20 Amazing Facts About Afghanistan
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Fascinating Facts about Afghanistan |
We try to rank The Top 20 Interesting Facts About Afghanistan:
1. Poetry, a Strong Part of the Culture
Poetry is a special part of Afghan culture. Afghans have conveyed their stories in poetry for over 1,000 years. The night of Thursday is regarded “poetry night” in the western city of Herat where men, women & children meet to communicate ancient & modern poetry and listen to the traditional music of Herati and enjoy drinking sweet tea & pastries all night long.
2. Goat-grabbing sport

Afghanistan’s national sport is termed as “Buzkashi” or “goat-grabbing.” It is regarded as the wildest game in the world; it requires riders on horseback to compete to catch a goat body, and ride ahead of the others and drop it in a marked circle.
Afghanistan’s national sport is Buzkashi (goat grabbing). It is unofficially known as the wildest sport in the world. It involves riders on horseback trying to grab a headless goat carcass, steer clear of the other riders and place the carcass in a designated area (goal). An extremely physical sport, riders wear heavy clothes and head protection to guard themselves from whips and boots of other riders. As the riders have to often lean low on one side to pick up the carcass from the ground, their boots have high heels and they need to have excellent horsemanship skills. |
3. Busiest Single Runway Airstrip
Kandahar airfield situated in the Southern Afghanistan is known to be the World’s single busiest runway airstrip. It is also the location where NATO has its first full air traffic facility in a country not listed in NATO.
4. People or Currency?

Do you know ‘Afghanis’ is the currency, not the people? People there are actually called Afghans.
The richest man in Afghanistan.Mirwais Azizi is an Afghan businessman based in Dubai. He is the founder and director of Azizi Bashuka, the biggest commercial bank in Afghanistan. Based on a report, he is the richest man in the country, who controls 70% of the oil market in the country. Mirwais Aziz’s estimated net worth is 5 to 10 billion US dollars as of the year 2020. |
5. The Royal Founder!

In 1747, Ahmad Shah Durrani founded the modern state of Afghanistan, and the certified name of Afghanistan is termed as the Islamic State of Afghanistan.
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6. The Signature Food of Afghanistan!
Meal in Afghanistan is incomplete with no ‘naan,’ which is flat, unleavened bread.
7. Naturally Rich
Afghanistan’s natural resources comprise of silver, zinc, gold, copper, & iron ore that are found in the southeast; precious & semi-precious stones in the northeast; and potentially important petroleum & natural gas reserves are found in the north. The country also has uranium, coal, chromites, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, and salt.
Zablon Simintov is the only Jew living in Afghanistan.As of 2019, Zablon Simintov, a carpet trader, is the only Jew, (a person whose religion is Judaism), staying in Afghanistan. He is the caretaker of the Jewish temple in Kabul. According to Simintov, “I stay to care for the synagogue,” he says. “If I was not there, the land would have been already sold off.” |
8. The Land of Opium
Opium is the largest & fastest growing produce in Afghanistan. Between 80 and 90 percent of the heroin sold in Europe comes from opium grown in Afghanistan.
9. A Muslim Dominant Nation!
Almost 99% of the Afghan inhabitants are Muslims. The rest 1% of the populace includes Hindus, Sikhs, and Jews.
10. World Famous Rugs
Afghan produces rugs that are very popular around the world.
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11. Second Tallest in the World

The minaret of Jam in Afghanistan is the second tallest minaret in the world.
12. Strictly No – No
Women and men will never shake hands let alone speak directly to one another. Wearing skirts, sleeveless are a strict no-no in Afghanistan.
In the 1920s King Amanullah Khan once declared during a public speech that, “Islam did not require women to cover their bodies or wear any special kind of veil”. At the end of the speech, Queen Soraya tore off her hejab in public. How times have changed!
No National AnthemFor six years between 1996 and 2001, Afghanistan had no national anthem because the Taliban had completely banned all music |
13. Home to the Mighty Hindu Kush!

Afghanistan is home to the famous Hindu Kush, (It is an 800-kilometre-long mountain range that extends connecting the central Afghanistan & the northern Pakistan) which rises over 18,000 feet.
14. A Landlocked Country!
Afghanistan shares border with as many as six countries, namely Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, China, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, making it a landlocked nation that has no water boundaries
The world's two biggest Buddhas are in Afghanistan.Bamiyan Buddhas are two statues that were carved on the cliff of the Bamiyan Valley, Afghanistan. The bigger one measured 175 feet in height, while the smaller one measured 120 feet in height. Unfortunately, the Taliban destroyed the statues in March 2001. |
15. Capital: Kandahar to Kabul

Kandahar was the first Capital City of Afghanistan. Later Kabul became the Capital City.
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16. Main Income from Agriculture

The main supply of income in Afghanistan comes from agriculture. Vegetables, rice, fruits, & nuts are the popular products here.
17. The Egyptian King
Afghanistan is rich in a vibrant blue stone, called lapis lazuli, which has been used to beautify the tomb of Tutankhamen, the Egyptian king.
18. Greek Impression!
In around 400 BC the Greeks constructed a City at Ai Khanoum, situated in northern Afghanistan, which had one gymnasium, and a theater. The monument had devotions in Greek towards Hercules & Herakles and also had a big figurine to Zeus. It is a Heritage site there.
19. Right-hand section of the road
Similar to the Americans, Afghans too, steer on the right-hand section of the road.
20 . Only One Pig
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Only Pig in Afghanistan |
In Afghanistan, as in most Islamic nations, eating pork is considered haram. In fact, one interpretation of that belief forbids even touching the animal. As a result, no pigs are reared or farmed in the country.
There is only one pig in all of Afghanistan. His name is Khanzir, which is Arabic for pig, and he lives in the Kabul Zoo.
Have tea after PalauAfghans like to have their favorite drink Tea, after their popular meal Palau, which is made from rice, sheep and goat meats, and fruit. |
![]() Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani flew out of the country. |