Herat (Pashto,[a]Dari:[b]هرات), or Harat, is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, located in the western part of the country. Together with Badghis, Farah, and Ghor provinces, it makes up the north-western region of Afghanistan. Its primary city and administrative capital is Herat city. The province of Herat is divided into about 17 districts and contains over 2,000 villages. It has a population of about 3,780,000, making it the second–most populated province in Afghanistan behind Kabul Province.[2] The population is multi-ethnic but largely Persian-speaking. Herat dates back to Avestan times and was traditionally known for its wine. The city has a number of historic sites, including the Herat Citadel and the Musalla Complex. During the Middle Ages, Herat became one of the important cities of Khorasan and was known as the Pearl of Khorasan.[3]
The province of Herat shares a border with Iran in the west and Turkmenistan in the north, making it an important trading region. The Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline (TAPI) is expected to pass through Herat from Turkmenistan to Pakistan and India in the south. The province has two airports; one is Herat International Airport, in the capital Herat, and the other is at the Shindand Air Base, which is one of the largest military bases in Afghanistan. The Salma Dam, which is fed by the Hari River, is also located in this province.
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, to protect Britain's colony in India as part of the Great Game. The situation in the province then remained quiet and uneventful until the 1979 Sovietinvasion 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, 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 in late 2001, led by Hamid Karzai, Khan once again became governor of Herat.
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 (ANSF). Khan was ordered to leave his post to become a minister and live in Kabul.
After 2005, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) established a presence in the area to help assist the Afghan government. It was 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, and 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."
In December 2012, Afghanistan and Italy signed a "long term agreement" including a €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 155km 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.
In 2023, Herat was heavily impacted by two major earthquakes, one of which was 6.3-magnitude earthquake, and the other an aftershock. Combined, the earthquakes killed over 2,800 and injured thousands more in the province. It has been called Afghanistan's worst earthquake since 1998. Herat was hit by a third earthquake of 6.3 magnitude in just over a week. It killed 2 people and injured almost 150.[4]
City of Herat, which is the capital of the province.
The province is home to 90% of Afghanistan's Saffron production (a $12 million industry in 2014).[10] 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.[10]
With international borders to Iran and Turkmenistan and an international airport, trade could potentially play an important part in the economy of Herat Province.[11] 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[11]) with around 82% of economic activity coming from these fields in 2011.[12] Marble manufacturing and light industry comprised the remaining areas of economic activity.[12]
In Herat, a distinct Herati identity plays a central role in shaping social life, reflecting centuries of urban development, trade, Persianate cultural influence, and sustained cross-border interaction.[13][14] This identity is rooted primarily in the local Herati Persian dialect, but also in a shared urban culture, collective historical experience, and commonly accepted social norms. It is reinforced through customs, cuisine, music, and communal participation, and frequently transcends rigid ethnic, linguistic, or religious boundaries. As a result, many residents primarily identify as "Herati", fostering a strong sense of regional belonging even within ethnically diverse communities.[15]
Within this broader framework, a substantial portion of the population belongs to Tajiks 80%. Historically, the city of Herat has often been a Tajik-dominated urban enclave within a minority Pashtun , alongside Hazara . Since 2001, large-scale migration—particularly of Hazaras—has further diversified the urban population, at times giving rise to social tensions between long-established residents and newer arrivals.[16][17]
Persian-speaking communities in Herat include both Sunni and Shia Muslims. Sunni Tajik are prominent in both urban and rural settings, while Shia Tajik communities—distinct from Hazara groups—have long been concentrated in the provincial capital.[17] The term Farsiwan functions as a flexible social label applied to settled urban Native iranic Tajiks of diverse origins and both sects, In recent usage, the term has increasingly become interchangeable with Tajik.[18]
Smaller communities include Uzbeks and Turkmen, who are predominantly Sunni Muslim and speak Turkic languages, mainly residing in the northern districts of the province, alongside other minor groups. Historically, Herat was also home to Hindu, Armenian, and Jewish communities, particularly during the 19th century.[19]
Estimated ethnolinguistic and -religious composition
The overall literacy rate (6+ years of age) fell from 36% in 2005 to 25% in 2011.[21] The overall net enrolment rate (6–13 years of age) fell from 55% in 2005 to 52% in 2011.[21]Herat University is Afghanistan's second largest university with over 10,000 students, 14 faculties and 45 departments in 2014.
The percentage of households with clean drinking water fell from 31% in 2005 to 28% in 2011.[21] The percentage of births attended to by a skilled birth attendant increased from 24% in 2005 to 25% in 2011.[21]
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.
↑Dossier der Staatendokumentation: AfPak. Grundlagen der Stammes- & Clanstruktur. Bundesamt für Fremdenwesen und Asyl. (translated into English): "[...] The Dari-speaking inhabitants of Herat still seem to have some difficulty seeing themselves as Tajiks; but when it comes to stating their ethnic affiliation in official documents, such as when applying for an ID card, they agree to be classified as Tajiks. After all, the constitutionally recognized list of ethnic groups does not include an entry for herāti. [...]")
↑Dorronsoro, Gilles (2007). "Kabul at War (1992-1996): State, Ethnicity and Social Classes". South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal. doi:10.4000/samaj.212. In urban areas, the term 'Tajik' refers to Persian language (Farsi) speakers, although they do not form a coherent social group, nor can they easily be collectively mobilized. The city of Herat has, equally, a very strong identity, which partially transcends ethnic identities.
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