Zabul Province

Zabul (PashtoTemplate:Efn, DariTemplate:Efn: زابل), is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the south of the country. It has a population of 249,000.<ref name=nsia/> Zabul became a separate province from neighbouring Kandahar in 1963. Historically, it was part of the Zabulistan region. Qalat serves as the capital of the province. The major ethnic group are Pashtuns. Primary occupations within Zabul are agriculture and animal husbandry.

Geography

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A bull walks at the foot of a mountain near Mizan in the southeast of Zabul Province.

Zabul borders Uruzgan in the north, Kandahar in the west and in the south, Ghazni and Paktika in the east. It borders Pakistan in the east.

The province covers an area of 17293 km2. Two-fifths of the province is mountainous or semi mountainous terrain (41%) while more than one quarter of the area is made up of flat land (28%).

The primary ecoregion of the province is the central Afghan mountains xeric woodlands. Common vegetation is listed as dry shrub-land and pistachio. The high mountains of the northern portion of the province are in the Ghor-Hazarajat alpine meadow ecoregion, which is characterized by meadows, willows, and sea buckthorn.<ref>Template:NatGeo ecoregion</ref>

Transportation

Template:Further In 2006, the province's first airstrip was opened near Qalat, to be operated by the Afghan National Army, but also for use by commercial aviation. Twice weekly service was scheduled by PRT Air between Qalat and Kabul. The airstrip is not paved.<ref>First Airstrip in Zabul Province, USAID</ref> The ANA Chief in Zabul is Major General Jamaluddin Sayed<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Zabul Province is bisected by Highway 1 and travelers going between Kandahar and Kabul via road typically pass through the province.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On 4 September 2016, at least 38 people were killed and 28 were injured during the September 2016 Afghanistan road crash.

Healthcare

File:An Afghan National Police officer, right, stands watch over food before distributing it to families Feb 120205-N-UD522-028.jpg

An Afghan National Police officer, right, stands watch over food before distributing it to families Feb. 5, 2012, in Pinzo village, Zabul province, Afghanistan. The food distribution was intended to supplement the villagers winter food reserves from the fall harvest.

The percentage of households with clean drinking water increased from 0% in 2005 to 32% in 2011. The percentage of births attended to by a skilled birth attendant increased from 1% in 2005 to 5% in 2011.

Education

File:Bibi Khala School in Qalat, Afghanistan.jpg

Bibi Khala School in Qalat

The overall literacy rate (6+ years of age) increased from 1% in 2005 to 19% in 2011.Template:Cn The overall net enrollment rate (6–13 years of age) fell from 31.3% in 2005 to 5% in 2011.Template:Cn

Demographics

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Ethnolinguistic groups in Afghanistan

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Districts of Zabul province

As of 2021, the total population of the province is about 391,150,<ref name=nsia>Template:Cite web</ref> which is mostly a rural tribal society. According to the Naval Postgraduate School, the population is primarily Pashtuns, sprinkled throughout around 2,500 remote villages. Major tribal groups include the Tokhi, Hotak, Nasar, Kharoti, Taraki, Ghilji and the Noorzai and Panjpai Durrani.

Pashto is the dominant language in the area. The people of Zabul are overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim. Primary occupations within Zabul are agriculture and animal husbandry.<ref name="nps">Template:Cite web</ref>

60.8% of the population lived below the national poverty line, one of the highest figures of all of Afghanistan's provinces.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Zabul is by many indications one of Afghanistan's most religious conservative provinces.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Districts

Districts of Zabul Province

District	Capital	Population (2021)<ref name=nsia/>	Area	Pop. density	Notes
Arghandab		36,934	1,490	25	100% Pashtun.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sub-divided in 2005
Atghar		14,059	458	31	100% Pashtun.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Daychopan		44,508	1,491	30	100% Pashtun.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Kakar		27,234	981	28	99% Pashtun, 1% Hazara.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Created in 2005 within Arghandab District Also known as Khak-e-Afghan Province.
Mezana		21,623	1,079	20	100% Pashtun.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Naw Bahar		24,534	1,137	22	100% Pashtun.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Created in 2005 from parts of Shamulzayi and Shinkay Districts
Qalat	Qalat	44,928	1,914	23	95% Pashtun, 5% Tajik.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Shah Joy		79,889	1,878	43	100% Pashtun.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Shamulzayi		36,515	3,295	11	100% Pashtun.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Shinkay		31,911	1,861	17	100% Pashtun.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Tarnak Aw Jaldak		22,214	1,434	15	100% Pashtun.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Zabul		384,349	17,472	22	99.4% Pashtuns, 0.6% Tajiks, <0.1% Hazaras.Template:Refn

Sports

Template:Further The province is represented in Afghan domestic cricket by the Zabul Province cricket team.

Gallery

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  Children in Arghandab
• Near a bridge on the Kabul–Kandahar Highway
  Near a bridge on the Kabul–Kandahar Highway

Notable people

• Alauddin Khalji
• Mullah Omar
• Mullah Yaqoob Akhund
• Rustam-I-Pahlavan
• Jalauddin Khilji
• Sohrab
• Sām
• Zal
• Tegin Shah

See also

• Provinces of Afghanistan
• Zabulistan
• Zabol
• Abu Ali Lawik