Herat Province

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Related historical names of the region
Arachosia Aria Ariana Bactria Gandhara Iran Kabulistan Khorasan Kushanshahr Paropamisadae Sejestan Zabulistan
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The region of Herat was historically part of Greater Khorasan, which was successively controlled by the Tahirids followed by the Saffarids, Samanids, Ghaznavids, Ghurids, Ilkhanates, Timurids, Safavids, Hotakis, Afsharids, Durranis, Qajarids until it became part of the modern state of Afghanistan.

City of Herat, which is the capital of the province.

An Afghan Air Force Mi-17 helicopter sits on the ramp at Shindand Air Base in 2011.

During the 19th century, the British arrived from southern Afghanistan as part of the "Great Game" and backed up the Afghans during one Persian siege and one capture of the city, the former in 1838, and the latter in 1856 in order to prevent Persian or Russian influence reaching deeper in South Asia, and also, more importantly, Britain's colony in India as part of the Great Game. The situation in province then remained quiet and uneventful until the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

The province saw a number of battles during the 1980s Soviet war, and remained an active area of guerrilla warfare throughout, with local mujahideen commander Ismail Khan leading resistance against the Soviet-backed Afghan government. This continued until the Soviet Union withdrew all its forces in 1989.

When the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan, Ismail Khan became the governor of the province, a position he retained until the Taliban forces from the south took control of the province in 1995. Following the ousting of the Taliban and establishment of the Karzai administration, led by Hamid Karzai, Ismail Khan once again became governor of Herat.

Ismail Khan become a figure of controversy when the media began reporting that he was attempting to restrict freedom of the people, and that he was becoming more of an independent ruler as a warlord. He lost a son Mirwais Sadiq in 2004 during a fight with forces of other warlords. In response to this, the central government began expanding into the province with the newly trained Afghan National Security Forces (ANFS). Ismail Khan was ordered to leave his post to become a minister and live in Kabul.

After 2005, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) established presence in the area to help assist the Afghan government. It is led by Italy. A multi-national Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) was also established to help the local population of the province. The United States established a consulate in Herat, trained Afghan security forces, built schools, and clinics.

Herat was one of the first seven areas that transitioned security responsibility from NATO to Afghanistan. On 21 July 2011, Afghan security forces assumed lead security responsibility from NATO. On the occasion, Minister of Defence Wardak told the audience, "this is our national responsibility to take over our security and defend our country."

The current governor of the province is Mohammad Asif Rahimi, and before him was Fazlullah Wahidi who had succeeded Daud Shah Saba in 2013.

The provincial Police Chief, who leads the regular Afghan National Police (ANP) and the Afghan Border Police (ABP), is responsible for all law enforcement activities. The Police Chief represents the Ministry of the Interior in Kabull.

The province is home to 90% of Afghanistan's Saffron production (a $12 million industry in 2014).[3] In 2015 the World Bank noted that saffron cultivation had provided Herat Province's farmers a steady source of income, jobs for both men and women, and a decreased dependency on poppy cultivation.[3]

With international borders to Iran and Turkmenistan and an international airport, trade could potentially play an important part in the economy of Herat Province.[4] Due to the lack of urbanization in Herat Province, around 75% of the population lives in rural areas and economic activity is correspondingly heavily reliant on agriculture and horticulture production (saffron, rugs, cumin, marble, animal skins and wool[4]) with around 82% of economic activity coming from these fields in 2011.[5] Marble manufacturing and light industry comprised the remaining areas of economic activity.[5]

The percentage of households with clean drinking water fell from 31% in 2005 to 28% in 2011.[6] The percentage of births attended to by a skilled birth attendant increased from 24% in 2005 to 25% in 2011.[6]

The overall literacy rate (6+ years of age) fell from 36% in 2005 to 25% in 2011.[6] The overall net enrolment rate (6–13 years of age) fell from 55% in 2005 to 52% in 2011.[6] Herat University is Afghanistan's second largest university with over 10,000 students, 14 faculties and 45 departments in 2014.

Districts of Herat

The total population of the province is about 1,780,000, the majority of which live in rural parts.[2] Persian-speaking Tajiks form the majority.[7] According to Afghanistan's Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development:

"Around three quarters (77%) of the population of Hirat lives in rural districts while just under a quarter (23%) lives in urban areas. Around 50% of the population is male and 50% is female. Dari and Pashtu are spoken by 98% of the population and 97.7% of the villages. Languages spoken by the remaining population are Turkmeni and Uzbeki.[8]
Hirat province also has a population of Kuchis or nomads whose numbers vary in different seasons. In winter 98,506 individuals, or 4.1% of the overall Kuchi population, stay in Hirat living in 166 communities. Around Three quarters (75%) of these are short-range partially migratory, 12% are long-range partially migratory and 13% are settled. Half of migratory communities of both categories migrate within the winter area, as well as in the summer area. The most important summer areas for the short range migratory Kuchi are Kushki Sangi, Farsi, Adreskan, Kushk Kohna, Kushk Robad, Pashtun Zarghun, Shindand, Guzara, Chisht Sharif, Obeh, Kohistan and Karukh districts of Herat province (in decreasing order of importance). The long-range migratory Kuchi are predominantly fully migratory. Their summer areas are in Ghor province. The Kuchi population in the summer is 112311 individuals."[8]

Football is the popular sport in Herat Province, and in recent years cricket is also growing in popularity. The Province is represented in domestic competitions by the Herat Province cricket team. Afghanistan's national sport Buzkashi and a number of other sports are also played in the region.

• Abbas the Great – Safavid ruler
• Sultan Husayn Mirza Bayqara – Timurid ruler of Herat
• Mirwais Hotak – founder of the Hotak dynasty
• Ahmad Shah Durrani – founder of the Durrani dynasty
• Ali-Shir Nava'i – poet, writer, politician, linguist, mystic, and painter
• Faramarz Tamanna
• Zablon Simintov

Herat International Airport

In December 2012, Afghanistan and Italy signed a "long term agreement" including a Euro 150 million soft loan facility for infrastructure projects in Herat Province. In 2014 the agreement for a first soft loan worth about US$32 million was agreed for the upgrade of the Herat airport. In 2016 a second soft loan agreement worth about US$100 million was signed between Afghanistan and Italy for the construction a 155 km road between Herat and Chist-e Sharif. Italy also agreed to assess the possibility of a third soft loan worth about US$70 million for completing the railroad connection between Herat and Mashad in Iran. The Asian Development Bank is also implementing a feasibility study for the construction of a railway connection between Herat and Turkmenistan.

• Provinces of Afghanistan
• Train Advise Assist Command - West
• Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT)
• Azizabad airstrike

Media related to Herat Province at Wikimedia Commons