Nangarhar is one of the 34
provinces of AfghanistanThe 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....
in the east of the country. Its capital is the city of Jalalabad. The population of the province is 1,334,000, which consists mainly of ethnic
PashtunsPashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
with a sizable community of Arabs and Pashais.
Economy and poppy production
Once a major center of
opium poppyOpium poppy, Papaver somniferum, is the species of plant from which opium and poppy seeds are extracted. Opium is the source of many opiates, including morphine , thebaine, codeine, papaverine, and noscapine...
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, in 2006, farmers were reported to have surrendered their children to opium dealers in payment on their debts.
Geopolitical and military situation
Nangarhar shares a border with
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, 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 Pakistani government constructed a road from
TorkhamTorkham is a border crossing town in the Nangarhar province of Afghanistan and the Khyber Agency of Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas, right on the Durand Line border....
to
JalalabadJalalabad , formerly called Adinapour, as documented by the 7th century Hsüan-tsang, is a city in eastern Afghanistan. Located at the junction of the Kabul River and Kunar River near the Laghman valley, Jalalabad is the capital of Nangarhar province. It is linked by approximately of highway with...
to ease traffic and encourage trade.
The United States and the multi-national coalition forces,
ISAFThe International Security Assistance Force is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001 by Resolution 1386 as envisaged by the Bonn Agreement...
, are active in the area. The
Shinwar districtShinwar is a district in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. It is on the main highway from Jalalabad to the Torkham border crossing. Its population, which is 100% Pashtun, was estimated at 40,147 in 2002, of whom 16,000 were children under 12. The district centre is the village of Shinwar...
of Nangarhar was the site of the 2007 Shinwar shootings and the
Dih Bala districtDih Bala is a district in the south of Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, bordering on Pakistan. Its population, which is 100% Pashtun, was estimated at 50,595 in 2002, of whom 20,200 were children under 12. The district centre is Deh Bala....
was the site of the
Deh Bala wedding party bombing- Investigation :An investigation ordered by President Karzai and led by a nine-man commission of the senate found that 47 civilians including the bride had been killed, this was also confirmed by human rights officials....
.
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 DistrictGoshta District is located in the northeast of Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan and borders Pakistan. The district's population is 100% Pashtun and was estimated at 160,000 in 2002, of whom 30,000 were children under 12...
, Lalpura which borders Pakistan; but now the people just cultivate wheat and other legal crops.
Incidents
The province was where
Osama bin LadenOsama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
was cornered in the
2001 Tora Bora campaignThe Battle of Tora Bora was a military engagement that took place in Afghanistan in December 2001, during the opening stages of the war in that country launched following the 9/11 attacks on the United States. The U.S...
. He ultimately escaped.
Shinwar shooting
On March 4, 2007, F platoon of the US Marine Corps Special Operations Company responded to a suicide bomber.
Dih Bala wedding party bombing
On July 6, 2008 were bombed by the Taliban
Districts
Nangarhar province is administratively subdivided into 22 districts, these are:
align=center style="background:#BFD7FF"| Districts of Nangarhar Province
| District |
Capital |
Population |
Area |
Notes |
| Achin Achin is a district in the south of Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, bordering on Pakistan. Its population is 100% Pashtun.Achin is home to the Shinwari tribe, one of the largest Pashtun tribes. It was a stronghold of the Mujaheddin during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.-Economy:The primary...
|
|
95,468 |
|
|
| Bati Kot Bati Kot is a district in the east of Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. Its population, which is 100% Pashtun, was estimated at 63,960 in 2002, of whom 25,500 were children under 12. The district centre is Nader Shah Kot....
|
|
71,308 |
|
|
| Bihsud Bihsud District is a district of Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. The district, which contains 40 villages, is located around the city Jalalabad, spanning both sides of the Kabul River...
|
|
118,934 |
|
Created in 2005 within Jalalabad District |
| Chaparhar Chaparhar is a district in the centre of Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. Its population, which is 100% Pashtun, was estimated at 54,858 in 2002, of whom 21,800 were children under 12. The district centre is the village of Chaparhar.-External links:...
|
|
57,339 |
|
|
| Dara-I-Nur Dara-I-Nur is a district in the north of Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. Its population, which is 99% Pashai with a small number of Pashtuns, was estimated at 120,000 in 2002, of whom 28,000 were children under 12....
|
|
28,202 |
|
|
| Dih Bala Dih Bala is a district in the south of Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, bordering on Pakistan. Its population, which is 100% Pashtun, was estimated at 50,595 in 2002, of whom 20,200 were children under 12. The district centre is Deh Bala....
|
|
33,294 |
|
|
| Dur Baba Dur Baba is a district in the southeast of Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, bordering Pakistan. Its population, which is 100% Pashtun , was estimated at 29,197 in 2002, of whom 11,600 were children under 12. The district centre is the village of Dur Baba....
|
|
13,479 |
|
|
GoshtaGoshta District is located in the northeast of Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan and borders Pakistan. The district's population is 100% Pashtun and was estimated at 160,000 in 2002, of whom 30,000 were children under 12...
|
|
31,130 |
|
|
| Hisarak Hesarak or Hisarak is a district in the west of Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. Its population, which is 100% Pashtun, was estimated at 28,462 in 2002, of whom 11,380 were children under 12. The district centre is the village of Hesarak....
|
|
28,376 |
|
|
JalalabadJalalabad , formerly called Adinapour, as documented by the 7th century Hsüan-tsang, is a city in eastern Afghanistan. Located at the junction of the Kabul River and Kunar River near the Laghman valley, Jalalabad is the capital of Nangarhar province. It is linked by approximately of highway with...
|
|
205,423 |
|
Sub-divided in 2005 |
| Kama Kama is a district in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, to the east of Jalalabad. Its population, which is 100% Pashtun, was estimated at 88,000 in 2002.The district centre is the village of Sanger Srye Kama....
|
|
52,527 |
|
|
| Khogyani Khogyani is a district in the south of Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, bordering on Pakistan. Its population is almost entirely Pashtun, and was estimated at 146,852 in 2002. The district centre is the village of Khogyani, though the largest village is Vazir....
|
|
111,479 |
|
|
| Kot Kot is a district in the north of Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. Oranges, rice, and sugarcane grow in the fertile district, and the capital city has cane-processing and sugar-refining as well as paper-making industries. The district's year-round summery weather attracts many visitors....
|
|
52,154 |
|
Created in 2005 within Rodat District Rodat is a district in the center of Nangarhar Province, 25 km away from Jalalabad city. Afghanistan, south of Jalalabad...
|
| Kuz Kunar Kuz Kunar is a district in the north of Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, on the Kunar River. It is counted one of the more secured districts of the Nangarhar province, where many foreigners go to visit the social, agricultural and structural rehabilitation of the area...
|
|
42,823 |
|
|
| Lal Pur Lal Pur is a district in the east of Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, bordering Pakistan. Its population, which is 100% Pashtun, was estimated at 34,516 in 2002, of whom 13,800 were children under 12. The district centre is the village of Lal Pur....
|
|
18,997 |
|
|
| Momand Dara |
|
42,103 |
|
|
| Nazyan Nazyan is a district in the south-east of Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. Its population, which is 100% Pashtun, was estimated at 22,858 in 2002, of whom 9000 were children under 12. The district centre is the village of Nazyan....
|
|
16,328 |
|
|
| Pachir Wa Agam Pachir Wa Agam is a district in the southeast of Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, bordering Pakistan. Its population, which is 100% Pashtun, was estimated at 39,280 in 2002, of whom 15,700 were children under 12. The district centre is the village of Pachir Wa Agam.The district has faced heavy...
|
|
40,141 |
|
|
| Rodat Rodat is a district in the center of Nangarhar Province, 25 km away from Jalalabad city. Afghanistan, south of Jalalabad...
|
|
63,357 |
|
Sub-divided in 2005 |
| Sherzad Sherzad is a district in the west of Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. It has a short stretch of border with Pakistan. Its population, which is 100% Pashtun, was estimated at 66,392 in 2002, of whom 26,500 were children under 12...
|
|
63,232 |
|
|
| Shinwar Shinwar is a district in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. It is on the main highway from Jalalabad to the Torkham border crossing. Its population, which is 100% Pashtun, was estimated at 40,147 in 2002, of whom 16,000 were children under 12. The district centre is the village of Shinwar...
|
|
64,872 |
|
|
Surkh RodSurkh-Rōd , also spelled as Surkh-Rūd or Sorkh-Rūd, is a district in the north of Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. The district centre is the town of Sultanpur...
|
|
91,548 |
|
|
Sports
The province is represented in domestic
cricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
competitions by the Nangarhar province cricket team. National team member Hamid Hasan was born in the province and he currently represents Afghanistan in
international cricketInternational Cricket is a cricket video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System that was only released in Australia in 1992. Developed by Melbourne-based Beam Software, it was the only cricket game released for the NES. There were no attempts to release a cricket video game to the North...
.
External links