Political
Current Governor: Musa Khan Ahmadzai
Presidential Candidate(s): None
Provincial Council Candidates: Information not yet available
Registered Voters: Information not yet available
Geography
Location: In central Afghanistan at 33.5°N 68°E and borders Daykundi, Bamyan, Wardak, Logar, Paktia, Paktika, Zabul, Urozgan
Size: 22,915 sq kilometers (8,848 sq miles)
Districts: 19 districts – Ab Band, Ajristan, Andar, Dih Yak, Gelan, Ghazni, Giro, Jaghatu, Jaghori, Khogyani, Khwaja Umari, Malistan, Muqur, Nawa, Nawur, Qarabagh, Rashidan, Waghaz, Zana Khan
Capital: Ghazni city
Topography: Mountainous in the northwest and southeast. Much of the province is flat grasslands and shrub fields.
Climate: Highland, Semi-arid
Demographics
Population Size: 1.1 million
Ethnicities: Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara
Miscellaneous
Ghazni is steeped in history, having been a trade post in the Persian Empire and then under Alexander the Great. It served as the capital for the Muslim Ghaznavid Empire. It is well-known for its minarets, and was written about by famous Moroccan Islamic traveler/scholar Ibn Battuta. A giant reclining Buddha statue was discovered at a Buddhist site called Tapar Sardar and excavated during the mid 20th century, but it was then destroyed by the Taliban in 2001 for being "idolatrous." The U.S. built a Lincoln Learning Center in Ghazni that is popular for free public access to books, Internet service and educational programming. The province is located in an area prone to severe drought.