Maidan Wardak Province, also called simply Maidan Wardag or Maidan Wardak, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the central region of Afghanistan. It is divided into eight districts and has a population of approximately 567,600. The capital of the province is Maidan Shar, while the most populous district in the province is Saydabad District. The name of the province is called "Wardak" as stated by the Afghan constitution and IDLG approved documents.
History
During the communist times, the people of Wardak never gave significant support to the communist government. Wardak Province was significant during the Civil War in Afghanistan, due to its proximity with Kabul and its agricultural lands. Hezb-e Wahdat had a significant presence in the area. Most of the area was captured by the Taliban around winter 1995. It remains a major Taliban travel route to Kabul with Maidan Shahr a target for terror. The security situation rapidly deteriorated in Wardak in 2008 and 2009. According to a report by Mohammad Osman Tariq Elias, both Logar and Wardak, by the end of 2008, were under de facto Taliban control. As of April 2009, the Ministry of the Interior had listed the entire province as "High Risk." In October 2017US Forces from elements of the 1st Battalion 87 Infantry Regiment and 10th Special Operation Group made the First solid push of US forces to break the Taliban hold of the Province in 5 years. On January 21, 2019 a Taliban attack on a military base and police training center in the province resulted in 12 deaths. At least 30 people were reported to be injured. The attack came during a time of intense daily violence throughout the country.
Geography
Wardak province is located in the central and eastern region of Afghanistan; bordering Parwan to the northeast, Kabul and Logar to the east, Ghazni to the south and Bamyan to the west. The capital of Wardak province is Maidan Shar, which is located about 35 km from Kabul. Wardak province covers an area of 9,934 km2. It is mountainous like the rest of the country with plains and many valleys. The majority of its residents live in rural areas. The most heavily populated areas are along the Kabul–Kandahar Highway. The rest of the province is thinly populated, with villages concentrated in areas with available irrigation and water sources. Famous passes include the Unai Pass and the Hajigak Pass.
In terms of industry, one marble factory is working in the province, and there are marble mines in the provincial center and Sayed Abad District although no mining is currently undertaken there due to the government ban. The majority of commercial activity in Maidan Shahr. Wardak is related to trade in agricultural and livestock products, although stone quarrying is also a growing business in the area. The people from Maidan Shahr are also experts in karez cleaning and repair and go to other parts of the country for this purpose. In Wardak, there are many natural resources like petroleum, iron, rubies, and emeralds. Agriculture is a major source of revenue for 43% of households in Maidan Wardak province. Four-fifths of rural households own or manage agricultural land or garden plots in the province. However, nearly a quarter of households in the province derive income from trade and services, and around half of households earn some income through non-farm related labor.
Education
The overall literacy rate in Wardak province is 25%. There are around 251 primary and secondary schools in the province catering for 105,358 students. There are 2909 teachers teaching in these schools.
Demographics
As of 2013, the total population of Wardak province is about 567,600, which is multi-ethnic and mostly a tribal society. The ethnic groups in this province include Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras and a small population of Qizilbashs.
