Badghis Province

Badghis (Dari: ولایت بادغیس, romanized: Wilāyat-e Bādghīs and Pashto: د بادغیس ولایت, romanized: Da Bādghīs Wilāyat) is one of the northwestern provinces of Afghanistan. It borders Turkmenistan to the north, Herat to the west and southwest, Ghor to the south and southeast, and Faryab to the east. The provincial capital is Qala e Naw, serving as the main administrative, economic, and cultural hub of the province.

Covering an area of approximately 20,000 square kilometers and having an estimated population of about 550,000 people (as of 2025), Badghis is characterized by rolling hills, semi-arid plains, and the western extensions of the Hindu Kush mountains. The province is drained primarily by the Murghab River and its tributaries, which provide essential water for agriculture in an otherwise dry landscape. Badghis is sparsely populated compared to more fertile provinces and faces challenges such as soil erosion, desertification, and limited infrastructure.