Nangarhar Province
| Nangarhar (ننګرهار) | |
| Province | |
| Country |  Afghanistan |
|---|---|
| Capital | Jalalabad |
| - coordinates | |
| Area | 7,727 km² (2,983 sq mi) |
| Population | 1,334,000 (2009) [1] |
| Governor | Gul Agha Shirzai |
| Timezone | GMT+4:30 |
| Main language | Pashto |
 Map of Afghanistan with Nangarhar highlighted
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Nangarhar (Pashto: ننګرهار) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan in the east of the country. Its capital is the city of Jalalabad. The population of the province is 1,334,000,[1] most of whom are ethnic Pashtuns.[2]
Contents |
Economy and poppy production
Once a major center of opium poppy production in Afghanistan, the province had reportedly decreased its production of poppy by up to 95% in 2005, one of the success stories of the Afghan eradication program. However, the eradication program has often left peasant farmers destitute, and many farmers were reported to have given their children in payment for debts to opium dealers after 2006 the cultivation of poppy decrease to 5 present.
Geopolitical and military situation
Nangarhar shares a border with Pakistan, and the two regions share very close ties, with large amounts of migration in both directions. Most of the province still uses Pakistani currency rather than Afghan money for commercial transactions. The current Governor of the Province, Gul Agha Sherzai is also reported to have very tight relations with the Pakistani secret service, the ISI which has a presence in the area. The Pakistani government constructed a road from Torkham to Jalalabad to ease traffic and encourage trade.
The United States and the multi-national coalition forces, ISAF, are active in the area. The Ghanikhil district of Nangarhar was the site of the 2007 Shinwar shootings and the Dih Bala district was the site of the Deh Bala wedding party bombing.
Opium cultivation
The illicit poppy cultivation takes place in Khogiani, Ghanikhil, Chaparhar, and other remote districts. The farmers cite the lack of water and also poverty as the reasons for poppy cultivation. Poppy was also cultivated in Goshta District, Lalpura which borders Pakistan; but now the people just cultivate wheat and other legal crops.
Politics
Governors
Incidents
The province was where Osama bin Laden was cornered in the 2001 Tora Bora campaign. He ultimately escaped.[3]
On March 4 2007, F platoon of the US Marine Corps Special Operations Company responded to a suicide bomber with indiscriminate fire, killing 19 civilians and wounding 50.[4]
Districts
Nangarhar province is administratively subdivided into 22 districts, these are:
| District | Capital | Population[5] | Area[6] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Achin | 95,468 | |||
| Bati Kot | 71,308 | |||
| Bihsud | 118,934 | Created in 2005 within Jalalabad District | ||
| Chaparhar | 57,339 | |||
| Dara-I-Nur | 28,202 | |||
| Dih Bala | 33,294 | |||
| Dur Baba | 13,479 | |||
| Goshta | 31,130 | |||
| Hisarak | 28,376 | |||
| Jalalabad | 205,423 | Sub-divided in 2005 | ||
| Kama | 52,527 | |||
| Khogyani | 111,479 | |||
| Kot | 52,154 | Created in 2005 within Rodat District | ||
| Kuz Kunar | 42,823 | |||
| Lal Pur | 18,997 | |||
| Momand Dara | 42,103 | |||
| Nazyan | 16,328 | |||
| Pachir Wa Agam | 40,141 | |||
| Rodat | 63,357 | Sub-divided in 2005 | ||
| Sherzad | 63,232 | |||
| Shinwar | 64,872 | |||
| Surkh Rod | 91,548 |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 USAID, Afghanistan
- ↑ Cultural and Conflict Studies, Nangarhar Province
- ↑ http://www.detnews.com/article/20100222/NATION/2220368/1020/rss09
- ↑ "U.S. officials, Afghan elders discuss civilian deaths". Stars and Stripes, Mideast edition, Friday, March 9, 2007.
- ↑ http://www.mrrd.gov.af/nabdp/Provincial%20Profiles/Nangarhar%20PDP%20Provincial%20profile.pdf MRRD Provincial profile for Nangarhar Province
- ↑ Afghanistan Geographic & Thematic Layers
External links
- Map of Nangarhar province (PDF)
- Nangarhar Province - (US) Naval Post-Graduate School
- Nangarhar Provincial Profile, Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development
- Nangahar Airial Pictures
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