Balkhab (Persian: بلخاب) is a district of Sar-e Pol Province, Afghanistan. The district seat lies at Balkhab, also known as Tarkhoj.[1]
Balkhab
بلخاب | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Balkhab Location in Afghanistan | |
| Coordinates: 36°13′17″N 65°55′40″E / 36.22139°N 65.92778°E | |
| Country |  Afghanistan |
| Province | Sar-e Pol |
| Capital | Balkhab |
| Elevation | 2,080 m (6,820 ft) |
| Population | |
| • Ethnicities | Hazaras Tajiks and Uzbeks |
| Time zone | UTC+4:30 |
| Main languages | Dari-Persian and Uzbeki |
Coal is mined in the area.[2] A massive copper deposit is also located in Balkhab district of Sar-e pol province, the new copper discovery is bigger than the current Aynak copper deposit in Logar province, southeast of Kabul, according to a GSA report. It is valued at billions of U.S. dollars and one of the biggest untapped copper mines in Afghanistan. The discovery appears to be a volcano genetic massive sulfide deposit—a deposit type which could supply much of the world's gold, copper, lead and zinc. On October 5, 2018, in Washington, D.C., Afghan officials signed a 30-year contract for a copper mining project involving a $56 million investment by investment group Centar and its operating company, Afghan Gold and Minerals Co., for exploration of an area covering 500 square km, with development of mining due to begin thereafter.[3]
The entire Balkhab district was briefly controlled by Mehdi Mujahid during 2022, before the Taliban retook it.[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Afghanistan Settlements Index" (accessed externally by google in PDF/Adobe Acrobat). United Nations Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs. Archived from the original on March 22, 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
- ^ "Afghanistan: Risking one's health for a pittance". UNHCRA. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
- ^ Mackenzie, James; Qadir Sediqi, Abdul (2018-10-07). "Afghanistan signs major mining deals in development push". reuters.com. Reuters. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
- ^ "تنش در سرپل؛ طالبان به ولسوالی بلخاب «نیروی نظامی» اعزام میکند". BBC News فارسی (in Persian). 13 June 2022. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
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