The most interesting facts about Afghanistan, from one of the planet’s most dangerous countries to the world’s first oil paintings.
Fast facts
Official name: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Population: 40,121,552
Area: 652,230 sq km
Capital city: Kabul
Major languages: Afghan Persian or Dari, Pashto, Uzbek, English
Major religions: Islam
Time zone: UTC+4.5 (Afghanistan Time)
Interesting facts about Afghanistan
1. Afghanistan is a landlocked country located in Southern Asia bordering China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
2. It is believed that Afghanistan has been inhabited for as long as 100,000 years – since Paleolithic (Old Stone Age) times.
3. The first clear evidence of human occupation was discovered in the Darra-i-Kur cave, situated in the Afghan province of Badakhshan. This included a transitional Neanderthal skull fragment found alongside Mousterian-type tools, dating to around 30,000 years ago.
4. Afghanistan literally means the “Land of the Afghans”. “Afghan” was originally referred to the Pashtun people, and the suffix “-stan” means “place of” or “country”.
5. Alexander the Great conquered most of Afghanistan around 330 BC, after which he married Roxanne (also known as Roxana).
6. Britain repeatedly tried to conquer Afghanistan during a series of conflicts known as the Anglo-Afghan Wars: 1839–42; 1878–80; 1919.
7. In 1842, a 16,000-strong Anglo-Indian army was famously defeated by Afghan forces in the Khyber Pass. Only one man managed to escape the massacre.
8. The flag of Afghanistan has black, red, and green vertical stripes and a central coat of arms. Black symbolizes the dark times of history, red signifies the bloodshed during the fight for independence, and green stands for the hope and prosperity of the future.
9. During the 20th century, Afghanistan had more changes to its national flag than any other country. According to one count, the flag was changed up to 19 times!
10. Afghanistan’s coat of arms includes the Arabic inscriptions “Afghanistan”, “There is no deity but God; Muhammad is the messenger of God” and “God is great”. It also includes a mosque, two flags, sheaves of wheat, and the date 1298 in the Islamic calendar (1919 in the Gregorian), the year Afghanistan achieved independence.
11. Afghanistan was invaded by the USSR in 1979 and mired in a ten-year conflict between various mujahideen groups and Soviet forces.
12. Following the USSR withdrawal, Afghanistan was embroiled in a devastating civil war that saw the Taliban take power and impose strict Islamic rule.
13. Afghanistan was again invaded in 2001, this time by a US-led coalition following the September 11 attacks on the USA. Foreign troops remain in Afghanistan due to a Taliban resurgence after the war officially ended in 2014.
14. Afghanistan is among the most dangerous countries in the world according to the latest International SOS Travel Risk Map. It has been assessed as carrying an ‘extreme travel security risk’.
15. Additionally, according to the UK Foreign Office, Afghanistan is one of 24 countries deemed to be entirely unsafe for tourists to visit.
16. Afghanistan has two UNESCO World Heritage Sites. One of which is the 65m-tall Minaret of Jam dramatically located in a deep river valley between mountains. The ornately decorated minaret dates from the 12th century.
17. Afghanistan has one of the worst press freedom levels globally, effectively suppressing independent journalism. It ranks 178th out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index in 2024.
18. Afghanistan’s other UNESCO site is the Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley. The site was once home to the world’s two largest standing Buddhas. The “Buddhas of Bamiyan” stood at 38m and 55m respectively and were carved into the side of a cliff.
19. Tragically, the 1,700-year-old statues were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. Anti-aircraft guns, tanks, and, eventually, dynamite were used in its destruction. The Taliban attempted to eradicate all non-Islamic statues in the country.
20. The world’s first oil paintings originated in Afghanistan, hundreds of years before oil paint was used in Europe. Paintings dating from the 7th century AD were discovered in the caves behind the Buddha in Bamiyan statues.
21. Afghanistan is one of the world’s hungriest countries and suffered from “serious” levels of hunger in 2023. It ranks 114th out of the 125 countries on the Global Hunger Index.
22. Afghans celebrate their new year, Nowruz, on 21 March, the first day of spring.
23. One of the most famous images of Afghanistan was this 1985 cover of National Geographic magazine. The image of 12-year-old-refugee Sharbat Gula was taken during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan after she became orphaned at age six. She spent three decades as a refugee in Pakistan before finally returning to Afghanistan in 2016.
24. Afghanistan’s national game is buzkashi, also known as “goat-grabbing”. The game is played by two teams of horseback riders (similar to polo) who compete over a headless, freshly slaughtered goat.
25. Afghanistan sometimes suffers from air pollution with Air Quality Index (AQI) live updates marking Afghanistan as “unhealthy” in parts, particularly in the South East of the region, on May 27, 2024. The AQI of Kabul, Afghanistan is marked as ‘good’, at the moment.
26. Afghanistan’s most famous historic city Herat. Herat has been at the center of much of Afghanistan’s history and is considered its “cultural heart” today, with its Great Mosque considered one of Islam’s great buildings.
27. Afghanistan was a busy section of the Silk Road, the ancient network of trade routes that connected China with the West, as the high mountain passes allowed for passage across Asia.
28. Afghanistan is famous for its poetry with one epic poem called Shahnameh, written over 1,000 years ago, compared to Homer’s Odyssey.
29. Kite flying is a popular pastime in Afghanistan. However, kite flying is competitive, with the objective of a kite fight to cut the other opponent’s string with your own and send it crashing to the ground.
30. Afghanistan is home to the endangered snow leopard. Snow leopards live in high, rugged mountain landscapes above 3,000m.
31. After the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001, bodybuilding became extremely popular with Arnold Schwarzenegger becoming a role model in Kabul as young men strived to emulate him.
32. During the 13th century, Afghanistan was also conquered by Genghis Khan and was incorporated into the Mongol empire.
33. Afghanistan was the world’s largest producer of opium. According to the US military, 90% of the world’s heroin was made from opium grown in Afghanistan. However, the ruling Taliban banned its cultivation, according to a 2023 UN report. It now appears that Myanmar overtakes Afghanistan in the production of opium.
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Caitriona Maria is an education writer and owner of The Facts Institute. A teacher for seven years, she has been committed to providing students with the best learning opportunities possible, both domestically and abroad. Dedicated to unlocking students' potential, Caitriona has taught English in several countries and continues to explore new cultures through her travels.