Jowzjan Province facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jowzjan
ولایت جوزجان
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Map of Afghanistan with Jowzjan highlighted
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| Country |  Afghanistan |
| Capital | Sheberghan |
| Area | |
| • Total | 11,798.3 km2 (4,555.3 sq mi) |
| Population
(2015)
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| • Total | 540,255 |
| • Density | 45.79092/km2 (118.5979/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+4:30 |
| ISO 3166 code | AF-JOW |
| Main languages | Dari Uzbek Turkmen |
Jowzjan, also known as Jawzjan or Jozjan, is a province in the northern part of Afghanistan. It shares a border with Turkmenistan. The province is divided into 11 districts and has many villages.
About 512,100 people live in Jowzjan. They come from different ethnic groups. Most people work in farming. The capital city of Jowzjan province is Sheberghan.
More than a quarter of Jowzjan is covered by mountains or hilly areas. However, over two-thirds of the province is flat land. Jowzjan is known for having petroleum (oil) and natural gas. The main industries here are mining and farming.
History of Jowzjan
This province gets its name from an old region called Juzjan. This area was a principality in the early Middle Ages. From the early 1500s to the mid-1700s, the Khanate of Bukhara ruled this region.
Around 1750, Ahmad Shah Durrani conquered the area. It then became part of the Durrani Empire. This empire later formed the modern country of Afghanistan. The British did not affect this area. This was during the three Anglo-Afghan wars in the 1800s and 1900s.
Recent Developments
In 1997, there were changes in control in the area. Later, in 1998, about 8,000 Taliban troops moved through Faryab. They took control of Abdul Rashid Dostum's main base in Sheberghan.
Jowzjan is generally considered a safer province in Afghanistan. However, there have been more incidents lately. These have mostly happened in Darzab, Qush Tepa, and Fayzabad districts. The main highway from Mazar-e-Sharif to Sheberghan (called Aqyol) has become less safe. This is due to attacks on government forces and civilians.
In April 2012, a large power project began in Jowzjan. It involves building power lines to carry 500 megawatts of electricity. This power will come from neighboring Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan and Turkey support this project. The first steps of this $390 million project were already done. Turkmenistan will set up power poles for 374 kilometers on its side. The project was expected to take one year to finish. This new power network will supply electricity to many areas. These include Jowzjan, Balkh, Sar-e Pol, Faryab, and Kabul provinces.
Government and Leadership
The Governor is the main leader of the province. The current Governor of Jowzjan is Murad Quenili. He took over from Mohammad Aleem Sayee in July 2013. Before becoming Governor, Quenili was a senator. He represented Jowzjan province in the National Assembly of Afghanistan (Afghan Parliament).
The police in Jowzjan are called the Afghan National Police (ANP). They manage all law enforcement activities. The police chief works for the Ministry of the Interior in Kabul. Other Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) help the ANP. Forces led by NATO also support them.
Images for kids
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NATO-trained Afghan Border Police in Sheberghan
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Ethnolinguistic groups in Afghanistan
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Districts of Jozjan.
See also
In Spanish: Provincia de Yauzyán para niños
