Kabul کابل |
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Metropolis | |||||||||
From top left to right: Overview of a section of the city; Presidential Palace; Square; Abdul Rahman Mosque; Gardens of Babur; Wazir Akbar Khan; Serena Hotel
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Coordinates: 34°32′N 69°10′E / 34.533°N 69.167°ECoordinates: 34°32′N 69°10′E / 34.533°N 69.167°E | |||||||||
Country | Afghanistan | ||||||||
Province | Kabul | ||||||||
No. of districts | 22 | ||||||||
Government | |||||||||
• Mayor | Abdullah Habibzai | ||||||||
Area | |||||||||
• Metropolis | 275 km2 (106 sq mi) | ||||||||
• Metro | 425 km2 (164 sq mi) | ||||||||
Elevation | 1,791 m (5,876 ft) | ||||||||
Population (2015) | |||||||||
• Metropolis | 4.6 million | ||||||||
• Demonym | Kabuli | ||||||||
Time zone | Afghanistan Standard Time (UTC+4:30) | ||||||||
Area code(s) | (+93) 20 |
Kabul (Pashto/Dari: کابل, pronounced [ˈkʰɒːbul]; English: /ˈkɑːbᵿl/) is the capital of Afghanistan as well as its largest city, located in the eastern section of the country. According to latest estimates, the population of the city is between 3.6 million and 4.6 million, which includes all the major ethnic groups. Rapid urbanization had made Kabul the world's 64th largest city and the fifth fastest-growing city in the world.
Kabul is said to be over 3,500 years old, mentioned since at least the time of the Achaemenid Empire. The city is at a strategic location along the trade routes of South and Central Asia, and a key location of the ancient Silk Road. It has been part of the Achaemenids, Seleucids, Mauryans, Kushans, Kabul Shahis, Saffarids, Ghaznavids, and Ghurids. Later, it was controlled by the Mughal Empire until finally becoming part of the Durrani Empire in 1747. The city is located high up in a narrow valley between the Hindu Kush mountains.