Takhar Province
| Takhār (تخار) | |
| Province | |
| Country |  Afghanistan |
|---|---|
| Capital | Taloqan |
| - coordinates | |
| Area | 12,333 km² (4,762 sq mi) |
| Population | 886,400 (2009) |
| Timezone | UTC+4:30 |
| Main languages | Uzbek Dari Persian Pashto |
 Map of Afghanistan with Takhar highlighted
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Takhār (Persian: تخار) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It was established in 1964 when Qataghan Province was divided into three provinces: Baghlan, Kunduz and Takhar. It is in the north-east of the country. Its capital is Taloqan. Its salt mines are one of Afghanistan's major mineral resources. General Daud,the current Deputy Minister of the Interior for Counter Narcotics in Afghanistan, is the former governor of the Takhar province in Afghanistan.[1]
Takhar also holds notoriety as the location where Afghan mujahideen leader Ahmad Shah Massoud was assassinated on September 9, 2001 by suspected al-Qaeda agents.
The major ethnic groups in the province are Uzbeks and Tajiks followed by Pashtuns and Hazara.[2]
Contents |
Districts
| District | Capital | Population | Area[3] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baharak | Created in 2005 within Taluqan District | |||
| Bangi | ||||
| Chah Ab | ||||
| Chal | ||||
| Darqad | ||||
| Dashti Qala | Created in 2005 within Khwaja Ghar District | |||
| Farkhar | ||||
| Hazar Sumuch | Created in 2005 within Taluqan District | |||
| Ishkamish | ||||
| Kalafgan | ||||
| Khwaja Baha Wuddin | Created in 2005 within Yangi Qala District | |||
| Khwaja Ghar | Sub-divided in 2005 | |||
| Namak Ab | Created in 2005 within Taluqan District | |||
| Rustaq | ||||
| Taluqan | Sub-divided in 2005 | |||
| Warsaj | ||||
| Yangi Qala | Sub-divided in 2005 |
Taliban insurgency
In May 2009, Taliban insurgents fighting Afghan government attacked the Baharak district in Takhar province [4].
In a smaller incident in July 2008, the Afghans police killed Taliban militia commander Mullah Usman when several armed 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 engaged police in this thusfar relatively peaceful province. Mullah Usman was the most senior Taliban commander in the northeast region of Afghanistan, according to the Afghan Interior Ministry [5].
Footnotes
External links
- Dupree, Nancy Hatch (1977): An Historical Guide to Afghanistan. 1st Edition: 1970. 2nd Edition. Revised and Enlarged. Afghan Tourist Organization. [1]
- http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Asia/Afghanistan/East/Takhar/ (A beautiful gallery of pictures of Takhar province)
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