Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Southern Asia
Ancient · Rugged · Proud
Afghanistan (officially Islamic Republic of Afghanistan) is a country located in Southern Asia. Its capital city is Kabul, with other major cities including Kandahar and Herat. With a population of approximately 40.1M, the main languages spoken are Dari, Pashto. The country covers an area of 652,230 km². The official currency is the Afghan afghani (؋). Traffic drives on the right side.
Buzkashi matches involve horse-mounted players competing to drag a goat carcass to a goal — games can last for days.
Kabul serves as the political, cultural and economic heart of Afghanistan, positioned in Southern Asia. As the seat of government and often the most populous city, it concentrates the country's main institutions, universities and cultural landmarks. Beyond the capital, major cities include Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif — each a hub of regional culture, economy and history. Kabul sits in a mountain-ringed bowl at 1,800 metres, its bazaars stretching along the Kabul River where centuries of Silk Road trade left layers of Persian, Mongol, and Pashtun influence visible in its architecture and street life.
With a population of approximately 40.1M, Afghanistan is a vibrant society with a rich mix of traditions and communities. The principal languages spoken are Dari, Pashto, which reflect the country's cultural heritage and open doors to a wide international community. Internationally, Afghanistan is reached via the dialling code +93. Afghans navigate identity through a complex web of tribe, language, and region — Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, and Uzbeks each maintaining distinct customs while sharing the deep tradition of hospitality encoded in Pashtunwali's code of nanawatai.
Afghanistan spans 652,230 km², in the Southern Asia subregion of Asia. Geographically centred around 33.0°N, 65.0°E, the country offers a diverse range of landscapes shaped by its location, climate and geology. Road traffic follows the right-hand rule, in line with surrounding Asia convention.
The official currency is the Afghan afghani (؋), used for everyday transactions and commerce throughout the country. Afghanistan's economy is shaped by its geography, natural resources and trade relationships. Business and daily life operate under UTC+04:30, aligning the country with its regional neighbours.
The emblematic dish of Afghanistan is Kabuli Pulao. Afghan cuisine is built around fragrant rice dishes like kabuli pulao, slow-cooked meats, and flatbreads baked on clay oven walls — a table where dried fruits, cardamom, and saffron signal feast-day abundance even in modest homes.
Buzkashi holds a special place in the heart of Afghanistan's national identity. Buzkashi, where horsemen compete to carry a goat carcass across a goal line, is not merely a sport but a living expression of the nomadic horsemanship traditions that shaped Central Asian empires — played with an intensity that rivals any stadium contest.
The highest point in Afghanistan is Noshaq, rising to 7,492 metres above sea level. The Hindu Kush ranges across northeastern Afghanistan with summits above 7,000 metres, glacial valleys carpeted in wildflowers in summer, and the turquoise lakes of Band-e Amir carved from travertine rock — a landscape of savage beauty largely unknown to outside visitors.