Nimruz Province

Nimruz (نیمروز)
Province
Country	Afghanistan
Capital	Zaranj
- coordinates
Area	41,005 km² (15,832 sq mi)
Population	149,000 (2002) [1]
Density	3.634 / km² (9 / sq mi)
Governor	Ghulam Dastagir Azad
Timezone	UTC+4:30
Main languages	Balochi Pashto
Map of Afghanistan with Nimruz highlighted

Nimruz (Balochi/Pashto/Persian: نیمروز ) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, in the south-west of the country on the borders of Iran and Pakistan. The name Nimruz means "mid-day" in Persian. Nimruz covers 41,000 km² and has a population of 149,000 (2002 estimate). It is the most sparsely populated province in the country, located in the Sistan Basin. A substantial part of the province is the desert area of Dashti Margo.

History

The area now composing Nimruz was once part of the historical region of Sistan, which over the centuries was held by powers ranging from the Medean Empire to Alexander the Great, to the Kushan Empire before being conquered and converted to Islam by the Arab Rashidun Caliphate. The area later came under the Saffarid dynasty (861-1003 CE), one of the first Iranian dynasties of the Islamic era.

Under the modern Afghan governments, the province was known as Chakhansur Province until 1968, when it became Nimruz Province.^[1] The city of Zaranj was established in 1970, and became the capital.

As the Taliban came to power in the area in 1995, they seized the road-controlling town of Delaram (then in southwestern Farah Province), and came to an agreement with the Mujahideen forces holding Nimroz that the fate of the province would not be decided until a clear victor emerged in the capture of Kabul. However, the Taliban advanced on Nimruz only days later, and the Mujahideen under command of Abdul Karim Brahui (later governor of Nimruz) withdrew to Iran. The Mujahideen briefly recaptured Zaranj later in 1995, but the city was retaken by the Taliban, and the capital later moved from Zaranj to the more Pashtun-populated town of Ghurghuri. The Taliban fled, losing control of the province, following U.S. airstrikes in November 2001.^[2]

Ethnography

61% people are Balochs, forming the majority in the province, and Pashtuns are 27% of the population.^[3] There are also some Tajiks and Uzbeks. Around 85% of the people in Nimruz live in rural areas while 15% live in urban areas.

Districts

Politics

Governors

The current governor is Ghulam Dastagir Azad.

Company

• Danesh Net Internet Service Provider

Towns and villages

• Chakhansur

Airlines serving this Province

• Ariana Afghan Airlines
• Pamir Airways
• Pactec
• UNAMA MovCon
• Ministry of Defense Flights

Chakhansur, Nimruz

References

Districts of Nimruz.

Provinces of Afghanistan Badakhshan · Badghis · Baghlan · Balkh · Bamyan · Daykundi · Farah · Faryab · Ghazni · Ghor · Helmand · Herat · Jowzjan · Kabul · Kandahar · Kapisa · Khost · Kunar · Kunduz · Laghman · Logar · Nangarhar · Nimruz · Nuristan · Oruzgan · Paktia · Paktika · Panjshir · Parwan · Samangan · Sar-e Pol · Takhar · Wardak · Zabul

Baloch nationalism Regions Balochistan • Balochistan, Pakistan • Sistan and Baluchestan Province (Iran) • Balochistan (Afghanistan) Parties and student groups Balochistan National Party • Jamhoori Wattan Party • National Party • Baloch National Movement • Baloch Republican Party • Baloch National Front • Baloch Students Organization • Baloch Students Organization – Awami • Balochistan People's Party • Kalat State National Party Militant groups Balochistan Liberation Army • Baloch Liberation Front • Baluch People's Liberation Front • Popular Front for Armed Resistance • Baluchi Liberation Front • Baluchi Autonomist Movement • Partisans of National Liberation of Afghanistan • Baloch Republican Army • Balochistan Liberation United Front • Parrari • Jundallah Key figures Gul Khan Nasir • Abdul Hai Baloch • Habib Jalib Baloch • Hameed Baloch • Ghulam Mohammed Baloch • Mir Nooruddin Mengal • Allah Nazar Baloch • Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo • Hasil Bizenjo • Akbar Bugti • Brahamdagh Khan Bugti • Prince Karim Khan • Mir Lawang Khan • Nawab Nowroz Khan • Abdul Aziz Kurd • Yousaf Aziz Magsi • Balach Marri • Khair Bakhsh Marri • Jumma Khan Marri • Sher Mohammad Marri • Akhtar Mengal  • Ataullah Mengal • Abdolmalek Rigi • Dad Shah History Kalat (princely state) • Balochistan conflict • 1970s Operation • Iraqi support • Arms discovery in Iraqi Embassy • Turbat killings • Missing persons National myths/epics Mir Chakar Rind • Hani and Sheh Mureed

bl:نیمروزی ولایت

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