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Maidan Wardak Province

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Wardak,[4] also called Wardag (Pashto: وردګ, Dari: وردک) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the central region of Afghanistan. It is divided into eight districts and has a population of approximately 500,000.[5][3] The capital of the province is Maidan Shar, while the most populous district in the province is Saydabad District. Wardak is known for one of its famous high peak mountain known as (Shah Foladi). In 2021, the Taliban gained control of the province during the 2021 Taliban offensive.

Wardak
وردګ
Province
A settlement in Maidan Wardak along the road between Kabul and Bamiyan
A settlement in Maidan Wardak along the road between Kabul and Bamiyan
Map of Afghanistan with Wardak highlighted
Map of Afghanistan with Wardak highlighted
Coordinates (Capital): 34°24′N 68°24′E / 34.4°N 68.4°E / 34.4; 68.4
Country Afghanistan
CapitalMaidan Shar
Government
 • GovernorQari Bakhtiar[1]
 • Deputy GovernorSher Ahmad Ammar[1]
 • Police ChiefSheikh Mohammad Sharif Halimi[2]
Area
 • Total
10,348 km2 (3,995 sq mi)
 • Land10,348 km2 (3,995 sq mi)
 • Water0 km2 (0 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[3]
 • Total
671,817
 • Density65/km2 (170/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+4:30 (Afghanistan Time)
Postal code
13xx
ISO 3166 codeAF-WAR
Main languagesPashto
Hazaragi and Dari

History

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Further information: History of Afghanistan

During the communist times, the people of Maidan Wardak never gave significant support to the communist government.[6] Wardak Province was significant during the Civil War in Afghanistan, due to its proximity to Kabul and its agricultural lands. Hezb-e Wahdat had a significant presence in the area. Most of the area was captured by the Taliban around winter 1995.[6] It remains a major Taliban travel route to Kabul with Maidan Shar a target for terror.

The security situation rapidly deteriorated in Wardak in 2008 and 2009. According to a report by Mohammad Osman Tariq Elias, both Logar and Wardak, by the end of 2008, were under de facto Taliban control.[6] As of April 2009, the Ministry of the Interior (Afghanistan) had listed the entire province as "High Risk."[7]

In October 2017, US Forces from elements of the 1st Battalion 87th Infantry Regiment and 10th Special Operations Group launched an offensive to wrest the province from Taliban control.

On 21 January 2019, a Taliban attack on a military base and police training center in the province resulted in 125 NDS officers killed. At least 30 people were reported to be injured. The attack came during a time of intense daily violence throughout the country.[8]

 
US Soldier in Wardak Province in 2011

Geography

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Further information: Geography of Afghanistan
 
The mountains around Wardak province, Afghanistan, are covered with snow after a two day snow storm, November 25, 2009

Maidan Wardak province is located in the central and eastern region of Afghanistan; bordering Parwan to the northeast, Kabul and Logar to the east, Ghazni to the south and Bamyan to the west. The capital of Wardak province is Maidan Shar, which is located about 35 km from Kabul. Wardak province covers an area of 9,934 km2. It is mountainous like the rest of the country with plains and many valleys, such as the Tangi Valley. The majority of its residents live in rural areas. The most heavily populated areas are along the Kabul–Kandahar Highway. The rest of the province is thinly populated, with villages concentrated in areas with available irrigation and water sources (CSO and UNFPA, 2003). Famous passes include the Unai Pass and the Hajigak Pass.

Economics and industry

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In terms of industry, one marble factory is working in the province, and there are marble mines in the provincial center and Sayed Abad District although no mining is currently undertaken there due to the government ban. The majority of commercial activity in Maidan Shahr. Wardak is related to trade in agricultural and livestock products, although stone quarrying is also a growing business in the area. The people from Maidan Shahr are also experts in karez cleaning and repair and go to other parts of the country for this purpose. In Wardak, there are many natural resources like petroleum, iron, rubies, and emeralds.

Agriculture is a major source of revenue for 43% of households in Maidan Wardak province. Four-fifths (79%) of rural households own or manage agricultural land or garden plots in the province. However, nearly a quarter (24%) of households in the province derive income from trade and services, and around half (45%) of households earn some income through non-farm related labor.

Education

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Further information: Education in Afghanistan
 
A school being renovated in the Jalrez district of Wardak province in 2009

The overall literacy rate in Maidan Wardak province is 25%. There are around 251 primary and secondary schools in the province catering for 105,358 students. There are 2909 teachers teaching in these schools.[9]

Demographics

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Further information: Demographics of Afghanistan
 
Districts of Wardak province

As of 2021, the total population of Maidan Wardak province is about 671,817.[3] The province is predominantly Pashtun and Hazaras with Tajiks making up most of the remainder of the population. The Tajiks live primarily in northern districts of the province while the Hazaras live in the western part of the province. The province also has a small population of Qizilbash.[10][11]

Districts

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Districts of Maidan Wardak province
District Capital Population[3] Area[12] Pop.
density 		Notes
Chaki Wardak Chaki Wardak 95,392 1,153 83 Predominantely Pashtuns.[13][14]
Day Mirdad Miran 35,075 976 36 63% Pashtuns, 37% Hazaras.[15]
Hisa-I-Awali Bihsud 41,850 1,406 30 Majority Hazaras, minority Pashtun Kuchis.
Jaghatu 51,682 595 87 100% Pashtuns.[16] Shifted from Ghazni Province in 2005.
Jalrez 59,920 1,182 51 Majority Hazaras, minority Pashtuns, few Tajiks.[17]
Markazi Bihsud Behsud 134,852 3,616 37 Predominantly Hazaras.
Maidan Shar Maidan Shar 45,787 211 217 85% Pashtuns, 14% Tajiks, 1% Hazaras.[18]
Nirkh 64,436 530 122 80% Pashtuns, 15% Tajiks, 5% Hazaras.[19]
Saydabad Saydabad 131,264 1,130 116 Predominantely Pashtuns.[20]
Wardak 660,258 10,348 64 63.9% Pashtuns (62.0% Pashtun tribes, 1.9% Kochis), 33.5% Hazaras, 2.5% Tajiks.[note 1]
  1. ^ Note: "Predominantely" or "dominated" is interpreted as 99%, "majority" as 70%, "mixed" as 1/(number of ethnicities), "minority" as 30% and "few" or "some" as 1%.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "د نږدې شلو ولایاتو لپاره نوي والیان او امنیې قوماندانان وټاکل شول". 7 November 2021.
  2. ^ "د میدان وردګو ولایت لپاره نوی ټاکل شوی والي د کورنیو چارو وزارت د اداري مرستیال او کفیل له لوري د ولایت کارکوونکو ته ور وپېژندل شو. | د کورنیو چارو وزارت". moi.gov.af.
  3. ^ a b c d "Estimated Population of Afghanistan 2021-22" (PDF). National Statistic and Information Authority (NSIA). April 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  4. ^ "Wardak". Office of the President of Afghanistan.
  5. ^ "Maydan Wardak - Program for Culture and Conflict Studies - Naval Postgraduate School".
  6. ^ a b c Elias, Mohammed Osman Tariq (2009). "The Resurgence of the Taliban in Kabul, Logar and Wardak". In Giustozzi, Antonio (ed.). Decoding the New Taliban: Insights from the Afghan Field. Hurst & Company. ISBN 978-1-85065-961-7.
  7. ^ "Afghanistan: Security map". 2009-08-19. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  8. ^ "Taliban Attack on Afghan Military Base Kills 12". 2019-01-21. Archived from the original on 2019-01-21. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  9. ^ "Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development" (PDF). Mrrd.gov.af. 2012-08-04. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
  10. ^ "Maydan Wardak Province". Understanding War. Retrieved 2013-09-25.
  11. ^ "Mayden Wardak Provincial Overview". Program for Culture & Conflict Studies. Naval Postgraduate School. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  12. ^ "FAO in Afghanistan | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations". www.fao.org.
  13. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20051027175857/http://www.aims.org.af:80/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/centra/wardak/chak/chak.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  14. ^ Coyle, Dennis (August 2014). "Placing Wardak among Pashto varieties".
  15. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20051027181236/http://www.aims.org.af:80/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/centra/wardak/day_mirdad.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  16. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20051027173805/http://www.aims.org.af:80/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/centra/wardak/jaghatu.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  17. ^ "One Land, Two Rules (9): Delivering public services in insurgency-affected Jalrez district of Wardak province". 16 December 2019.
  18. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20051027183907/http://www.aims.org.af:80/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/centra/wardak/maidan_shahr.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  19. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20051027171648/http://www.aims.org.af:80/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/centra/wardak/nirkh.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  20. ^ Coyle, Dennis (August 2014). "Placing Wardak among Pashto varieties".
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