A look at where Afghanistan fits into the jigsaw of Eurasia, with maps of the country and an overview of major Afghanistan cities and regions
Afghanistan is located in the South of Central Asia, and has international borders with five countries:
Afghanistan is a landlocked nation located in Central Asia. Strategically located at the crossroads of major north-south and east-west trade routes, it has attracted a succession of invaders including Alexander the Great, in the fourth century B.C. Currently, the United States continues the global war on terrorism there.
The total land area of Afghanistan is 647,500 square kilometers.
The capital city of Afghanistan is Kabul, Kabul, located in east central Afghanistan, capital of the country and Kabul Province.
Kabul is an economic and cultural centre of Afghanistan; Kabul is over 3,500 years old;
According to the 2011 official estimates, the population of Kabul metropolitan area is 3.9 million people.
The provinces of Afghanistan are divided into Wolaswalei or districts. The number of districts in Afghanistan has fluctuated over the years, with new districts created by splitting or merging parts of others. Prior to 1979, there were 325 districts. This was increased to 329 and, in 2004, a major reorganization led to the number increasing to 397. As of June 2005, the Afghan Ministry of the Interior recognised 398 districts, divided between the 34 provinces. This number is expected to change with further administrative reorganization.