Badakhshan Province

Badakhshan (Persian: بدخشان - Badakhshān) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. It has 28 Districts. The capital is Feyzabad. It is located in the north-east of the country, between the Hindu Kush and the Amu Darya.

Badakhshān
Province
Location of Badakhshān
Coordinates: 38°N 71°E
Country Afghanistan
Government
 • TypeProvincial government
 • GovernorShah Waliullah Adeeb[1]
Area
 • Total44,059 km2 (17,011 sq mi)
Population
[2]
 • Estimate 
(2011-2012)
889,700
Demographics
 • EthnicitiesTajik, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Pashtun
 • LanguagesPersian, Pamiri, Pashto, Kyrgyz, Uzbek
Time zoneUTC+4:30
A Kuchi caravan traveling to the Shewa Valley in northern Badakhshan

Geography

Badakhshan is bordered by Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province and Khatlon Province in Tajikistan to the north and east. In the east is the Wakhan Corridor. The province has a total area of 44,059 km². Much of the land is the Hindu Kush and Pamir mountain ranges.

Economy
Classic lazurite specimen from Sar-e-Sang district. Size 7.4 x 5 x 5 cm.

Badakhshan is one of the poorest areas in the world. Opium poppy growing is the only real source of income in the province.

Lapis lazuli has been mined in the Sar-e-Sang mines for over 6,000 years. The mines were the largest and most well-known source in ancient times.[3]

Demographics

The population of the province is estimated at 889,700 people.[2] The majority of them are Persian-speaking Tajiks.

The residents of the province are largely Sunni.

Districts of Badakhshan
District map of Badakhshan Province
Districts of Badakhshan Province
District Map # Capital Population[4] Area Notes
Arghanj Khwa612,000Created in 2005 within Fayzabad District
Argo645,000Created in 2005 within Fayzabad District
Baharak7Baharak14,000Sub-divided in 2005
Darayim665,000Created in 2005 within Fayzabad District
Darwaz1Nusay21,000Sub-divided in 2005
Darwazi Bala111,000Created in 2005 within Darwaz District
Fayzabad6Fayzabad46,000Sub-divided in 2005
Ishkashim8Ishkashim11,000
Jurm103,000Sub-divided in 2005
Khash1048,000Created in 2005 within Jurm District
Khwahan2Khwahan14,000Sub-divided in 2005
Kishim963,000Sub-divided in 2005
Kohistan712,000Created in 2005 within Baharak District
Kuf Ab216,000Created in 2005 within Khwahan District
Kuran wa Munjan11Kuran wa Munjan8,000
Ragh4Ragh37,000Sub-divided in 2005
Shahri Buzurg5Shahri Buzurg42,000
Shighnan324,000
Shiki626,000Created in 2005 within Fayzabad District
Shuhada731,000Created in 2005 within Baharak District
Tagab622,000Created in 2005 within Fayzabad District
Tishkan923,000Created in 2005 from Kishim District
Wakhan1313,000
Warduj717,000Created in 2005 within Baharak District
Yaftali Sufla639,000Created in 2005 within Fayzabad District
Yamgan720,000Created in 2005 within Baharak District
Yawan427,000Created in 2005 within Ragh District
Zebak12Zebak7,000

Sport

The province is represented in Afghan domestic cricket competitions by the Badakhshan Province cricket team.

Notable people from Badakhshan
  • Burhanuddin Rabbani - leader of the Jamiat-e Islami political party and former president of Afghanistan
  • Tahir Badakhshi - political activist
  • Latif Pedram - political activist and candidate for Afghanistan's presidency
  • Mahboobullah Kushani - political activist and candidate for Afghanistan's presidency
  • Mohammad Wali (Prime Minsiter) - Prime Minsiter (Amanullah Khan)
  • Shah Wali Taranasaz - Musician
  • Nasratullah Nasrat - Afghan cricketer

References
  1. "Database". www.afghan-bios.info.
  2. "Afghanistan Energy Information Center" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-01-10. Retrieved 2012-04-15.
  3. Deer, William A.; Howie, Robert A, and Zussman, Joseph (1963) "Lapis lazuli" Rock-Forming Minerals Longman, London, OCLC 61975619
  4. "1 Badakhshan". www.rkabuli.20m.com.


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