Badghis بادغیس |
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Province of Afghanistan | |
A village in Badghis
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Location within Afghanistan |
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Districts prior to 2005 realignment |
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Coordinates: 35°0′N 63°45′E / 35.000°N 63.750°ECoordinates: 35°0′N 63°45′E / 35.000°N 63.750°E | |
Country | Afghanistan |
Provincial seat | Qala i Naw |
Districts | |
Government | |
• Governor | Jamaluddin Ishaq |
Area | |
• Total | 20,590.6 km2 (7,950.1 sq mi) |
• Water | 0 km2 (0 sq mi) |
Population (2013) | |
• Total | 499,393 |
• Density | 20.9/km2 (54/sq mi) |
Demographics | |
• Ethnic groups | Tajiks, Pashtuns, Uzbeks, Turkmen |
• Languages | Dari Persian, Pashto, Turkmen |
ISO 3166 code | AF-BDG |
Bādghīs (Pashto/Persian: بادغیس) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northwest of the country next to Turkmenistan. The name is a corruption of the Persian compound, bâd-khiz, meaning "wind source", referring to the steppe winds that blow into the province from the north and northwest. Badghis is irrigated by the Murghab . The extension of the area into Turkmenistan still sports the old version, and serves as the "Bâdkhiz Nature Preserve." Its northern border extends to the edge of the desert of Sarakhs. Badghis includes the Chul formations through which the Turkmen-Afghan boundary runs. The province was carved out of portions of Herat Province and Meymaneh Province in 1964 and has a total area of 20,591 km2. It is counted as one of the most underdeveloped of the country's 34 provinces. Qala i Naw, a small town halfway between Maimana and Herat, serves as the provincial center.
The province was one of the last captured by the Taliban in their military offensive before the American invasion in 2001. The province was quickly retaken by Northern Alliance forces as the United States initiated hostilities.
The province was flooded by governors which was in favor of Hamed Karzai and recently Ghani Ahmadzai after Taliban removed from power. These governors did not make a positive change. Especially governor Nasiri, who was moved to Zabul facilitated the raising of Taliban.
The current Governor of the province is Jamaluddin Ishaq.
At the province was a Provincial Reconstruction Team, which was led by Spain.