  20. ↑ Khwaja Ghar
  21. ↑ Namak Ab District
  22. ↑ Rostaq Agha
  23. ↑ Warsaj District
  24. ↑ Yangi Qala
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.