The nameNimruz means "mid-day" or "half-day" inPersian Language andBalochi. The name is believed to indicate that the meridian cutting the old world in half passes through this region. Nimruz covers 43,000 km2.[4] It is the most sparsely populated province in the country,[6] located in theSistan Basin. A substantial part of the province is the barren desert area ofDasht-e Margo.
The name Zaranj was derived from Persian word "Zranka" and is considered to be one of the oldest cities in Nimruz Province. The area now composing Nimruz province of Afghanistan was once part of the historical region ofSistan, which over the many centuries was held by theAchaemenid Empire,Alexander the Great and others before being conquered and converted toIslam by the Muslim Arabs in the seventh century. The region became part of theSaffarid dynasty in 860 CE with its capital at Zaranj, which was one of the first local dynasties of the Islamic era. Its founderYaqub Saffari was born and raised in this region. The territory became part of theGhaznavids followed by theGhurids,Timurids, andSafavids.
In the early 18th century, the region fell to theAfghanHotaki dynasty until they were removed from power in 1738 byNader Shah. By 1747,Ahmad Shah Durrani made it part of Afghanistan after he conquered the territory from northeastern Iran toDelhi in India. Under the modern Afghan government, the province was known asChakhansur Province until 1968, when it was separated to form the provinces of Nimruz andFarah.[7] The city of Zaranj became the capital of Nimroz province at that time. During theSoviet–Afghan War, Nimruz province was used bymujahideen crossing back and forth between Afghanistan and neighboring countries. It was also used byAfghan refugees escaping the war as well as by smugglers.
As theTaliban came to power in 1995, they seized the road-controlling town ofDelaram (now withinFarah Province), and came to an agreement with local mujahideen commanders that the fate of the province would not be decided until a clear victor emerged in the capture ofKabul. However, the Taliban advanced on Nimruz only days later, and the mujahideen under command ofAbdul Karim Brahui fled to Iran.[citation needed]
Following the US-led invasion in October 2001, the Taliban began losing control of the province to the new Afghan government underPresidentHamid Karzai.[8] The area is historically known for drugs and weapons smuggling between Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan. Many foreign militants also use the province to go back and forth between the 3 nations. TheDelaram–Zaranj Highway was built by the Indian government in 2009, which is one of the main trade routes in the country and is expected to boost the socio-economic development in the province.
In 2021, American forces withdrew from Afghanistan. On August 6, 2021, the Taliban overran Nimruz, when the Afghan government forces in the city of Zaranj, the215th Corps, fled.[9] There had been a lack of reinforcements from the government.[10] The fleeing allowed the Taliban to take the city, including the government forces' "military bases and intelligence offices". The government forces then crossed over into Iran.[9] The Taliban let the city's prisoners go free, but the most "notorious inmates" were already transferred to Kabul.[9][10] The Taliban had been using prison breaks to degrade the security forces' morale and grow their own ranks. The takeover meant thatAshraf Ghani's government could no longer get revenue from the region's border crossings with Iran.[9]
The percentage of households with clean drinking water fell from 38% in 2005 to 24% in 2011.[11]The percentage of births attended to by a skilled birth attendant increased from 7% in 2005 to 28% in 2011.[11]
The overall literacy rate (6+ years of age) increased from 22% in 2005 to 23% in 2011.[11] The overall net enrolment rate (6–13 years of age) increased from 33% in 2005 to 49% in 2011.[11]
As of June 2014Zaranj Airport which is located near the city of Zaranj had regularly scheduled flights toHerat.
TheDelaram–Zaranj Highway has been constructed by India via Chaknasur, which is expected to boost the socio economic development in the region.[citation needed]
Trade, farming, and herding is the main source of income for the majority. This includes agriculture and animal husbandry. Animals include sheep, goat, cattle, and poultry. The province produces the following: Wheat, corn, melons, poppies; almost all irrigated.[12]
Nimruz has always been isolated the past. This led to one author in 2010 calling it Afghanistan's "forgotten province." Historically, the territory served as a majorsmuggling hub due to its border with Iran and Pakistan. The province became popular after the trade route between Iran and Afghanistan became operational, which provides another large income to the Afghan government.[13]
The NSIA puts the population of Nimruz Province at approximately 186,963 people. This estimate includes the manyKuchi nomads who inhabit the province seasonally and the native settled people.[15] It is the only province of Afghanistan where theBaloch ethnic group forms a majority.[13] The Balochs are followed byPashtun,Brahui,Tajik,Uzbek, andHazara.[4] The Pashtun tribes are mostlyBarakzai andNurzai. Almost all inhabitants except theShiaHazaras followSunni Islam.[12] Languages spoken in the province areBalochi,Pashto andDari.[4]
^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%.
