What is the capital of Afghanistan?

The capital of Afghanistan is Kabul.

What is the population of Afghanistan?

Afghanistan has a population of about 43.84 million, the #36 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.

How big is Afghanistan?

Afghanistan covers 652,230 km², ranking #42 by area, with about 67 people per square kilometre.

Which countries border Afghanistan?

Afghanistan shares a land or maritime border with China, Uzbekistan, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan.

What is the largest city in Afghanistan?

Kabul is the largest city in Afghanistan, with a metropolitan population of about 3.28 million.

What is the highest mountain in Afghanistan?

The highest summit recorded for Afghanistan in YearMaps is Nowshak at 7,492 m (24,580 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.

Country · Asia · AF

Map of Afghanistan

Afghanistan is a country in Asia with its capital at Kabul, home to about 43.84 million people across 652,230 km². The interactive map below plots 33 cities and towns, 5 rivers and 5 mountain summits recorded for Afghanistan in YearMaps.

Population: 43.84 million
Area: 652,230 km²
Capital: Kabul
Continent: Asia

About Afghanistan

Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the east and south, Iran to the west, Turkmenistan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, Tajikistan to the northeast, and China to the northeast and east. Occupying 652,864 square kilometers (252,072 sq mi) of land, the country is predominantly mountainous with plains in the north and the southwest, which are separated by the Hindu Kush mountain range. Kabul is the country's capital and largest city. Afghanistan's population is estimated to be between 35 and 50 million.

Human habitation in Afghanistan dates to the Middle Paleolithic era. The country's land has witnessed numerous military campaigns, including those by the Achaemenids, Alexander the Great, the Maurya Empire, Arab Muslims, the Mongols, the British, the Soviet Union, and a United States-led coalition. Afghanistan also served as the source from which the Greco-Bactrians and the Mughals, among others, rose to form major empires. Because of the various conquests and periods in both the Iranian and Indian cultural spheres, the area was a center for Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and later Islam. The modern state of Afghanistan began with the Durrani Empire in the 18th century under Ahmad Shah Durrani, although Dost Mohammad Khan is sometimes considered to be the founder of the first modern Afghan state. Afghanistan became a buffer state in the Great Game between the British Empire and the Russian Empire. From India, the British attempted to subjugate Afghanistan but were repelled in the First Anglo-Afghan War; the Second Anglo-Afghan War saw a British victory. Following the Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919, Afghanistan became free of foreign political hegemony, and emerged as the independent Kingdom of Afghanistan in 1926; this monarchy lasted almost half a century.

Since the late 1970s, Afghanistan's history has been dominated by extensive warfare, including coups, invasions, insurgencies, and civil wars. This period of instability began in 1973 when King Zahir Shah was overthrown by his cousin Mohammad Daoud Khan, ending the monarchy and resulting in the establishment of the Republic of Afghanistan. Daoud Khan became the President of Afghanistan, ruling as an autocrat. In 1978 the conflict became a violent one when a communist revolution overthrew and assassinated Daoud Khan, establishing the socialist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. Subsequent infighting prompted the Soviet Union to invade Afghanistan in 1979.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Afghanistan (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Geography and Climate of Afghanistan

Ahmad Shah DURRANI unified the Pashtun tribes and founded Afghanistan in 1747. The country served as a buffer between the British and Russian Empires until it won independence from notional British control in 1919. A brief experiment in increased democracy ended in a 1973 coup and a 1978 communist countercoup. The Soviet Union invaded in 1979 to support the tottering Afghan communist regime, touching off a long and destructive war. Internationally supported anti-communist mujahidin rebels forced the USSR to withdraw in 1989. A series of subsequent civil wars saw Kabul finally fall in 1996 to the Taliban, a hardline Pakistani-sponsored movement. Following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, a US and Allied military action toppled the Taliban for sheltering Usama BIN LADIN. A UN-sponsored Bonn Conference in 2001 established a process for political reconstruction that included the adoption of a new constitution, a presidential election in 2004, and National Assembly elections in 2005. In 2004, Hamid KARZAI became the first democratically elected president of Afghanistan, and he was reelected in 2009. Ashraf Ghani AHMADZAI succeeded him as president in 2014 following a disputed election. The Taliban conducted an insurgency for two decades against the Afghan Government and forces from the United States and other countries. In February 2020, the US and the Taliban signed an agreement that led to the withdrawal of international forces in exchange for commitments on counterterrorism and other assurances. The Taliban took over Afghanistan on 15 August 2021. The Taliban established an all-male interim leadership structure dominated by Pashtun clerics under the leadership of Haivatrullah AKHUNDZADA. The Taliban issued numerous edicts that constrained women's mobility, ability to study and work, and access to education beyond primary school. To date, no country has recognized the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan.

Location: Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran.
Climate: Arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers.
Terrain: Mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest.
Highest point: Noshak 7,492 m.
Lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m.
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Land borders: Total: 5,987 km; border countries: China 91 km; Iran 921 km; Pakistan 2,670 km; Tajikistan 1,357 km; Turkmenistan 804 km; Uzbekistan 144 km.
Major rivers: Amu Darya (shared with Tajikistan [s], Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan [m]) - 2,620 km; Helmand river source (shared with Iran) - 1,130 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth.
Major lakes: Salt water lake(s): Ab-e Istadah-ye Muqur (endorheic basin) - 520 sq km.
Natural resources: Natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones, arable land.
Land use: Agricultural land: 58.4% (2023 est.); arable land: 12% (2023 est.); permanent crops: 0.4% (2023 est.); permanent pasture: 46% (2023 est.); forest: 1.9% (2023 est.); other: 39.7% (2023 est.)
Natural hazards: Damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts.
Geographic note: Landlocked; the Hindu Kush mountains that run northeast to southwest divide the northern provinces from the rest of the country; the highest peaks are in the northern Vakhan (Wakhan Corridor)
Languages: Afghan Persian or Dari (official, lingua franca) 77%, Pashto (official) 48%, Uzbeki 11%, English 6%, Turkmani 3%, Urdu 3%, Pashaie 1%, Nuristani 1%, Arabic 1%, Balochi 1%, other <1% (2020 est.)
Religions: Muslim 99.7% (Sunni 84.7 - 89.7%, Shia 10 - 15%), other <0.3% (2009 est.)
Ethnic groups: Current, reliable statistical data on ethnicity in Afghanistan are not available; Afghanistan's 2004 Constitution cited Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Turkman, Baluch, Pashaie, Nuristani, Aymaq, Arab, Qirghiz, Qizilbash, Gujur, and Brahwui ethnicities; Afghanistan has dozens of other small ethnic groups.
Economy: Low-income South Asian economy; economy stable after major contraction due to Taliban takeover, but recovery remains fragile; widespread poverty and obstacles to human development; import-reliant for food, fuel, and machinery; ongoing sanctions, suspended development aid, and frozen reserve assets.

From the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived edition of 2026-01-22. The Factbook is no longer updated, so figures reflect that edition.

Afghanistan in Numbers

Population: 43.84 million
GDP: US$17.8 billion
GDP per person: US$417
Life expectancy: 66.3 years
Population growth: 2.77% a year
Population density: 65 per km²
Urban population: 25.9%
Surface area: 652,870 km²
Forest cover: 1.9%
Arable land: 12.0%
Access to electricity: 87.8%
Internet users: 16.1%

Indicators from World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). The year under each figure is its reference year.

Afghanistan in Depth

History

Excavations of prehistoric sites suggest that humans were living in what is now Afghanistan at least 50,000 years ago, and that farming communities in the area were among the earliest in the world. An important site of early historical activities, many believe that Afghanistan compares to Egypt in the historical value of its archaeological sites. Artifacts typical of the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze, and Iron Ages have been found in Afghanistan. Urban civilization is believed to have begun as early as 3000 BCE, and the early city of Mundigak (near Kandahar in the south of the country) was a center of the Helmand culture. More recent findings established that the Indus Valley Civilization stretched up towards modern-day Afghanistan.

Geography

Asia is a body of water and earth, of which the Afghan nation is the heart. From its discord, the discord of Asia; and from its accord, the accord of Asia.

At over 652,864 km2 (252,072 sq mi), Afghanistan is the world's 41st largest country. It is slightly bigger than France and smaller than Myanmar, and about the size of Texas in the United States. There is no coastline, as Afghanistan is landlocked. Afghanistan shares its longest land border (the Durand Line) with Pakistan to the east and south, followed by borders with Tajikistan to the northeast, Iran to the west, Turkmenistan to the north-west, Uzbekistan to the north, and China to the far northeast; India claims a border with Afghanistan through Pakistani-administered Kashmir.

Economy

Afghanistan's nominal GDP was $20.1 billion in 2020, or $81 billion by purchasing power parity (PPP). Its GDP per capita is $2,459 (PPP) and $611 by nominal. Despite having $1 trillion or more in mineral deposits, it remains one of the world's least developed countries. Its economic output per capita is among the lowest of any country as of 2026. Afghanistan's rough physical geography and its landlocked status has been cited as reasons why the country has always been among the least developed in the modern era – a factor where progress is also slowed by contemporary conflict and political instability. The country imports over $7 billion worth of goods but exports only $784 million, mainly fruits and nuts. It has $2.8 billion in external debt.

Demographics

The population of Afghanistan was estimated at 35.7 million as of 2024 by the Afghanistan National Statistics and Information Authority, whereas the UN estimates over 42.0 million. In 1979 the total population was reported to be about 15.5 million. About 25.3% are urbanite, 70.4% live in rural areas, and the remaining 4.3% are nomadic. An additional 3 million or so Afghans are temporarily housed in neighboring Pakistan and Iran, most of whom were born and raised in those two countries.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Afghanistan (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Afghanistan: Key Facts

Key facts about Afghanistan
Currency	afghani
Official languages	Pashto, Dari, Balochi, Nuristani, Pamir
Head of state	Hibatullah Akhundzada
Head of government	Mohammad Hasan Akhund
Form of government	unitary state, islamic theocracy
Calling code	+93
Internet domain	.af
Highest point	Noshaq
Lowest point	Amu Darya
Established	1709

Facts from Wikidata Q889 (CC0).

History of Afghanistan: Empires and States

The atlas records 53 polities whose mapped territory included part of Afghanistan, from Median Kingdom in 615 BCE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.

Polities that held Afghanistan, in chronological order
Polity	Period here	Extent
Median Kingdom	615–551 BCE	Most
Achaemenid Persian Empire	550–330 BCE	Nearly all
Achaemenid Empire	550–327 BCE	Nearly all
The Macedonian Empire of Alexander	323–302 BCE	Nearly all
Seleucid Empire	307–165 BCE	Most
The Maurya Empire	301–226 BCE	A small part
Greco-Bactrian Kingdom	247–127 BCE	Most
Parthian Empire	164 BCE – 237 CE	A small part
Indo-Greeks	126–111 BCE	A large part
Yuezhi	126 BCE – 42 CE	A large part
Indo-Scythians	126 BCE – 282 CE	A large part
Kushan Empire	43–237 CE	Most
Western Kushans	238–259 CE	Most
The Sasanian Empire	238–643 CE	Most
Indo-Sasanian Empire	260–357 CE	Most
Kidarites	358–450 CE	Most
White Huns	451–560 CE	Nearly all
Göktürk Khaganate	561–586 CE	A large part
Turk Shahis	561–874 CE	Most
Karkota Dynasty	592–655 CE	A large part
Rashidun Caliphate	644–665 CE	A large part
The Umayyad Caliphate	666–749 CE	Most
The Abbasid Caliphate	750–897 CE	A large part
Saffarid Dynasty	866–899 CE	Nearly all
Samanid Empire	900–999 CE	Nearly all
Ghaznavid Empire	962–1176 CE	Nearly all
Great Seljuk Empire	1040–1176 CE	A large part
Khwarezmid Dynasty	1152–1201 CE	A small part
Ghurid Dynasty	1152–1209 CE	Most
Khwarezmid Empire	1202–1226 CE	Nearly all
Hamdanid Emirates	1210–1249 CE	A large part
The Mongol Empire	1227–1351 CE	Nearly all
Ilkhanate	1294–1343 CE	Most
Chagatai Khanate	1294–1351 CE	A large part
Kartids	1344–1384 CE	A large part
Timurid Empire	1375–1528 CE	Nearly all
Vassalage of Kingdom of Georgia to Timurid Empire	1395–1406 CE	Nearly all
Vassalage of Qara Qoyunlu to Timurid Empire	1407–1467 CE	Nearly all
Kapisa	1475–1506 CE	A large part
Safavid Dynasty	1512–1720 CE	A large part
Khanate of Bukhara	1516–1756 CE	A small part
The Mughal Empire	1529–1743 CE	Most
Hotaki Dynasty	1713–1737 CE	A large part
Afsharid Iran	1734–1756 CE	Most
Durrani Empire	1748–1827 CE	Nearly all

Also recorded: Emirate of Afghanistan, Durrani Dynasty, Kingdom of Afghanistan, Republic of Afghanistan, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Afghanistan, Mujahideen, Taliban.

Historical Maps of Afghanistan

Afghanistan on the world map in each year one of these states held it:

Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.

Visiting Afghanistan

Afghanistan is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central and South Asia. The country shares borders with Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Iran, Pakistan, China, and the disputed Kashmir territory.

Once the centre of many powerful empires, the country has been in chaos and turmoil since the 1970s. Political unrest is rampant, and the country suffers from many social problems, such as war, drought, a public health crisis, terrorism, corruption, warlordism, poverty, and low literacy rates.

However, under less extreme circumstances, this vast, mountainous country offers a lot to the adventurous, thrill-seeking traveller. Its landscapes are simply majestic, the history lover can appreciate numerous historical sites from all eras, and the architecture lover can feast their eyes on such wonderful Islamic architecture. There's even a shrine that houses a cloak once worn by Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam.

Afghanistan is a melting pot of cultures, with Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, and Uzbeks constituting the largest ethnic groups.

Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Afghanistan (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Largest Cities in Afghanistan

33 cities recorded. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.

Largest Cities in Afghanistan
#	Name	Population	Region	Role
1	Kabul	3.28 million	Kabul	National capital
2	Kandahar	715,542	Kandahar	Admin-1 capital
3	Jalalabad	597,971	Nangarhar	Admin-1 capital
4	Herat	481,009	Hirat	Admin-1 capital
5	Mazar-e Sharif	458,151	Balkh	Admin-1 capital
6	Kondoz	259,809	Kunduz	Admin-1 capital
7	Baghlan	218,748	Baghlan	Admin-1 capital
8	Lashkar Gah	201,546	Hilmand	Admin-1 capital
9	Meymaneh	199,795	Faryab	Admin-1 capital
10	Balkh	179,969	Balkh	Populated place
11	Ghazni	141,000	Ghazni	Admin-1 capital
12	Gardiz	103,601	Paktya	Admin-1 capital
13	Sheberghan	93,241	Jawzjan	Admin-1 capital
14	Farah	73,647	Farah	Admin-1 capital
15	Andkhvoy	71,730	Faryab	Populated place
16	Feyzabad	64,704	Badakhshan	Admin-1 capital
17	Taloqan	64,256	Takhar	Admin-1 capital
18	Bamian	61,863	Bamyan	Admin-1 capital
19	Pol-e Khomri	56,369	Baghlan	Populated place
20	Charikar	53,676	Parwan	Admin-1 capital
21	Zaranj	49,851	Nimroz	Admin-1 capital
22	Asadabad	48,400	Kunar	Admin-1 capital
23	Mayda Shahr	35,008	Wardak	Admin-1 capital
24	Aybak	24,000	Samangan	Admin-1 capital
25	Baraki Barak	22,305	Logar	Admin-1 capital

The other 8 (population, region, role)

Karokh · 17,484 · Hirat · Populated place
Mehtar Lam · 17,345 · Laghman · Admin-1 capital
Chaghcharan · 15,000 · Ghor · Admin-1 capital
Zareh Sharan · 13,737 · Paktika · Admin-1 capital
Qalat · 12,191 · Zabul · Admin-1 capital
Tarin Kowt · 10,000 · Uruzgan · Admin-1 capital
Mahmud-E Eraqi · 7,407 · Kapisa · Admin-1 capital
Qala i Naw · 2,997 · Badghis · Admin-1 capital

Highest Mountains in Afghanistan

5 mountains recorded. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries.

Highest Mountains in Afghanistan
#	Name	Elevation	Feet	Region
1	Nowshak	7,492 m	24,580 ft	Asia
2	Shah Fuladi	5,048 m	16,562 ft	Asia
3	Sikaram	4,755 m	15,600 ft	Asia
4	Kuh-e Jang Qal'eh	4,171 m	13,684 ft	Asia
5	Khyber Pass	1,070 m	3,510 ft	Asia

Rivers in Afghanistan

5 rivers recorded. Listed alphabetically. A river is listed where its mapped reach lies, so long rivers appear under more than one country.

Rivers in Afghanistan
Name	Type	Also Flows Through
Amu Darya	River	Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan
Harirud	River	Turkmenistan, Iran
Helmand	River	Iran
Pamir	River	Tajikistan
Panj	River	Tajikistan

Mountain Ranges, Deserts and Landforms of Afghanistan

11 mountain ranges, deserts and other landforms recorded. Ranked by mapped area. Covers mountain ranges, deserts, plateaus, named glaciers, plains, basins, peninsulas and capes. One that crosses a border is listed under every country it lies in, with the area of the whole feature.

See all 11 mountain ranges, deserts and other landforms →

Mountain Ranges, Deserts and Landforms of Afghanistan
#	Name	Area	Type	Region
1	Asia	46.28M km²	Continent	Asia
2	Plateau of Tibet	3.05M km²	Plateau	Asia
3	Tarim Basin	423,249 km²	Basin	Asia
4	Baluchistan	394,613 km²	Geoarea	Asia
5	Hindu Kush	180,675 km²	Range/mtn	Asia
6	Pamirs	97,312 km²	Range/mtn	Asia
7	Sulaiman Range	55,127 km²	Range/mtn	Asia
8	Margo Desert	49,125 km²	Desert	Asia
9	Paropamisus Range	34,594 km²	Range/mtn	Asia
10	Rigestan	26,810 km²	Desert	Asia

Countries Bordering Afghanistan

Land and maritime neighbours.

More Maps in Asia

Afghanistan: Quick Answers

What is the capital of Afghanistan?: The capital of Afghanistan is Kabul.
What is the population of Afghanistan?: Afghanistan has a population of about 43.84 million, the #36 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.
How big is Afghanistan?: Afghanistan covers 652,230 km², ranking #42 by area, with about 67 people per square kilometre.
Which continent is Afghanistan in?: Afghanistan is in Asia.
Which countries border Afghanistan?: Afghanistan shares a land or maritime border with China, Uzbekistan, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan.
What is the largest city in Afghanistan?: Kabul is the largest city in Afghanistan, with a metropolitan population of about 3.28 million.
What is the highest mountain in Afghanistan?: The highest summit recorded for Afghanistan in YearMaps is Nowshak at 7,492 m (24,580 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.

Interactive Map of Afghanistan