Sar-e-Pol (Pashto[a],Dari[b]: سر پل;lit. 'bridge head'), also spelledSari Pul, is one of the 34provinces of Afghanistan, located in the north of the country. It bordersGhor andBamyan to the south,Samangan to the east,Balkh andJowzjan to the north, andFaryab to the west. The province is divided into 7districts and contains 896 villages. It has a population of about 632,000,[2] which is multi-ethnic and mostly a tribal society. The province was created in 1988 with the support of northern Afghan politicianSayed Nasim Mihanparast.[3] The city ofSar-e-Pol serves as the provincial capital.
During theAfghan Civil War, the area was controlled by forces loyal toAbdul Rashid Dostum. It was captured by theTaliban in 1998.Aminullah Amin, the first senior member of the Taliban to be captured, was the former governor of the province.[4]
In 2009, the provincial Police Chief stated that weapons had been collected from many people and three districts, namely,Sangcharak,Gosfandi, andSozama Qala areas, termed as the peaceful districts of the province. In operations against militants, the police chief said they had arrested a prominent Taliban commander, Mullah Nader, along with 11 other people during the recent operations. He said scores of kilograms ofhashish andopium had also been seized from people during the operations.[5]
The biggest threat to travelers in Sar-e Pol province remains highway bandits and thieves, corrupt militiamen and police, and road hazards. During theAmerican-Afghan war, small groups of cadres were active throughout the province. These groups often relied on larger support networks in neighboring provinces.
On August 8, 2021, the Taliban regained control of the provincial capital.[6]
The percentage of households with clean drinking water increased from 8% in 2005 to 15% in 2011.[7]The rate of births attended to by a skilled birth attendant increased from 0% in 2005 to 20% in 2011.[7]
The overall literacy rate (6+ years of age) increased from 12% in 2005 to 23% in 2011.[7] The overall net enrolment rate (6–13 years of age) increased from 22% in 2005 to 46% in 2011.[7]
Sar-e Pol is a mountainous province, especially in its southern region. The province covers an area of 16,360 km. Three-quarters (75%) of the province is mountainous or semi-mountainous terrain, while one-seventh (14%) of the area is made up of flat land. The province is divided into 7districts, containing 896 villages.
As of 2021, the total population of the province was approximately 632,000. The major ethnic groups wereUzbeks andHazaras, followed byPashtuns, withTajiks andArabs.[8]
^Note: "Predominantely" or "dominated" is interpreted as 99%, "majority" as 70%, "mixed" as 1/(number of ethnicities), "minority" as 30% and "few" or "some" as 1%.
Mining andagriculture are the province's main industries. The Government of Afghanistan signed a deal withChina National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) for the development of oil blocks in theAmu Darya basin, a project expected to earn billions of dollars over two decades; the deal covers drilling and a refinery in the northern provinces of Sar-e Pol andFaryab and is the first international oil production agreement entered into by the Afghan government for several decades.[9] Production of Afghan oil began in October 2012, and it was expected to increase to 1 million barrels per year in 2013.[10]
On October 5, 2018, inWashington, D.C., Afghan officials signed a 30-year contract involving a $56 million investment by investment group Centar and its operating company Afghan Gold and Minerals Co. for exploration of an area covering 500 square km for copper, with development of mining due to begin thereafter.[11]
