Takhar Province

This article is about the province in Afghanistan. For other uses, see Takhar (disambiguation).

Takhar Template:Lang-fa Template:Lang-ps
Province
View from atop a hill in Khawajah Bahawuddin, Takhar Province, Afghanistan.
Map of Afghanistan with Takhar highlighted
Country	Afghanistan
Capital	Taloqan
Government
• Governor	Abdul Jabbar Taqwa
Area
• Total	12,333 km2 (4,762 sq mi)
Population  (2012)
• Total	933,700
• Density	76/km2 (200/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+4:30
Main languages	Dari, Uzbeki

Takhar (Template:Lang-fa; Template:Lang-ps) 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 17 districts, over 1,000 villages, and approximately 933,700 people, which is multi-ethnic and mostly a rural society. The major ethnic groups in the province are Tajiks and Uzbeks followed by Pashtuns, Hazara, and others.

History

Further information: History of Afghanistan

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 20th centuries. It remained peaceful for about one hundred years until the 1980s Soviet war in Afghanistan.

It was established in 1964 when Qataghan Province was divided into three provinces: Baghlan, Kunduz and Takhar. During the 1980s Soviet war in Afghanistan, the area fell under the influenced 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.

Karzai administration and Taliban insurgency

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.

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

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.

Politics and governance

Further information: Politics of Afghanistan and List of governors of Takhar

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 Kabull. The ANP is backed by the military, including the NATO-led forces.

Demographics

Further information: Demography of Afghanistan

Ethnolinguistic groups in Afghanistan

Districts of Takhar

The population of the province is about 933,700, which is mostly tribal and a rural society. The main inhabitants of Takhar province are ethnic Tajiks which make almost 66% of population, followed by the second largest groups, the Uzbeks. The remainders are Pashtuns, Pashai, Wakhi, and khowar. There are also a population of Kuchis (nomads) whose numbers vary in different seasons.

District information

Districts of Takhar Province

District	Capital	Population	Area	Number of villages and ethnic groups
Baharak		40,902	231 km2	74 villages.
Bangi		28,197	566 km2	59 villages.
Chah Ab		64,151	764 km2	63 villages 65% Tajik.
Chal		24,596	330.8 km2	58 villages. Uzbek, Tajik, Pashtun, Hazara, Pashai and Gujjar.
Darqad		25,771	393 km2	34 villages 80% tajik.
Dashti Qala		35,347	280 km2	49 villages. 60% Uzbek, 35% Tajik, 5% Pashtun.
Farkhar		79,864	1,214 km2	75 villages 95% Tajik.
Hazar Sumuch		9,774	309 km2	28 villages.
Ishkamish		51,153	806 km2	103 villages. 50% Tajik, 40% Uzbek and 10% Pashtun.
Kalafgan		28,122	479 km2	42 villages 85% Tajik.
Khawajah Bahawodin		26,280	178.2 km2	25 villages. Uzbek, Tajik, Pashtun.
Khwaja Ghar		44,909	402 km2	62 villages.
Namak Ab		11,563	584 km2	28 villages.
Rustaq		122,993	1,939 km2	179 villages. Uzbek, Tajik, Baloch.

Economy

Further information: Economy of Afghanistan

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.

External links

• Naval Postgraduate School - Takhar Province
• Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development - Takhar Province
• Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System - Takhar Province
• http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Asia/Afghanistan/East/Takhar/ (pictures of Takhar province)