Afghanistan is a landlocked country located in South Asia and Central Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the east and south, Iran to the west, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan to the north, and China to the northeast. Kabul is the capital city of Afghanistan, and Pashto and Dari are the official languages.

Afghanistan has a long history of conflict and instability, including foreign invasions, civil wars, and insurgent attacks. The country has been the site of multiple wars, including the Soviet-Afghan War in the 1980s, the Taliban insurgency in the 1990s and 2000s, and the ongoing War in Afghanistan since 2001, which was launched by the United States and its allies in response to the September 11 attacks.

Afghanistan has a population of over 38 million people, and the majority of the population is Muslim. The country is ethnically diverse, with Pashtuns and Tajiks being the two largest ethnic groups. Agriculture is the main source of income for most Afghans, and the country is known for producing a variety of crops, including opium, which is a major export.

Afghanistan has a rich cultural heritage, with influences from Persian, Indian, and Central Asian cultures. The country is home to a number of historic sites, including the ancient city of Herat, the Buddhas of Bamiyan, and the Minaret of Jam. Traditional Afghan music and dance are also an important part of the country's culture.

Despite significant progress in areas such as education, healthcare, and women's rights since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001, Afghanistan still faces many challenges, including ongoing violence and insecurity, poverty, corruption, and political instability.

National holiday
Independence Day, 19 August (1919); under the Taliban Government, 15 August (2022) is declared a national holiday, marking the anniversary of the victory of the Afghan jihad

Telephone Code
93

Local Emergency Phone
Local numbers only

Vaccinations
An International Certificate of Vaccination for yellow fever is required for travelers arriving from countries with a risk of yellow fever transmission and for travelers having transited through the airport of a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. Polio vaccination up to 1 year before travel. See WHO recommendations. Note: Afghanistan is one of two countries with endemic wild polio virus and considered high risk for international spread of the disease. Before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; in addition, before travel to any high-risk destination, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine.

Climate
Arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers

Currency (Code)
Afghanis (AFN)

Electricity/Voltage/Plug Type(s)
220 V / 50 Hz / plug types(s): G

Major Languages
Afghan Persian or Dari (official, lingua franca) 77%, Pashto (official) 48%, Uzbeki 11%, English 6%, Turkmani 3%, Urdu 3%, other minority languages

Major Religions
Muslim 99.7% (Sunni 84.7 - 89.7%, Shia 10 - 15%)

Potable Water
Opt for bottled water

International Driving Permit
Suggested

Road Driving Side
Right

Tourist Destinations
Blue Mosque of Mazar-e Sharif; mausoleum of King Amanullah Khan in Jalalabad; Green Mosque of Balkh; Friday Mosque of Herat; Band-e-Amir National Park; archaeological remains of the Bamyan Valley (includes Shahr-i-zohok (Red City); minaret & archaeological remains of Jam

Major Sports
Buzkashi (form of polo using a goat carcass), soccer, rugby

Cultural Practices
In Afghanistan, you may see people place their hands over their hearts and nod slightly as a greeting.

Tipping Guidelines
Tipping is uncommon except at the fanciest of restaurants. Donations to free historical sites are appreciated, as is extra money for local guides, usually around 20 afghanis. It is very common for a taxi driver or sales persons to tell you it is nothing when you want to pay. This reticence is just a form of politeness. Insist on paying.

Souvenirs
Tribal hats and scarves, pottery, lapis lazuli and soapstone items, handwoven rugs, brass and copperware

Traditional Cuisine
Kabuli Pulao — long-grained Basmati rice steamed in meat broth, with assorted lentils, raisins, carrots, lamb, and chopped almonds and pistachios

Country code top-level domain
.af

Geography
Area
total: 652,230 sq km
land: 652,230 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Climate
arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers

Natural resources
natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones, arable land

People and Society
Population
39,232,003 (2023 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, Pachaie, Nuristani, Aymaq, Arab, Qirghiz, Qizilbash, Gujur, and Brahwui ethnicities; Afghanistan has dozens of other small ethnic groups

Languages
Afghan Persian or Dari (official, lingua franca) 77%, Pashto (official) 48%, Uzbeki 11%, English 6%, Turkmani 3%, Urdu 3%, Pachaie 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.)

Population growth rate
2.26% (2023 est.)

Government
Government type
the United States does not recognize the Taliban government

Capital
name: Kabul

Economy
Economic overview
extremely low-income South Asian economy; import drops, currency depreciation, disappearing central bank reserves, and increasing inflation after Taliban takeover; increasing Chinese trade; hit hard by COVID; ongoing sanctions

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$60.803 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita
$1,500 (2021 est.)

Agricultural products
wheat, milk, grapes, vegetables, potatoes, watermelons, melons, rice, onions, apples

Industries
small-scale production of bricks, textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, apparel, food products, non-alcoholic beverages, mineral water, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper

Exports
$1.476 billion (2020 est.)

Exports - partners
United Arab Emirates 45%, Pakistan 24%, India 22%, China 1% (2019)

Exports - commodities
gold, grapes, opium, fruits and nuts, insect resins, cotton, handwoven carpets, soapstone, scrap metal (2019)

Imports
$6.983 billion (2020 est.)

Imports - partners
United Arab Emirates 23%, Pakistan 17%, India 13%, China 9%, United States 9%, Uzbekistan 7%, Kazakhstan 6% (2019)

Imports - commodities
wheat flours, broadcasting equipment, refined petroleum, rolled tobacco, aircraft parts, synthetic fabrics (2019)