Provinces of Afghanistan
| Provinces of Afghanistan | |
|---|---|
| |
| Category | Unitary state |
| Location | Afghanistan |
| Number | 34 provinces |
| Populations | 167,425 (Nuristan) – 5,211,452 (Kabul) |
| Areas | 737 sq mi (1,908 km2) (Kapisa) – 22,512 sq mi (58,305 km2) (Helmand) |
| Government |
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| Subdivisions | |
| Afghanistan portal |
The provinces of Afghanistan (ولايت wilāyat) are the primary administrative divisions. Afghanistan is divided into 34 provinces. Each province encompasses a number of districts or usually over 1,000 villages.
Provincial governors played a critical role in the reconstruction of the Afghan state following the creation of the new government under Hamid Karzai. According to international security scholar Dipali Mukhopadhyay, many of the provincial governors of the western-backed government were former warlords who were incorporated into the political system.