Official Name:
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Location & Size:
Afghanistan is a 652,864 sq. km. (249,935 sq. mi.) landlocked country situated at the hub of South Asia and Central Asia. It has a population of approximately 28.6 million people (2016). To the south and east, Afghanistan shares a border with Pakistan; to the west, it shares a border with Iran, and its northern border touches the Central Asian countries of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. In the far northeast, it shares a border with China.
Founding:
Afghanistan achieved independence and freed itself from British control over its foreign affairs in 1919, following the Third Anglo-Afghan War. The Treaty of Rawalpindi granted Afghanistan sovereignty, which was declared on August 19, 1919 by King Amanullah Khan.
Government:
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan - Led by President Mohammad Ashraf Ghanii
Capital:
Kabul is the capital of Afghanistan with a population of about 4.5 million.
Provinces:
34
Natural Resources:
Afghanistan has an abundance of natural resources, among them: natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromate, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones like emeralds, rubies, and lapis lazuli.
Ethnic Diversity:
Afghanistan has been a land of diverse peoples for centuries. The country’s constitution officially recognizes 14 ethnic groups: Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Baluch, Turkmen, Nuristani, Pamiri, Arab, Gujar, Brahui, Qizilbash, Aimaq, and Pashai. Pashto and Dari are Afghanistan’s official languages. Afghanistan’s Constitution stipulates that all other languages are “official” in the areas in which they are spoken by a majority of the population.
Currency:
The “Afghani” (AFN) is the national currency, with an exchange rate of about 69 Afghanis to $1 USD. For more information, visit www.dab.gov.af
Country Telephone Code:
+93
Domain Extension:
.af - For domain registration, visit www.nic.af
The National Emblem of Afghanistan
The Emblem of Afghanistan has the inscription of the Shahada in Arabic at the top. Below it is the image of a mosque with a mihrab and minibar, or pulpit, within. Attached to the mosque are two flags, taken to stand for flags of Afghanistan. Beneath the mosque is an inscription that states the name of the nation. Around the mosque are sheaves of wheat, and underneath that, the Hijri year 1298 (1919 in the Gregorian calendar), the year Afghanistan gained independence from the British influence.
Color Version of the Afghanistan National Emblem
Black and White Version of the Afghanistan National Emblem
The Flag of Afghanistan
The flag of Afghanistan shall be made up of three equal parts, with black, red and green colors juxtaposed from left to right vertically. The width of every color shall be half of its length, and at the center of which the national insignia shall be located. The national insignia of Afghanistan shall be comprised of an emblem and a pulpit in white color—at the two corners of which are two flags, inscribed in the top middle the holy phrase “There is no God but Allah and Mohammad is his Prophet, and Allah is Great.” This shall be inscribed and superseded on rays of a rising sun, and in its lower part, the year 1919 in the solar calendar, and the word “Afghanistan” encircled on two sides by sheaves of wheat shall be inscribed. The law shall regulate the use of the flag and insignia.
The Flag of Afghanistan with Color Emblem
The Flag of Afghanistan with White Emblem