Zabul Province

For the Iranian city, see Zabol.

Zabul زابل
Province
An aircraft flies past the Spin Ghar mountains on approach for a routine supply drop in Shah Joy district
Map of Afghanistan with Zabul highlighted
Coordinates:
Country	Afghanistan
Capital	Qalat
Government
• Governor	Mohammad Ashraf Naseri
Area
• Total	17,343 km2 (6,696 sq mi)
Population (2015)
• Total	304,126
• Density	18/km2 (45/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+4:30
ISO 3166 code	AF-ZAB
Main languages	Pashto

Zabul (Persian and Pashto: زابل‎) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the south of the country. It has a mostly rural population of about 289,300. Zabul became an independent province from neighbouring Kandahar in 1963. Historically, it was part of the Zabulistan region. Qalat serves as the capital of the province.

Geography

Further information: Geography of Afghanistan

Almond trees in Zabul Province

Zabul borders Oruzgan in the north, Kandahar in the west and in the south, Ghazni and Paktika in the east. It shares a border with Balochistan, Pakistan, in the south.

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.

Politics and governance

Further information: List of governors of Zabul

The current governor of the province is Mohammad Ashraf Naseri. His preceder was Delbar Jan Arman. The city of Qalat is the capital of the province. All law enforcement activities throughout the province are controlled by the Afghan National Police (ANP). Zabul's border with neighboring Balochistan province of Pakistan is monitored the Afghan Border Police (ABP). The border area in this province is used by Taliban insurgents entering from Pakistan. Plans are underway to construct new border stations in the near future. The provincial police chief represents the Ministry of the Interior in Kabul. The ANP is backed by other Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), including the National Directorate of Security (NDS) and NATO-led forces.

The province has especially struggled with retaining NGO's and teachers in the face of Taliban attacks and threats. Until 2006, the only major international presence was an American Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul (PRT) based in Qalat District , when it was joined by a UNAMA & USAID/DAI branch.

Transportation

Further information: Transport in Afghanistan

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. The ANA Chief in Zabul is Major General Jamaluddin Sayed

Zabul Province is bisected by Highway 1 and travelers going between Kandahar and Kabul via road typically pass through the province.

Healthcare

Further information: Health in Afghanistan

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

Further information: Education in Afghanistan

Bibi Khala School in Qalat

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

Demographics

Further information: Demography of Afghanistan

Ethnolinguistic groups of Afghanistan

Districts of Zabul province

The total population of the province is about 289,300, which is mostly a rural tribal society. According to the Naval Postgraduate School, the population is primarily Pashtun, sprinkled throughout around 2,500 remote villages. Major tribal groups include the Tokhi and Hotaki 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.

Districts

Districts of Zabul Province

District	Capital	Population (2013)	Area	Notes
Arghandab		31,700		Sub-divided in 2005
Atghar		8,400
Daychopan		38,300
Kakar		23,400		Created in 2005 within Argahandab District
Mizan		13,400
Naw Bahar		18,300		Created in 2005 from parts of Shamulzayi and Shinkay Districts
Qalat	Qalat	34,300
Shah Joy		56,800
Shamulzayi		25,100
Shinkay		22,900
Tarnak Aw Jaldak		16,700

Sports

Further information: Sport in Afghanistan

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

Gallery

• 

  Afghan National Police 1st Lt. Sardar Hotak, the police chief of Shah Joy district, speaks with guests before a graduation ceremony for Afghan Local Police cadets at the district center

• 

  Afghan police and coalition special operations forces load a police member needing medical care onto an MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during a medical evacuation in the Shah Joy district in (January 2012)

• 

  Afghan children watch U.S. Soldiers and Airmen as they pass through their village near Forward Operating Base Lane (August 2010)

• 

  Sgt. Johnny Hoyos patrolling the area around a bridge on the Kabul–Kandahar Highway during a quality assurance, quality control visit in 2010.

• 

  A U.S. soldier watches the sunrise after a dismounted patrol mission near Forward Operating Base Baylough, Zabul province.

• 

  U.S. Special Forces are extracted from a mountain pinnacle in Zabul province

• 

  An early-morning dismounted patrol mission near Forward Operating Base Baylough, Zabul

• 

  U.S. soldiers drinking tea at an Afghan National Army outpost

See also

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