From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nangarhar (ننګرهار)
Province
Country	Afghanistan
Capital	Jalalabad
- coordinates	34°15′N 70°30′E / 34.25°N 70.50°E / 34.25; 70.50
Area	7,727 km2 (2,983 sq mi)
Population	1,334,000 (2009) [1]
Governor	Gul Agha Shirzai
Timezone	GMT+4:30
Main language	Pashto
Map of Afghanistan with Nangarhar highlighted

Nangarhar (Pashto: ننګرهار) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan in the east of the country. Its capital is the city of Jalalabad. The population of the province is 1,334,000,^[1] most of whom are ethnic Pashtuns.^[2]

Economy and poppy production

Once a major center of opium poppy 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 many farmers were reported to have given their children in payment for debts to opium dealers after 2006 the cultivation of poppy decrease to 5 present.

Geopolitical and military situation

Joint ISAF-ANA Commando patrol in Achin District, Nangarhar.

Nangarhar shares a border with Pakistan, 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 current Governor of the Province, Gul Agha Sherzai is also reported to have very tight relations with the Pakistani secret service, the ISI which has a presence in the area.^{[citation needed]} The Pakistani government constructed a road from Torkham to Jalalabad to ease traffic and encourage trade.

The United States and the multi-national coalition forces, ISAF, are active in the area. The Ghanikhil district of Nangarhar was the site of the 2007 Shinwar shootings.

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 District, Lalpura which borders Pakistan; but now the people just cultivate wheat and other legal crops.^{[citation needed]}

Politics

The current Governor of the province is Gul Agha Sherzai.

Incidents

The province was where Osama bin Laden was cornered in the 2001 Tora Bora campaign. He ultimately escaped.^[3]

On March 4 2007, F platoon of the US Marine Corps Special Operations Company responded to a suicide bomber with indiscriminate fire, killing 19 civilians and wounding 50.^[4]

Districts

Districts of Nangarhar (district names in Dari)

Nangarhar province is administratively subdivided into 22 districts, these are:

References

External links

• Map of Nangarhar province (PDF)
• Nangarhar Province - (US) Naval Post-Graduate School
• Nangarhar Provincial Profile, Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development

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

From Wikitravel

View over Kabul This image has been recommended for deletion.

This section covers the Eastern portion of Afghanistan. This region is inhabitanted by the nationalist Pashtuns and they have cultural links with Pakistan, and is influenced by the North-West Frontier Province, another historic name for this area was Afghania Province.

Regions

Official Provinces

• Bamiyan Province
• Ghazni Province
• Kabul Province
• Kapisa Province
• Khost Province
• Konar Province
• Laghman Province
• Lowgar Province
• Nangarhar Province
• Paktia Province
• Paktika Province
• Parwan Province
• Wardak Province

• Kabul - the capital of the country

• Bagram - site of a large U.S. military base en route to the Salang Pass and the Northeast.

• Bamiyan - the site of the Buddhas that were destroyed by the Taliban, and an atmospheric town.

• Ghazni

• Jalalabad - a fairly non-descript town, but a possible stop between Kabul and the Khyber Pass.

Makhanai, a village nestled in the mountainous region of Tora Bora

• Band-e Amir - 5 stunning turquoise lakes in a remote, striking setting

• Khyber Pass - a legendary pass and the only place for foreigners to cross legally into Pakistan.

Girls carrying pots of water back to Markhanai.

WARNING: The Pashtun tribal areas along the Pakistani border are one of the most volatile areas in the country. Neither country has strong control of the porous border, and it's widely believed that this area is used as a base by Al Qaeda and serves as a hideout for the Taliban and, some would say, Osama bin Laden. Attacks on Western interests are common. Use extreme caution.