Faryab Province
Encyclopedia
Fāryāb is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan
. It is in the north of the country. Its capital is Maymana. The majority of the population is Uzbek.
word meaning "irrigated land". The modern province is named after a town that was founded by the Sassanids and later destroyed by the invading Mongols
in 1220. According to Ibn al-Nadim
, medieval Islamic philosopher Al-Farabi
was born in Faryab.
also fled to Faryab to reconstitute his forces following the Taliban takeover of Herat, but was betrayed by Abdul Malik Pahlawan.
On 23 May 1997, Abdul Malik Pahlawan raised the Taliban flag over the capital of Maimana, switching sides and initiating a renewed Taliban offensive from the west. Following a series of changing allegiances and falling out with Malik, the Taliban withdrew from the area, but in 1998 a contigent of 8,000 Taliban troops pressed through Faryab, seizing Abdul Rashid Dostum
's headquarters in Sheberghan, in neighboring Jowzjan province.
As of 2006, it was reported that the Abdul Malik Pahlawan's Freedom Party of Afghanistan
still maintained an armed militant wing, which was contributing to instability in province.
At the province is a Provincial Reconstruction Team
, which is led by Norway
. The Norwegian PRT has its base at Maymana and has also been given the responsibility for the Ghormach District
which used to be in neighboring Badghis Province
but is now, as of December 2008, part of Faryab Province.
of the province is Abdul Haq Shafaq
, an ethnic Hazara, and a member of Hezbe Wahdat
.
(ca. 27%-30%). Other are Pashtuns (13%) and Turkmen people
(ca. 4%-6%). Other sources indicate the number of Uzbeks as 60%, of Tajiks as 20%, of Pashtun and Hazaras as 10% and for Turkmen people goes the same percentage number (10%). However, the number of Pashtuns in Faryab is decreasing drastically like elsewhere in northern Afghanistan because many non-Pashtuns still take revange for the crimes of Taliban Pashtuns against non-Pashtuns.
Uzbeki
is spoken by over half (53.5%) of the population. The second most frequent language is Persian (Dari), followed by Pashtu (17%), a bit more than the actual number of their population, and Turkmen language
.
Around 89% of the population live in rural regions, while 11% live in urban areas.
Provinces of Afghanistan
The provinces of Afghanistan are the primary administrative divisions of Afghanistan. As of 2004, there are thirty-four provinces in the country. Each province is further divided into smaller districts....
. It is in the north of the country. Its capital is Maymana. The majority of the population is Uzbek.
History
Faryab is a PersianPersian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
word meaning "irrigated land". The modern province is named after a town that was founded by the Sassanids and later destroyed by the invading Mongols
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
in 1220. According to Ibn al-Nadim
Ibn al-Nadim
Abu'l-Faraj Muhammad bin Is'hāq al-Nadim , whose father was known as al-Warrāq was a Shia Muslim scholar and bibliographer. Some scholars regard him as a Persian, but this is not certain. He is famous as the author of the Kitāb al-Fihrist...
, medieval Islamic philosopher Al-Farabi
Al-Farabi
' known in the West as Alpharabius , was a scientist and philosopher of the Islamic world...
was born in Faryab.
Afghan Civil War
During the Afghan Civil War, the front line between Taliban and opposition forces often fell between Badghis and Faryab provinces in the mid-1990s. Former Herati warlord Ismail KhanIsmail Khan
Ismail Khan is a politician and former mujahideen commander from Afghanistan. Born in the western Afghan city of Herat, he rose to become a powerful rebel commander during in the Soviet War in Afghanistan, and then a key member of the Northern Alliance until finally becoming the Governor of Herat...
also fled to Faryab to reconstitute his forces following the Taliban takeover of Herat, but was betrayed by Abdul Malik Pahlawan.
On 23 May 1997, Abdul Malik Pahlawan raised the Taliban flag over the capital of Maimana, switching sides and initiating a renewed Taliban offensive from the west. Following a series of changing allegiances and falling out with Malik, the Taliban withdrew from the area, but in 1998 a contigent of 8,000 Taliban troops pressed through Faryab, seizing Abdul Rashid Dostum
Abdul Rashid Dostum
Abdul Rashid Dostum is a former pro-Soviet fighter during the Soviet war in Afghanistan and is considered by many to be the leader of Afghanistan's Uzbek community and the party Junbish-e Milli-yi Islami-yi Afghanistan...
's headquarters in Sheberghan, in neighboring Jowzjan province.
Political and economic situation
Faryab province has been one of the more peaceful areas in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban after the U.S. invasion of 2001. Recent development projects in the province have focused on expanding the agricultural potential of the province, in particular the re-forestation of areas of the province that were denuded in the recent past.As of 2006, it was reported that the Abdul Malik Pahlawan's Freedom Party of Afghanistan
Freedom Party of Afghanistan
The Freedom Party of Afghanistan is an Afghan political party headed by Abdul Malik Pahlawan....
still maintained an armed militant wing, which was contributing to instability in province.
At the province is a Provincial Reconstruction Team
Provincial reconstruction team
A Provincial Reconstruction Team is a unit introduced by the United States government, consisting of military officers, diplomats, and reconstruction subject matter experts, working to support reconstruction efforts in unstable states. PRTs were first established in Afghanistan in late 2001 or...
, which is led by Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The Norwegian PRT has its base at Maymana and has also been given the responsibility for the Ghormach District
Ghormach District
Ghormach is a district situated in the north east Badghis Province of Afghanistan. The district centre is Ghowrmach.-Demographics:The estimated population of Ghormach District in 2003 was roughly 52,566...
which used to be in neighboring Badghis Province
Badghis Province
Bādghīs is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is located in northwestern Afghanistan, between the Murghab and Hari rivers, extending as far northward as the edge of the desert of Sarakhs. It includes the Chul formations through which the Turkmen-Afghan boundary runs...
but is now, as of December 2008, part of Faryab Province.
Governors
The GovernorGovernor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of the province is Abdul Haq Shafaq
Abdul Haq Shafaq
Abdul Haq Shafaq is the current governor of Faryab Province in Afghanistan. Before he has ben governor of Sar-e Pol Province and governor of Samangan Province....
, an ethnic Hazara, and a member of Hezbe Wahdat
Hezbe Wahdat
Hizb-e Wahdat-e Islami Afghanistan has been an important political and military player in Afghanistan since its founding in 1989. Like most contemporary major political parties in Afghanistan, Hizb-e Wahdat is rooted in the turbulent period of the anti-Soviet resistance movements in Afghanistan in...
.
Demographics
The Uzbek population (53%) represent the majority in Faryab, followed by TajiksTajiks
Tajik is a general designation for a wide range of Persian-speaking people of Iranic origin, with traditional homelands in present-day Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan...
(ca. 27%-30%). Other are Pashtuns (13%) and Turkmen people
Turkmen people
The Turkmen are a Turkic people located primarily in the Central Asian states of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and northeastern Iran. They speak the Turkmen language, which is classified as a part of the Western Oghuz branch of the Turkic languages family together with Turkish, Azerbaijani, Qashqai,...
(ca. 4%-6%). Other sources indicate the number of Uzbeks as 60%, of Tajiks as 20%, of Pashtun and Hazaras as 10% and for Turkmen people goes the same percentage number (10%). However, the number of Pashtuns in Faryab is decreasing drastically like elsewhere in northern Afghanistan because many non-Pashtuns still take revange for the crimes of Taliban Pashtuns against non-Pashtuns.
Uzbeki
Uzbek language
Uzbek is a Turkic language and the official language of Uzbekistan. It has about 25.5 million native speakers, and it is spoken by the Uzbeks in Uzbekistan and elsewhere in Central Asia...
is spoken by over half (53.5%) of the population. The second most frequent language is Persian (Dari), followed by Pashtu (17%), a bit more than the actual number of their population, and Turkmen language
Turkmen language
Turkmen is the national language of Turkmenistan...
.
Around 89% of the population live in rural regions, while 11% live in urban areas.
Districts
| District | Capital | Population | Area | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Almar Almar District Almar is a district in the southwestern part of Faryab Province, Afghanistan. Its northern border is the national border with Turkmenistan. The population was estimated at 55,000 in 2002.... |
||||
| Andkhoy | Sub-divided in 2005 | |||
| Bilchiragh Bilchiragh District Bilchiragh is a district in the southern part of Faryab Province, Afghanistan. The main town, Belcheragh, is situated in the northwest of the district at , 1263 m altitude.- External links:*... |
Sub-divided in 2005 | |||
| Dawlat Abad Dawlat Abad District Dawlat Abad is a district in Faryab Province, Afghanistan. The population of the district was estimated 39,000 in 2002.The centre of the district is the town of Dawlat Abad , located at , 447 m altitude, on the route from Sheberghan to Maimana. At one time it had a bazaar with 180 shops and... |
39,000 | |||
| Ghormach Ghormach District Ghormach is a district situated in the north east Badghis Province of Afghanistan. The district centre is Ghowrmach.-Demographics:The estimated population of Ghormach District in 2003 was roughly 52,566... |
Added to Faryab Province in December 2008 by Presidential decree | |||
| Gurziwan Gurziwan District Gurziwan is a district in Faryab Province, Afghanistan. It was created in 2005 from part of Bilchiragh District.... |
Created in 2005 within Bilchiragh District Bilchiragh District Bilchiragh is a district in the southern part of Faryab Province, Afghanistan. The main town, Belcheragh, is situated in the northwest of the district at , 1263 m altitude.- External links:*... |
|||
| Khani Chahar Bagh | 22,000 | |||
| Khwaja Sabz Posh Khwaja Sabz Posh District Khwaja Sabz Posh District is the district where the Faryab Province capital Maymana is located. It is a rural district without its own capital.... |
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| Kohistan Kohistan District, Faryab Kohistan district is the southern-most district in Faryab Province. Its population is 38,200 . The district center is Qal'a , 1909 m altitude.... |
38,200 | |||
| Maymana | 68,000 | |||
| Pashtun Kot Pashtun Kot District Pashtun Kot district is located in the center of Faryab Province southeast from Maymana. The district center Pashtun Kot is a suburb of Maymana . The population is 159,300 .... |
159,300 | |||
| Qaramqol Qaramqol District Qaramqol district is located south of Andkhoy in the northern part of Faryab Province. The population is 17,100 . The district center Qaram Qũl is close to the town of Andkhoy.... |
17,100 | |||
| Qaysar Qaysar District Qaysar district is situated in the southwestern part of the Faryab Province of Afghanistan. The population is 122,300 people . The district center Qeysar , at the edge of the vast desert of Qaisar, has almost the same peculiarities of the Almar bazaar... |
122,300 | |||
| Qurghan Qurghan District Qurghan is a district in Faryab Province, Afghanistan. It was created in 2005 from the western part of Andkhoy District. The district center Qurghan is very close to Andkhoy at 317 m altitude.... |
Created in 2005 within Andkhoy District | |||
| Shirin Tagab Shirin Tagab District Shirin-Tagab is the district center in the Faryab Province, Afghanistan. The population was 65,800 in 2004. It is located at , 525 m altitude.... |
65,800 |
External links
- Faryab Province at the Geographical Database