Welcome to Afghanistan ๐ฆ๐ซ โ a remarkable landlocked destination in Southern Asia. Its official name is Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and today around 42.6 million people call this Asia nation home, spread across roughly 652,230 kmยฒ of territory.
Below is your complete country profile for Afghanistan: key statistics, an introduction to Kabul, an interactive map, cultural notes and answers to the questions people most often ask about this corner of Asia.
Geography of Afghanistan
Afghanistan lies in Southern Asia, in the Asia region of the world. Measuring roughly 652,230 square kilometres, it ranks 42nd in the world by total area.
As a landlocked country, Afghanistan has no direct access to the open ocean, which has shaped its trade routes, cuisine and history in distinctive ways. It shares land borders with Iran, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and China.
Kabul serves as the capital โ the centre of government and, for most travellers, the gateway to everything else Afghanistan has to offer.
Map data ยฉ OpenStreetMap contributors
People, language and culture
Afghanistan is home to approximately 42.6 million residents โ the 36th largest population on the planet. Its people are known as Afghans.
Afghanistan is multilingual: the languages spoken include Dari, Pashto and Turkmen. This linguistic variety reflects the country's layered history and the many communities that shaped it.
Like every country featured on Spin a Country, Afghanistan rewards curiosity โ its festivals, food and everyday customs tell a story that statistics alone never can.
Currency, travel and practical facts
The official currency is the Afghan afghani (AFN, symbol ุ). Exchange rates fluctuate, so check current rates before travelling.
The international dialling code for Afghanistan is +93. Websites from the country typically use the .af internet domain.
If Afghanistan came up on your random spin, take five minutes to memorise its flag, capital (Kabul) and population โ these are the three facts most often asked in geography quizzes.
Neighbouring countries
Afghanistan shares borders with 6 countries:
Fun facts about Afghanistan
- Afghanistan's flag emoji is ๐ฆ๐ซ โ its two-letter country code is AF and its three-letter code is AFG.
- Afghanistan covers 652,230 kmยฒ, ranking 42nd in the world by area.
- With about 42.6 million people, Afghanistan holds the 36th spot in the world population ranking.
- Afghanistan is a member state of the United Nations.
- Afghanistan is one of the world's landlocked countries โ it has no sea coastline.
Afghanistan โ frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of Afghanistan?
- The capital of Afghanistan is Kabul.
- What is the population of Afghanistan?
- Afghanistan has a population of approximately 42,647,492 people, ranking 36th in the world.
- Where is Afghanistan located?
- Afghanistan is located in Southern Asia, part of the Asia region. It is a landlocked country.
- What language is spoken in Afghanistan?
- The languages spoken in Afghanistan include Dari, Pashto and Turkmen.
- What currency is used in Afghanistan?
- Afghanistan uses the Afghan afghani (AFN).
