View source for Provinces of Afghanistan

{{Short description|First-level administrative territorial entity of Afghanistan}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox subdivision type
| name = Provinces of [[Afghanistan]]
| alt_name = [[Wilayat]]
| map = [[File:Afghanistan adm location map.svg|250px]]
| category = [[Unitary state]]
| territory = [[Afghanistan]]
| start_date = 
| current_number = 34 provinces
| number_date = 
| population_range = 167,425 ([[Nuristan Province|Nuristan]]) – 5,211,452 ([[Kabul Province|Kabul]])
| area_range = {{Convert|1908|km2|sqmi|order=flip|abbr=on}} ([[Kapisa Province|Kapisa]]) – {{Convert|58305|km2|sqmi|order=flip|abbr=on}} ([[Helmand Province|Helmand]])
| government = Provincial governments
| subdivision = [[Districts of Afghanistan|District]]
}}
{{Politics of Afghanistan}}

The '''provinces of Afghanistan''' ({{langx|prs|ولايت}} ''[[Wilayah|wilāyat]]'') are the primary [[administrative division]]s of the [[Afghanistan|Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan]]. There are 34 provinces in Afghanistan. Each province encompasses a number of [[Districts of Afghanistan|districts]] or usually over 1,000 villages.

Provincial governors played a critical role in the reconstruction of the Afghan state following the creation of the new government under [[Hamid Karzai]].<ref name="auto1">{{Cite book|chapter=Building a Theory of Strongman Governance in Afghanistan|last=Mukhopadhyay|first=Dipali|year=2014|isbn=9781139161817|pages=43|doi=10.1017/cbo9781139161817.001|title = Warlords, Strongman Governors, and the State in Afghanistan}}</ref> According to international security scholar Dipali Mukhopadhyay, many of the provincial governors of the western-backed government were former [[warlord]]s who were incorporated into the political system.<ref name="auto1" />

== Provinces of Afghanistan ==

{{Location map+|Afghanistan
|places=
{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Badakhshan Province|Badakhshan]]
|coordinates={{coord|36.8|70.77}}
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{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Badghis Province|Badghis]]
|coordinates={{coord|35|63.75}}
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{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Baghlan Province|Baghlan]]
|coordinates={{coord|35.75|69}}
|marksize=0
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{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Balkh Province|Balkh]]
|coordinates={{coord|36.7991624|67.2372587}}
|marksize=0
|position=top
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{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Bamyan Province|Bamyan]]
|coordinates={{coord|34.75|67.25}}
|marksize=0
|position=top
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{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Daykundi Province|Daykundi]]
|coordinates={{coord|33.7251130|66.2196554}}
|marksize=0
|position=top
}}
{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Farah Province|Farah]]
|coordinates={{coord|32.6071110|62.6710110}}
|marksize=0
|position=top
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{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Faryab Province|Faryab]]
|coordinates={{coord|35.9261784|64.7}}
|marksize=0
|position=top
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{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Ghazni Province|Ghazni]]
|coordinates={{coord|33.3149631|67.8289890}}
|marksize=0
|position=top
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{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Ghor Province|Ghor]]
|coordinates={{coord|34.1605257|64.9201949}}
|marksize=0
|position=top
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{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Helmand Province|Helmand]]
|coordinates={{coord|31|64}}
|marksize=0
|position=top
}}
{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Herat Province|Herat]]
|coordinates={{coord|34.1577182|62.2905676}}
|marksize=0
|position=top
}}
{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Jowzjan Province|Jowzjan]]
|coordinates={{coord|36.9665706|65.9560232}}
|marksize=0
|position=top
}}
{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Kabul Province|Kabul]]
|coordinates={{coord|34.3600000|69.4166670}}
|marksize=0
|position=top
}}
{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Kandahar Province|Kandahar]]
|coordinates={{coord|30.9910033|65.7068525}}
|marksize=0
|position=top
}}
{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Kapisa Province|Kap.]]
|coordinates={{coord|34.9|69.65}}
|marksize=0
|position=top
}}
{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Khost Province|Khost]]
|coordinates={{coord|33.25|69.8912294}}
|marksize=0
|position=top
}}
{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Kunar Province|Kunar]]
|coordinates={{coord|34.8|71}}
|marksize=0
|position=top
}}
{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Kunduz Province|Kunduz]]
|coordinates={{coord|36.8707187|68.7563528}}
|marksize=0
|position=top
}}
{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Laghman Province|Lagh.]]
|coordinates={{coord|34.64|70.25}}
|marksize=0
|position=top
}}
{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Logar Province|Logar]]
|coordinates={{coord|33.9|69.1601720}}
|marksize=0
|position=top
}}
{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Nangarhar Province|Nangarhar ]]
|coordinates={{coord|34.15|70.3800314}}
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|position=top
}}
{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Nimruz Province|Nimruz]]
|coordinates={{coord|30.7753811|62.4793088}}
|marksize=0
|position=top
}}
{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Nuristan Province|Nuristan]]
|coordinates={{coord|35.175|70.7}}
|marksize=0
|position=top
}}
{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Paktia Province|Paktia]]
|coordinates={{coord|33.6|69.5}}
|marksize=0
|position=top
}}
{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Paktika Province|Paktika]]
|coordinates={{coord|32.3936231|68.7036514}}
|marksize=0
|position=top
}}
{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Panjshir Province|Panj.]]
|coordinates={{coord|35.15|69.6}}
|marksize=0
|position=top
}}
{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Parwan Province|Parwan]]
|coordinates={{coord|34.85|68.9146703}}
|marksize=0
|position=top
}}
{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Samangan Province|Samangan]]
|coordinates={{coord|35.8|67.7}}
|marksize=0
|position=top
}}
{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Sar-e Pol Province|Sar-e Pol]]
|coordinates={{coord|35.4|66.1}}
|marksize=0
|position=top
}}
{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Takhar Province|Takhar]]
|coordinates={{coord|36.5940732|69.6}}
|marksize=0
|position=top
}}
{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Uruzgan Province|Uruzgan]]
|coordinates={{coord|32.75|66.0183185}}
|marksize=0
|position=top
}}
{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Maidan Wardak Province|M. Wardak]]
|coordinates={{coord|34.3191345|68.2}}
|marksize=0
|position=top
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{{Location map~|Afghanistan
|label=[[Zabul Province|Zabul]]
|coordinates={{coord|32.2|67.1299040}}
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|position=top
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|width=750
|float=center
|caption=Provinces of Afghanistan
|maplink=
}}

=== Administrative ===

The following table lists the province, capital, number of districts, UN region, region, [[ISO 3166-2:AF]] code and license plate code.<ref name="Schoolbook">{{cite web |url = https://moe.gov.af/sites/default/files/2020-03/G12-Dr-Geography.pdf |title = Afghan school books - Geography G-12 |website = moe.gov.af |access-date = 28 Jan 2025 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230324200616/https://moe.gov.af/sites/default/files/2020-03/G12-Dr-Geography.pdf |archive-date = 24 March 2023}}</ref>

{{sticky header}}{{table alignment}}{{static row numbers}}{{sort under}}
{| class="wikitable sortable sticky-header sort-under col3right"
|+ Afghan provinces and administrative data
! Province !! Capital !! Districts !! UN Region !! Region !! ISO !! Plate{{br}}code
|-
| [[Badakhshan Province|Badakhshan]] || [[Fayzabad, Badakhshan|Fayzabad]] || 29 || North East  || North || AF-BDS  || BDN 
|-
| [[Badghis Province|Badghis]] || [[Qala i Naw, Afghanistan|Qala i Naw]] || 7 || West  || Central || AF-BDG  || BDG 
|-
| [[Baghlan Province|Baghlan]] || [[Puli Khumri]] || 16 || North East  || North || AF-BGL  || BAG 
|-
| [[Balkh Province|Balkh]] || [[Mazar-i-Sharif]] || 15 || North West  || North || AF-BAL  || BLH 
|-
| [[Bamyan Province|Bamyan]] || [[Bamyan, Afghanistan|Bamyan]] || 7 || West  || Central || AF-BAM  || BAM 
|-
| [[Daykundi Province|Daykundi]] || [[Nili, Afghanistan|Nili]] || 8 || South West  || South || AF-DAY  || DYK 
|-
| [[Farah Province|Farah]] || [[Farah, Afghanistan|Farah]] || 11 || West  || Central || AF-FRA  || FRH 
|-
| [[Faryab Province|Faryab]] || [[Maymana]] || 14 || North West  || North || AF-FYB  || FYB 
|-
| [[Ghazni Province|Ghazni]] || [[Ghazni]] || 19 || South East  || South || AF-GHA  || GAZ 
|-
| [[Ghor Province|Ghor]] || [[Chaghcharan]] || 11 || West  || Central || AF-GHO  || GHR 
|-
| [[Helmand Province|Helmand]] || [[Lashkargah]] || 13 || South West  || South || AF-HEL  || HEL 
|-
| [[Herat Province|Herat]] || [[Herat]] || 15 || West  || Central || AF-HER  || HRT 
|-
| [[Jowzjan Province|Jowzjan]] || [[Sheberghan]] || 9 || North West  || North || AF-JOW  || JZJ 
|-
| [[Kabul Province|Kabul]] || [[Kabul]] || 18 || Central  || Central || AF-KAB  || KBL 
|-
| [[Kandahar Province|Kandahar]] || [[Kandahar]] || 16 || South West  || South || AF-KAN  || KRD 
|-
| [[Kapisa Province|Kapisa]] || [[Mahmud-i-Raqi]] || 7 || Central  || Central || AF-KAP  || KPS 
|-
| [[Khost Province|Khost]] || [[Khost]] || 13 || South East  || South || AF-KHO  || KST 
|-
| [[Kunar Province|Kunar]] || [[Asadabad, Afghanistan|Asadabad]] || 15 || East  || Central || AF-KNR  || KNR 
|-
| [[Kunduz Province|Kunduz]] || [[Kunduz]] || 7 || North East  || North || AF-KDZ  || KDZ 
|-
| [[Laghman Province|Laghman]] || [[Mihtarlam]] || 5 || East  || Central || AF-LAG  || LGM 
|-
| [[Logar Province|Logar]] || [[Pul-i-Alam]] || 7 || Central  || Central || AF-LOG  || LGR 
|-
| [[Nangarhar Province|Nangarhar]] || [[Jalalabad, Afghanistan|Jalalabad]] || 23 || East  || Central || AF-NAN  || NGR 
|-
| [[Nimruz Province|Nimruz]] || [[Zaranj]] || 5 || South West  || South || AF-NIM  || NRZ 
|-
| [[Nuristan Province|Nuristan]] || [[Parun]] || 7 || East  || Central || AF-NUR  || NUR 
|-
| [[Paktia Province|Paktia]] || [[Gardez]] || 11 || South East  || South || AF-PIA  || PAK 
|-
| [[Paktika Province|Paktika]] || [[Sharana, Afghanistan|Sharana]] || 15 || South East  || South || AF-PKA  || PKT 
|-
| [[Panjshir Province|Panjshir]] || [[Bazarak, Panjshir|Bazarak]] || 7 || Central  || Central || AF-PAN  || PJR 
|-
| [[Parwan Province|Parwan]] || [[Charikar]] || 9 || Central  || Central || AF-PAR  || PRN 
|-
| [[Samangan Province|Samangan]] || [[Aybak, Samangan|Aybak]] || 5 || North West  || North || AF-SAM  || SAM 
|-
| [[Sar-e Pol Province|Sar-e Pol]] || [[Sar-e Pol city|Sar-e Pol]] || 7 || North West  || North || AF-SAR  || SRP 
|-
| [[Takhar Province|Takhar]] || [[Taloqan]] || 16 || North East  || North || AF-TAK  || TAK 
|-
| [[Uruzgan Province|Uruzgan]] || [[Tarinkot]] || 6 || South West  || South || AF-URU  || ORZ 
|-
| [[Wardak Province|Wardak]] || [[Maidan Shar]] || 9 || Central  || Central || AF-WAR  || WDK
|-
|[[Zabul Province|Zabul]]
|[[Qalat, Zabul Province|Qalat]]
|9
|South West
|South
|AF-ZAB
|ZAB
|}

=== Demographic ===

The following table lists the province, population in 2024,<ref name="NSIA pop">{{cite web |url = https://nsia.gov.af/library |title = Library |website = nsia.gov.af |access-date = 23 Jan 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PWzeE5zCoqwHfht-16xVkHejlgW9Wbeb/view |title = Estimated Population of Afghanistan 2024-25 |website = [[National Statistics and Information Authority]] |access-date = 23 Jan 2025}}</ref> area in square kilometers<ref name="Schoolbook"/> and population density.

{| class="wikitable sortable sticky-header static-row-numbers sort-under col1left" {{right}}
|+ Afghan provinces and demographic data
! Province !! Population !! Area{{br}}{{km2}} !! Density{{br}}/{{km2}}
|-
| [[Badakhshan Province|Badakhshan]] || 1,130,535 || 44,836 || 25.2
|-
| [[Badghis Province|Badghis]] || 575,212 || 20,794 || 27.7
|-
| [[Baghlan Province|Baghlan]] || 1,093,013 || 18,255 || 59.9
|-
| [[Balkh Province|Balkh]] || 1,560,365 || 16,186 || 96.4
|-
| [[Bamyan Province|Bamyan]] || 531,344 || 18,029 || 29.5
|-
| [[Daykundi Province|Daykundi]] || 553,372 || 17,501 || 31.6
|-
| [[Farah Province|Farah]] || 604,420 || 49,339 || 12.3
|-
| [[Faryab Province|Faryab]] || 1,192,381 || 20,798 || 57.3
|-
| [[Ghazni Province|Ghazni]] || 1,461,703 || 22,461 || 65.1
|-
| [[Ghor Province|Ghor]] || 833,304 || 36,657 || 22.7
|-
| [[Helmand Province|Helmand]] || 1,552,838 || 58,305 || 26.6
|-
| [[Herat Province|Herat]] || 2,332,654 || 55,869 || 41.8
|-
| [[Jowzjan Province|Jowzjan]] || 648,804 || 11,293 || 57.5
|-
| [[Kabul Province|Kabul]] || 5,966,395 || 4,524 || 1,319.0
|-
| [[Kandahar Province|Kandahar]] || 1,532,662 || 54,845 || 27.9
|-
| [[Kapisa Province|Kapisa]] || 523,201 || 1,908 || 274.2
|-
| [[Khost Province|Khost]] || 682,333 || 4,235 || 161.1
|-
| [[Kunar Province|Kunar]] || 535,488 || 4,926 || 108.7
|-
| [[Kunduz Province|Kunduz]] || 1,233,223 || 8,081 || 152.6
|-
| [[Laghman Province|Laghman]] || 528,879 || 3,978 || 132.9
|-
| [[Logar Province|Logar]] || 465,698 || 4,568 || 101.9
|-
| [[Nangarhar Province|Nangarhar]] || 1,840,831 || 7,727 || 240.9
|-
| [[Nimruz Province|Nimruz]] || 197,513 || 42,410 || 4.7
|-
| [[Nuristan Province|Nuristan]] || 175,507 || 9,267 || 18.9
|-
| [[Paktia Province|Paktia]] || 830,994 || 5,583 || 148.8
|-
| [[Paktika Province|Paktika]] || 656,430 || 19,516 || 33.6
|-
| [[Panjshir Province|Panjshir]] || 182,054 || 3,772 || 48.3
|-
| [[Parwan Province|Parwan]] || 792,273 || 5,715 || 138.6
|-
| [[Samangan Province|Samangan]] || 552,763 || 13,438 || 41.1
|-
| [[Sar-e Pol Province|Sar-e Pol]] || 666,737 || 16,386 || 40.7
|-
| [[Takhar Province|Takhar]] || 1,175,306 || 12,459 || 94.3
|-
| [[Uruzgan Province|Uruzgan]] || 467,659 || 11,474 || 40.8
|-
| [[Wardak Province|Wardak]] || 707,486 || 10,348 || 68.4
|-
| [[Zabul Province|Zabul]] || 412,150 || 17,472 || 23.6
|}

== Regions of Afghanistan ==

[[File:Regions of Afghanistan.png|thumb|Blue : North<br>Red: Central<br>Green : South ]]

The following tables summarize data from the demographic table.<ref name="NSIA pop"/>

{| class="wikitable sortable static-row-numbers sort-under col1left" {{right}}
|+ Regions and demographic data
! Region !! Population !! Area{{br}}{{km2}} !! Density{{br}}/{{km2}}
|-
| Central || 16,594,746 || 237,335 || 69.9
|-
| North || 9,253,127 || 161,730 || 57.2
|-
| South || 8,347,654 || 253,801 || 32.9
|}

=== UN regions ===
[[File:UN Regions of Afghanistan.png|thumb|UN regions of Afghanistan]]
{| class="wikitable sortable static-row-numbers sort-under col1left" {{right}}
|+ UN regions and demographic data
! Region !! Population !! Area{{br}}{{km2}} !! Density{{br}}/{{km2}}
|-
| Central || 8,637,107|| 30,835 || 280.1
|-
| East || 3,080,705 || 25,812 || 119.4
|-
| North East || 4,632,077 || 83,631 || 55.4
|-
| North West || 4,621,050 || 78,100 || 59.2
|-
| South East || 3,631,460 || 51,795 || 70.1
|-
| South West || 4,716,194 || 202,006 || 23.3
|-
| West || 4,876,934 || 180,688 || 27.0
|}

== Former provinces of Afghanistan ==

[[File:Provinces of Afghanistan in 1929.png|thumb|Historical provinces of Afghanistan]]
During Afghanistan's history it had a number of provinces in it. It started out as just Kabul, Herat, Qandahar, and Balkh but the number of provinces increased and by 1880 the provinces consisted of Balkh, Herat, Qandahar, Ghazni, Jalalabad, and Kabul.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Andrew|first=W. P.|url=http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.90940|title=Our Scientific Frontier|date=1880}}</ref>

* [[Southern Province, Afghanistan|Southern Province]] – dissolved in 1964 to create [[Paktia Province]]. 
* [[Turkestan Province]] – dissolved somewhere between 1929 and 1946.
* [[Qataghan-Badakhshan Province]] – dissolved in 1963 into [[Badakhshan Province]] and [[Qataghan Province]], the latter of which was also dissolved that same year.
* [[Qataghan Province]] – dissolved in 1963 into [[Baghlan Province]], [[Kunduz Province]], and [[Takhar Province]].
* [[Eastern Province, Afghanistan|Eastern Province]] – dissolved in 1964 to create [[Nangarhar Province]].
* [[Farah-Chakansur Province]] – dissolved in 1964 into [[Farah Province]] and [[Nimruz Province]].
* [[Mazar-i-Sharif Province]] – dissolved in 1964 into [[Balkh Province]] and [[Jowzjan Province]].
* [[Meymaneh Province]] – dissolved in 1964 into [[Faryab Province]].

== See also ==
* [[List of current provincial governors in Afghanistan]]
* [[Districts of Afghanistan]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commons category|Provinces of Afghanistan}}
*[https://archive.today/20070609234549/http://www.aims.org.af/index.aspx Afghanistan Information Management Services (AIMS)]
*[http://www.afghan-web.com/politics/governors.html Provincial Governors] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180415001905/http://www.afghan-web.com/politics/governors.html |date=15 April 2018 }}
*[https://ariananews.co/en/afghanistan-provinces/ Afghanistan Provinces Map]
*[http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/geography-i Xavier de Planhol, 2000, ''GEOGRAPHY i. Evolution of geographical knowledge: Development of geographical knowledge about Afghanistan.'', Encyclopædia Iranica.]

{{Afghanistan topics}}
{{Provinces of Afghanistan}}
{{Articles on first-level administrative divisions of Asian countries}}

[[Category:Provinces of Afghanistan| ]]
[[Category:Subdivisions of Afghanistan]]
[[Category:First-level administrative divisions by country|Provinces, Afghanistan]]
[[Category:Lists of administrative divisions|Afghanistan 1]]
[[Category:Subdivisions of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan]]