Overview of Afghanistan: 15 Numbers That’ll Help You Out

No offense to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, or Pakistan. But as far as America goes, it’s all about Afghanistan. In keeping with my strategy, I’ve put together a short collection of statistics that’ll quickly deepen your understanding of the landlocked nation. Here’s an overview of Afghanistan in 15 numbers.

 

6

The number of countries that share a border with Afghanistan. That’s Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, China, and Pakistan. (This number is 7 according to India, which claims a border with Afghanistan via the always controversial Kashmir region.) Here’s a map.

 

42 million

The approximate population of Afghanistan, placing it in the same ballpark as Canada and Poland. Around 4.9 million people live in the capital and largest city of Kabul.

 

182

Afghanistan’s position on a list of 192 entities as measured by GDP per capita (adjusted for purchasing power parity).

 

43

The literacy rate in Afghanistan, expressed as the percent of all people ages 15 and above who can read. In women of that age group, the figure is closer to 29 percent.

 

0

The approximate percent of the total area of Afghanistan that is attributed to water. (Of course, it’s above zero, just not by a ton.) Access to water is provided by snow melt originating from the country’s abundant mountains (like the Hindu Kush mountain range) that runs into a series of rivers, streams, etc. Obviously, the infrastructure for distribution leaves something to be desired.

 

14

The number of ethnic groups mentioned in the most recent national anthem of Afghanistan. (Not included in the 14 are many ethnic minorities.) Of the ethnic groups in the country, the Pashtuns are the largest, comprising about 42 percent of the population and generally speaking the Pashto language. The same group is the second largest ethnic group in neighboring Pakistan and represents the predominant ethnicity of the Taliban (see below).

 

2

The number of official languages in Afghanistan. One is the aforementioned Pashto, and the other is Dari (also known as Afghan Persian). Both are in the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European language family, and bilingualism is common in the country. Of course, a comprehensive overview of Afghanistan reveals several smaller regional languages as well.

 

330

That’s BCE, as in the year when Alexander the Great showed up in modern-day Afghanistan. The region, located along the famed Silk Road, has landed in the hands of a vast array of rulers over the centuries. I just picked this one as it’s a familiar name.

 

642

The year given for the arrival of Islam—brought over from the Arabian Peninsula—in Afghanistan. A lot happened after that, including the whole Genghis Khan/Mongol invasion of 1219, but as the next number indicates, Islam became a defining feature of the region.

 

99.7

The percentage of the country’s residents that adheres to Islam, which has official status.

 

1

The number of Jews living in Afghanistan between 2005-2021. That was Zablon Simintov.

 

1919

The year in which Afghanistan, which spent some time as a British protectorate (and a buffer between British interests in India and the interests of the Russians), regained full independence. The country took the form of a constitutional monarchy from 1926-1973, at which time a coup d’état established a republic, replaced in 1978 by a Soviet-allied communist regime.

 

1979

The year in which the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan to stabilize infighting within the aforementioned communist regime and install their leader of choice. Needless to say, other countries such as the US were not happy about the situation. The Soviets ultimately left in 1989, opening the door for the mujahideen guerrilla groups—who had been supported by various entities including the US—to rise to power.

 

1996

The year the Taliban officially gained control of the country after several years of dysfunction/civil war under the mujahideen government. Taliban means students in the Pashto language and refers to the largely Pashtun educational movement that took hold in Pakistan/Afghanistan. The strict interpretation of Sharia law, severe limitation of women’s rights, and ban on things like music defined the movement, as did support for the radical Al Qaeda organization responsible for the September 11th terrorist attacks on the US.

 

2001

The year in which the US invaded Afghanistan in response to the September 11th attacks. Despite being quickly removed from power, the Taliban were able to easily regain control 20 years later as American troops withdrew from the country.

 

With this numerical overview of Afghanistan, you’ll be better equipped to process the news. And trust me when I tell you—Afghanistan will be in the news.