At present, there are 34 provinces of Afghanistan. Some provinces have, from time to time, been split or merged, typically to create a better ethnic balance. Kabul, in Kabul Province, is the national capital.
There are several informal and formal regional groupings of provinces. Geographically, the country tends to split into north, south, east and west quadrants, often with a central mountainous area. The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) also has four quadrant Regional Commands and a Capital Regional Command.
Security forces are from the Afghan National Army (ANA) and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). The ANA has five regional corps plus national reserves.
Administrative divisions of Afghanistan
| Province |
Capital |
Security |
notes
|
| Badakhshan Province |
Fayzabad |
|
|
| Badghis Province |
Qala-e-Naw |
|
|
| Baghlan Province |
Puli Khumri |
|
|
| Balkh Province |
Mazar-e-Sharif |
HQ, ANA 209th Corps; HQ, ISAF RC North |
|
| Bamiyan Province |
Bamiyan |
|
|
| Daykundi Province |
Nili |
|
split from Uruzgan
|
| Farah Province |
Farah |
|
|
| Faryab Province |
Maymana |
|
|
| Ghazni Province |
Ghazni |
|
|
| Ghor Province |
Chaghcharan |
|
|
| Helmand Province |
Lashkar Gah |
3rd Brigade, ANA 205th Corps |
|
| Herat Province |
Herat |
|
|
| Jowzjan Province |
Sheberghan |
|
|
| Kabul Province |
Kabul |
HQ, ANA 201st Corps; ISAF RC Capital |
|
| Kandahar Province |
Kandahar |
HQ, ANA 205th Corps; ISAF RC East |
|
| Kapisa Province |
Mahmud-i-Raqi |
|
|
| Khost Province |
Khost |
1st Brigade, ANA 203rd Corps |
|
| Kunar Province |
Asadabad |
|
|
| Kunduz Province |
Kunduz |
|
|
| Laghman Province |
Mihtarlam |
|
|
| Lowgar Province |
Pul-i-Alam |
1st Brigade, ANA 201st Corps |
|
| Nangarhar Province |
Jalalabad |
3rd (National) Quick Reaction Force Brigade, ANA 201st Corps |
|
| Nimruz Province |
Zaranj |
|
|
| Nurestan Province |
Parun |
|
|
| Uruzgan Province |
Tarin Kowt |
HQ, 205th Corps, ANA |
|
| Paktia Province |
Gardez |
3rd Bn, 1st Bde, ANA 203rd Corps |
|
| Paktika Province |
Sharan |
|
|
| Panjshir Province |
Bazarak |
|
|
| Parwan Province |
Charikar |
HQ, ISAF RC East at Bagram Airport |
|
| Samangan Province |
Aybak |
|
|
| Sar-e Pol Province |
Sar-e Pol |
|
|
| Takhar Province |
Taloqan |
|
|
| Wardak Province |
Meydan Shahr |
|
|
| Zabul Province |
Qalat |
2nd Brigade, 205th ANA Corps |
|
