Balkhab District
Balkhab District is a district in Sar-e Pol Province, Afghanistan. The district seat is the town of Balkhab, also known as Tarkhoj. The area sits at about 2,080 meters above sea level and is located at roughly 36.22139°N, 65.92778°E.
People and language: The district is home to Hazaras, Tajiks, and Uzbeks. The main languages are Dari-Persian and Uzbeki.
Resources: Coal is mined in the area. A large copper deposit was discovered in Balkhab and is considered one of Afghanistan’s biggest untapped copper reserves. The deposit is believed to be a volcanogenic massive sulfide type, which could also include gold, lead, and zinc. In 2018, Afghan officials signed a 30-year mining deal to explore about 500 square kilometers, with a $56 million investment by Centar and Afghan Gold and Minerals Co. Mining was planned to begin afterward.
History: In 2022, the entire Balkhab district was briefly controlled by Mehdi Mujahid before the Taliban retook it.
See also: Balkhab; Balkhab River; Balkhab uprising; Districts of Afghanistan.
This page was last edited on 1 February 2026, at 21:51 (CET).