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Facts about Afghanistan

by Vishal Kumar

Find here all unearthed facts about Afghanistan, including the capital city, currency, flag, language, and more.


Facts about Afghanistan

Continent Asia
Lat Long of Afghanistan 33 00 N, 65 00 E
Area 652,864 km2 (251,827 sq mi)
Population 40.7 million estimated
Capital of Afghanistan Kabul
Largest City Kabul
Official Languages Dari and Pashto
Major Religion Sunni Muslim 80%, Shia Muslim 19%, other 1%
National Day August 19, 1919
Form of Government Unitary presidential republic
President
Vice President
Prime Minister Hasan Akhund
Currency Afghani (AFN)
GDP $21.4 billion (2022 est.)
Calling Code 93
Time Zone D (UTC+4:30)
Internet TLD .af

Where is Afghanistan?

Afghanistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia. It shares its borders with Pakistan to the southeast, Iran to the west, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan to the north, and China to the northeast.

What is the capital of Afghanistan?

Kabul is the capital of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province. It is located in Eastern Afghanistan. Situated at 5,900 feet, it is an important economic and cultural center. Its geographic coordinates are 34 31N, and 69 09E. Timur Shah Durrani made it the capital in 1776.

How big is Afghanistan?

The geographic coordinates of Afghanistan are 29 39N, 60 75E. It is the 41st largest country in the world and the 42nd most populous country in the world. It covers an area of 251,772 square miles and has an estimated population of 29,835,392.

What is the currency of Afghanistan?

The official currency of Afghanistan is Afghani. Its ISO 4217 code is AFN. It is subdivided into 100 pul. It is issued by Da Afghanistan Bank.

Which is the largest city in Afghanistan?

The capital of Afghanistan, Kabul, is the largest city of Afghanistan. It covers an area of 106.2 square miles and has an estimated population of 3,895,000.

What is the official language of Afghanistan?

Persian or Dari and Pashto are the official languages of Afghanistan. Other languages also spoken in the country are Uzbek, Turkmen, Balochi, Pashayi, and Nuristani.

What is the religion of Afghanistan?

Afghanistan is a Muslim state; almost 99% of the population is Muslim. The remaining 1% of the population comprises Sikhs, Hindus, and Jews.
What is the literacy rate of Afghanistan?
The literacy rate of Afghanistan is very low, with the female literacy rate as low as 10%. The total literacy rate of the country is approximately 34%.

When is the National Day of Afghanistan celebrated?

August 19 is celebrated as the National Day of Afghanistan. The Third Afghan War led to the sovereignty of Afghanistan. It began on May 6, 1919. It ended with the Treaty of Rawalpindi which was signed between Afghanistan and the United Kingdom. On this day in 1919, King Amanullah Khan declared the nation a sovereign and fully independent state.

What is the economy of Afghanistan like?

In 2010, the GDP of Afghanistan was $27.36 billion, while its GDP per capita was $900. Agriculture accounts for 78.6% of the GDP, followed by services: 15.7%, and industry: 5.7%. The unemployment rate stands at 35%, and 36% of the population lives below the poverty line. Major industries in the country are soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizers, apparel, food products, natural gas, coal, and copper. Major trade flows are with Pakistan, India, Russia, Germany, Tajikistan, and United States. It exports opium, fruits, nuts, wool, cotton, hides, and precious and semi-precious stones, while it imports capital goods, food, textiles, and most consumer goods.

Interesting facts about Afghanistan

Fact 1 The New Year in Afghanistan, called Nawroz, is celebrated on 21 March which is the first day of spring.
Fact 2 The largest city in Afghanistan is Kabul, the capital.
Fact 3 Afghanistan is a landlocked country sharing borders with Iran, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and China.
Fact 4 Poetry is a big part of Afghans’ culture and it has been for centuries. In the city of Herat, women, men and children gather on Thursday night to share verses from old and new poetry.
Fact 5 The people of Afghanistan are called Afghans and not Afghanis which is the currency. A common mistake that happens among people.
Fact 6 The official language of Afghanistan is Dari and Pashto. They speak several other languages as well such as Persian, Uzbek, and Turkmen to name a few.
Fact 7 Afghanistan’s main source of income comes from agriculture. They produce large amounts of crops that are enough to provide for the people and export as well. They plant vegetables, fruits, rice, and nuts.
Fact 8 Afghanistan is also rich in natural resources with the main ones being natural gas and oil.
Fact 9 Afghanistan’s national game is called Buzkashi, or in other words, goat-grabbing. It’s a sport where the players in two teams try to catch a goat while riding on a horse. It has been played for centuries and it even got sponsors for it nowadays.
Fact 10 Afghanistan celebrates its independence on August 19th from Britain. Afghanistan wasn’t actually part of the British Colony. However, they went into war three times until Afghanistan declared its independence in 1919.
Fact 11 Kandahar airfield in southern Afghanistan is said to be the busiest single-runway airstrip in the world.
Fact 12 The country has been divided into 34 administrative provinces (wilayat), each of them having a capital of its own. Each province is sub-divided into many provincial districts, with each covering a city or several townships.
Fact 13 What do you call the people in Afghanistan? Don’t call them Afghanis because it is the currency in the country. You can call the local people Afghans. Many people make the mistake to differentiate the currency and people living in the country.
Fact 14 Did you know that the world’s two largest standing Buddhas once stood in Bamiyan, Afghanistan until the Taliban destroyed them in 2001?
Fact 15 Arnold Schwarzenegger is the poster boy for legions of young Afghan men. Photographs of a muscled Arnold in his prime hang from the walls of hundreds of body-building centers across the country. Some Afghans say the action-star-turned US governor looks like an Afghan.
Interesting Facts for kids love to fly kites. Sometimes they have kite competitions. The kite flyers attach metal or glass to their kites to cut the strings of their competitors.

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