Political
Current Governor: Fazlullah Wahidi
Presidential Candidate(s): None
Provincial Council Candidates: Information not yet available
Registered Voters: Information not yet available
Geography
Location: In western Afghanistan at 34.0°N 62.0°E and borders Badghis, Ghor and Farah provinces as well as the states of Iran and Turkmenistan.
Size: 54,778 sq kilometers (21,150 sq miles)
Districts: 17 districts – Adraskan, Chishti Sharif, Farsi, Ghoryan, Gulran, Guzara, Herat, Injil, Karukh, Kohsan, Kushk, Kushki Kuhna, Obe, Pashtun Zarghun, Shindand, Zinda Jan
Capital: Herat
Topography: Only about a third of the province is mountainous or semi-mountainous, while more than half of it is flatland. Harirud and Kabgan Rivers run through the province providing irrigation year-round.
Climate: Highland, Semi-arid
Demographics
Population Size: 1.7 million
Ethnicities: Tajik, Pashtun, Hazara and Aimak
Miscellaneous
Herat is economically influential province, home to one of the most prosperous cities in the country, Herat, and expected to be the juncture through which the Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline passes from Turkmenistan into Pakistan and India. It was a part of the Persian Empire and then transfered into the hands of successive conqueres until finally coming under the rule of mujahedeen leader Ismail Khan following the retreat of the Soviet Union. He was briefly diposed by the Taliban but then became Governor again under the Karzai government. It was one of the first provinces in Afghanistan to begin transitioning security responsibilities from NATO coalition forces to Afghan forces in 2011. The Herat International Airport is undergoing renovations and is expected to become the second major international hub in Afghanistan after the Kabul airport.