Afghanistan Settlement Maps

Following are Afghanistan Settlement Maps as per UNFPA, it may be noted that Dari does not mean Tajik only, as (1) its Language data not ethnic information and (2) many other ethnic groups such as Aimaks, Pashtuns, Hazara, Kazalbash, Arabs, Syeds, etc. speak Dari. 

Badghis Province

Baghlan Province

Balkh Province

Bamyan Province

Daikundy Province 

Faryab Province

Ghor Province

Jawzjan Province

Kunduz Province 

Parwan Province 

Samangan Province

Takhar Province

  

Kapisa Province 

DI KHAN MAP

Kabul Province Ethnic Information

Kabul Province is surrounded by Pashtun areas from South-West, East and South, while North East connects it to Tajik territory. Kabul City and the districts north of it are dominated by farsi speakers, while the rest of the districts are dominated by Pashtuns. Furthermore, Kabul province is congruous with high population density pashtun provinces, wherefrom constant immigration of people from rural areas to metropolis of Kabul takes place. A report dated March 2009 by the Cooperation for Peace and Unity (CPAU), an Afghan not-for profit research think-tank, states that "Kabul city is ethnically varied, with large populations of all major ethnic groups in Afghanistan. The broader province however is dominated by Pashtun and Tajik groups. Kabul province’s population, excluding Kabul city, is around 500,000 people, with the majority (some 70% speaking Pashto has their first language, and 30% speaking Dari). The majority of the Dari speakers live in the Shomali plain". (http://cpau.org.af/manimages/publications/Kabul_Conflict_Analysis_Mar09_Final.pdf)

While according to Mrrd (https://web.archive.org/web/20110727100218/http://www.mrrd-nabdp.org/Provincial%20Profiles/Kabul%20PDP%20Provincial%20profile.pdf), Around 19% of the population of Kabul lives in rural districts while 81% lives in urban areas. Around 51% of the population is male and 49% is female. Pashtu is spoken by around sixty percent of the population and Dari is spoken by around forty percent. A small number of people located in 5 villages speaks Pashaie.

A 2007 provincial overview of Kabul by the US Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), Program for Culture & Conflict Studies states that Kabul province is comprised of various ethnic groups including Tajik, Hazara, Pashtun, Kuchi, Tatar, Hindus, Sikhs and Qizilbash. The report provides the following information on the location of the various ethnic groups within Kabul province:  Tajiks are located throughout most of the province.·  Pashtuns are located throughout the districts of Kabul province.·  Hazara are located in pockets throughout Kabul province.· Kuchi in Kabul are located primarily in the north-west.  The Qizilbash are located in the capital and the surrounding districts.·  Tartar are located in the north-west portion of Kabul province.·  A small number of Hindus are located in the districts surrounding the capital.

Some of the other useful links are reproduced below:

 UNHCR Sub-Office Central Region - District Profile - Char Asiab 

 UNHCR Sub-Office Central Region - District Profile - Deh Sabz 

 UNHCR Sub-Office Central Region - District Profile - Farza 

 UNHCR Sub-Office Central Region - District Profile - Istalif 

UNHCR Sub-Office Central Region - District Profile - Kalakan 

 UNHCR Sub-Office Central Region - District Profile - Khak-e-Jabbar 

 UNHCR Sub-Office Central Region - District Profile - Mir Bacha Kot

UNHCR Sub-Office Central Region - District Profile - Mussahi 

UNHCR Sub-Office Central Region - District Profile - Paghman 

UNHCR Sub-Office Central Region - District Profile - Qarabagh 

UNHCR Sub-Office Central Region - District Profile - Shakardara 

Based on the above, following maps and data is included for visual reference, however, it may be noted that Dari speaking Pashtuns are included with Tajiks, while Kuchi data has not been considered:

Ethnic Map of Afghanistan (Russian 1960)

Here is the ethnic map of Afghanistan created by Russians in 1960.Please compare that with recent maps and see how deviant information is propagated in such maps. 

Ethnic Map of Herat Province

Herat, since its fall to Afghans has been gradually populated by Pashtuns, as it was considered one of the gateways to Iran. The Pashtun migration to Herat province became more pronounced at the time of Amir Abdul Rehman of Afghanistan (1880-1901), which resulted in Pashtunization of Herat Province.

Historically,  Herat city is considered to be Tajik/Farsiwan enclave in a Pashtun province. South, West and North East of the province is dominated by Pashtuns, while East, North East and Herat city is dominated by Farsi speaker of variety of ethnic backgrounds. The Pashtun population that envelops the centers from south, west and north east also spills over into Iranian side of the border, while the Pashtun people from the south of the province reach all the way to Herat city before the population changes its character to Farsiwan/Tajik.

In recent years there has been substantial settlement of Hazaras and Aimaks into Herat City, while East of the province is congruous with central Afghanistan's region dominated by Aimaks therefore East and North east of the province, albeit low in population density, is dominated by Aimaks. Most Tajiks in Herat Province live in and around Herat city and the districts surrounding it.

Below is the DATA from UNHCR Report in 1990:

Adrakshan:         Mainly Nurzai Pashtun, with some Tajik and Aimaqs.

Chisti Sharif:       Mix of Pashtun, Tajik and Others.

Enjil:                    Tajik, Pashtun and Syeds.

Ghorian:              Pashtun (Durrani30%), Tajik (20%), Aimak, Hazara, other pashtuns.

Guzara:                Pashtun and Tajiks.

Herat:                   Mixed.

Karukh:                Tamorai, Jamshidai, Tajik and Zoori. The largest is the Tamorai.

Kushk:             Jamshidi make up 50 percent of the population, Taimuri 20 percent and Zari 15 percent.other groups are Firuz Kohi, Taheri, Mish Nast, Balochi, Turkaman and Pashtuns. The Pashtun tribes include the Kakar, Alizai, Ishaqzai and Nurzai.

Kohsan:               The different ethnic and tribal groups include Pushtuns, Baluch, Jamshidis, Taheris, Taimori (Khamadis) and Mish Mast. The Baluch tribes consisting of the Rakhshani, Barahoi, Gala Bacha (sub-tribe), Rigi and Dahmarde, make up about 25 percent of the population. Within the Pushtuns, the Alizais form about 18 percent and the remainder consists of Baritchs, Achakzais, Populzais, Nurzais, Ghorizais and Madizais (th sub-tribes of the Nurzai).

Obeh:               The kuchis are predominant in the mountainous areas. The majority of the population are Kipchaks (a branch of the Taimori ethnic group), followed by Ghilzais and Sayeds.

Pashtun Zarghun:            The main Pushtun tribes are the Achakzais and the Barakzais with representation of Alkozai, Kharoti, Nurzai, Akhunzada and Eshaqazai. other ethnic groups include: Tajiks, Arab, sayed, Aqa Mir, Mughal, Tamori, Taheri, Balouch, Zoori, Khuja, Tanzai and Taimani.

Zendajan:            The principal ethnic group is Tajik, comprising 40 percent of the population. Pushtuns(49%) are represented by the Alizais (20 percent), Khogianis (10 percent), Achakzai and Barakzai (10 percent), and Popalzai (9 percent). 'Ihe Marvi, Khwaja, Makoo, Baluch and Maleki ethnic groups make up the remaining. 

                   

According to UNHCR Survey conducted in 1990. http://afghandata.org:8080/jspui/bitstream/azu/3327/1/azu_acku_pamphlet_ds374_h47_1990_w.pdf

According to United States Institute of Peace (March 2015)

https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/PW107-Political-and-Economic-Dynamics-of-Herat.pdf

Below is the map showing the largest ethnic group in each district of Herat province.

Below is the district wise break-up:

Ethnic Map of Pakistan

Under-representation of Pashtun population

I have been reading alot about demographics of Afghanistan, and i see a trend:

Pashtun population which before invasion of Russia was considered to be as high as 70%, was manipulated to underscore pashtuns, as they were the primary resistance towards russain invasion.

Then came the likes of Burhanuddine Rabbani and Ahmad Shah Massod, who naturally continued the practice.

After which came the Americans. The credibility of CIA fact book is also questionable as before the invasion they were showing pashtun population above 50% and than during invasion it even went down to 38% before going back to 42% over the years??!!!  Plus whats interesting to note is that even today CIA fact book shows Pashtun as 8% of the population of Pakistan, while Pakistan's own census 1998 (not estimation) shows Pashtuns more than 15.4% and as per Census 2017 they are well exceeding 18%. 18% includes pashtuns that speak pashto, that number can reach 25% if Pashtuns such as Hazarawal Pathans, Punjabi Pathans, Kashmiri Pathans etc etc are included. Something worth mentioning is that during the same time Tajik Population was inflated from 15% to even 37%!! in few cases. 

The Pashtun Areas in the Northern Afghanistan consists of rivers, where they were resettled by King Abdul Rehman and these areas, obviously, have larger population densities.

General practice of counting anyone and everyone who cannot speak pashto, which may even include Pashtuns, as Tajiks has been encouraged.

Historically, Herat has been called a Tajik city surrounded by Pashtuns, with significant Aimak and Farsiwan minority. Similarly, there has been no conclusive evidence of settling of Tajiks in Badghis or north western Afghanistan, but continuously other ethnic groups primarily, Aimaks, Kazalbash, Farsiwans, Arabs etc. have been counted as Tajiks, thereby bundling them all togather as Tajiks and propping up Tajik population. Also remember Iraq was said to be evenly distributed between shia and sunni, than at the time of invasion it was branded as a Shia country. They have successfully turned Sunni City of baghdad into Shia. They will be propping up Shia population in Afghanistan as well, soon.

The population of non-pashtun areas has been exaggerated even if they are in the center of the country or any such areas that cannot support higher population density, which results in under representation of pashtun population in percentages. If we look at the Crop data of Afghanistan we will see that the province on the edges produces more than 2 crops a year while the provinces in the center and towards north east produces just one or a maximum of two, which again points towards low population density in the center and north east i.e. Hazara and Tajik areas. 

Then comes the histroy. Jamaludin Afghani, Ghilzai, Turis, Suri anyone or anything which is Pashtun and present pashtuns/Afghans in better light has been rebranded as someone else or the matter has been confused.

Majority of riverbanks and delta in Afghanistan have been populated by Pashtuns and thats a fact. How can Badakshan and Daikundi etc have same population as Kandahar or Helmand? and how can Takhar or Ghazni have same population as Nangarhar??

Pashtuns in Afghanistan makes around 60-65% of the Population, Tajiks are between 15-18%, Hazara and Uzbeks are between 7-9%. 

 Source: UCDavis

Source: UCDavis

Source: National Geographic 

http://www.said-afghani.org/seite-makalat/dr-rahmat-rabe-zerak-jar/Analysis-27.04.2013.pdf

Ethnic Map of Afghanistan

BADGHIS ETHNIC INFROMATION

A study conducted by US Davis, UNFPA, and Central Statistics office, which has shown that 56% of the population is Farsi speaking, while pashto speaking population is 40%. Now it may be noted that there are numerous pashtuns in the western afghanistan that speak farsi. Moreover, the higher population density districts (with river) are overwhelmingly pashtun. 

https://afghanag.ucdavis.edu/country-info/province/files/All-Badghis.pdf

Ghazni Ethnic Map

The ethnic hazara area in Ghazni province has low population density as it is central Afghanistan, while pashtun area is more fertile, therefore more population density...here is a study of UNHCR which shows the ethnic breakdown of the province.

"Tajiks form a major portion of the population in the northern woleswalis of Khwaja Omari, northern Jaghatu, Deh Yak, Andar and Qarabagh. 'Ihe Maco Khel (Durrani Pushtun) are in Khwaja Omari and the Jalozai in Waghaz. Ghilzai Pushtun are the dominant group in the centre and south. 'Ihe Ghilzai Andar are in Andar, Deh Yak, Qarabagh and Giru, and their sub-tribe, the SUleiman Khel, in Deh Yak, Moqor and Waghaz (Ghazni centre) • 'Ihe Ghilzai Taraki are in Ab Band, Gelan, Moqor, and some in Giru. Other Ghilzai tribes are: Mir Khel and Girdar Khel in Zena Khan; Nasir and Khattack in Nawa; nomads in Andar and Qarabagh (rut also migrating to the Hazarajat); some Kharoti in Giru. Hazaras are the dominant group in the west. Ihe Niazis, once an exceedingly powerful tribe in the Shilgar area of Ghazni, have been scattered due to feuds with the Andars and to their area being too small to support them. Niazi moved eastwards in the direction of the Indus as far as Mianwali where their descendants still live. Niazis remaining in Ghazni are usually nomads and are chiefly camel breeders."

http://afghandata.org:8080/jspui/bitstream/azu/3323/1/azu_acku_pamphlet_ds374_g53_g53_1990_w.pdf

Based on the above and the fact that Hazara dominates; Hazarajat (Obviously) it is concluded that Hazara are majority in the west, while Pashtuns dominate Center, East and South and Tajiks are scattered in the North and the Capital. 

Saraiki in D.I. Khan

According to Census 2017, about 3.72 percent of the population of KP is Saraiki Speaking. Now considering that 30,523,371 the total number of Saraiki speakers in KP is 1,135,469 (3.72 % of 30,523,371). If those are considered to be entirely living in D.I. Khan district than arond 70% of the population of D.I Khan District is Saraiki, while the remaining is Pashto speaking. However, that is not the case as there are few Saraiki speakers in Tank District as well. Furthermore, many pashto speakers moved to Tank and DI Khan districts due to war on terror etc. 

Therefore, the most realistic assumption is around 60% of DI Khan is Saraiki speaking, while only 10% of Tank District is Saraiki. 

IN DI KHAN DISTRICT: THREE TEHSILES OUT OF FIVE I.E. PANIALA, DARBAN, KULACHI, ARE PASHTO SPEAKING WHILE TWO TEHSILS I.E. DI KHAN & PAHARPOUR ARE SARAIKI MAJORITY. 

NEW Dera Ismail Khan Division

BEWARE THREE TEHSILS OF DI KHAN (OUT OF FIVE) ARE PASHTO SPEAKING WHILE TWO ARE SARAIKI SPEAKING.  

DI Khan Division