Parwan Province
| Parwān (پروان) | |
| Province | |
| Country | Afghanistan |
|---|---|
| Capital | Charikar |
| - coordinates | 35°00′N 69°00′E / 35.0°N 69.0°E |
| Area | 5,974 km² (2,307 sq mi) |
| Population | 600,000 [1] |
| Timezone | UTC+4:30 |
| Main language | Dari Persian Pashto |
 Map of Afghanistan with Parvan highlighted
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Parwān (Persian/Pashto: پروان), also spelled Parvān, once also the name of an ancient town in the Hindu Kush mountains,[2] is today an administrative province in northern Afghanistan, directly north of Kabul Province. Its capital is Charikar and it was one of the most secure provinces in the country, however recently there have been reports of attacks.[3][4]
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[edit] History
In 329 BC, Alexander the Great founded the settlement of Parwan as his Alexandria of the Caucasus. It was conquered by the Arabs in 792.[2] In 1221, the town was the site of the battle between the invading Mongols and the Khwarezmian Empire led by Jalal ad-Din, where the Mongols were defeated.[2] In 1840, Parwan was also the site of a major battle in the First Anglo-Afghan War where the invading British were defeated.[2] Parwan's modern history began with the construction of a new textile factory in the town of Jabal Saraj in 1937.[2] Since then, Parwan was involved in the Soviet war in Afghanistan as some of the fiercest fighting took place in the area.[5] In the 1990s it was the site of heavy resistance against the Taliban.
Since 2009 at Parwan, an ISAF Provincial Reconstruction Team led by the Republic of Korea is active[6] in reconstruction of the province. In mid-February 2011, five rocket-propelled grenades hit the newly built South Korean military base housing the provincial reconstruction team and civilian aid workers. No one was injured in the attack, but it came hours after a visit by South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin, raising suspicions of Taliban involvement. The opening ceremony of the base was postponed indefinitely.[7]
A further plan to build a power plant is also under consideration.[8]
A large portion of Parwan’s economy relies on the money that Afghan laborers send home from Iran and some other countries. The current governor is Abdul Baseer Salangi.
[edit] Demographics
Tajiks, including Qizilbashs, are the majority and make up ca. 70% of the population, followed by Pashtuns (including arabs). There is also a pocket of Hazaras in Shinwar district (ca. 2-4% in all Parvan).[9][10]
[edit] Districts
| District | Capital | Population[11] | Area[12] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bagram | 75,423 | |||
| Charikar | 130,613 | |||
| Ghorband | 74,123 | |||
| Jabal Saraj | 48,052 | Sub-divided in 2005 | ||
| Kohi Safi | 13,627 | |||
| Salang | 13,627 | |||
| Sayed Khel | 33,334 | Created in 2005 within Jabul Saraj District | ||
| Shekh Ali | 22,831 | |||
| Shinwari | 39,057 | |||
| Surkhi Parsa | 33,639 |
[edit] Other notable towns and villages
Bagram Ghorband Golbahar Jabel Saraj Koh-i-Safi Sayed Khil Shekh-Ali Shenwari Surkh-Parsa
- Salang Valley
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Mountains near A76
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Village near A76
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Creek near A76
[edit] References
- ^ Central Statistics Office of Afghanistan. "Settled Population of country by Provinces and sex for 2006-2009 years". http://www.cso.gov.af/demography/population.html. Retrieved 2009-11-30.
- ^ a b c d e Frye, Richard Nelson (1999). "Farwan (also Parwan)". Encyclopaedia of Islam CD-ROM Edition v. 1.0. Leiden, The Netherlands: Koninklijke Brill NV. Retrieved on 2007-12-18.
- ^ Wood, David. “Afghan Police the Key to Victory.” Politics Daily. http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/08/17/afghan-police-the-key-to-victory/ Access September 14th, 2009.
- ^ The Times News. “A soldier’s Return.” The Times News. http://www.thetimesnews.com/news/return-28102-soldier-.html Accessed September 14th, 2009
- ^ "Charikar". The Columbia Encyclopedia (Sixth Edition ed.). Columbia University Press. 2007. http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Charikar.html. Retrieved 2007-12-19.
- ^ http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2922615
- ^ Moon, Gwang-lip (2-12-2011). "Taliban strike on Koreans confirmed". Joongang Daily. http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2932108. Retrieved 2-11-2011.
- ^ http://english.taand.com/index.php?mod=article&cat=News&article=835
- ^ Parwan provincial profile
- ^ Parwan province on nps.edu
- ^ http://www.mrrd.gov.af/nabdp/DDP-Parwaan.htm
- ^ Afghanistan Geographic & Thematic Layers
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