Paktika is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the eastern part of the country. Forming part of the larger Loya Paktia region, Paktika has a population of about 789,000, mostly ethnic Pashtuns. The town of Sharana serves as the provincial capital, while the most populous city is Urgun.
Spin Boldak is a border town and the headquarters of Spin Boldak District in the southern Kandahar province of Afghanistan, next to the border with Pakistan. It is linked by a highway with the city of Kandahar to the north, and with Chaman and Quetta in Pakistan to the south. Spin Boldak has the second major port of entry between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Wesh-Chaman border crossing. It is also a major transporting, shipping and receiving site between the two neighboring countries.
Lashkargāh, historically called Bost or Boost, is a city in southwestern Afghanistan and the capital of Helmand Province. It is located in Lashkargah District, where the Arghandab River merges into the Helmand River. The city has a population of 201,546 as of 2006. Lashkargah is linked by major roads with Kandahar to the east, Zaranj on the border with Iran to the west, and Farah and Herat to the north-west. It is mostly very arid and desolate. However, farming does exist around the Helmand and Arghandab rivers. Bost Airport is located on the east bank of the Helmand River, five miles north of the junction of the Helmand and Arghandab rivers. Because of the trading hubs, it is Afghanistan's second largest city in size, after Kabul and before Kandahar.
Farah is the capital and largest city of Farah Province in western Afghanistan. It is located on the Farah River, close to the border with Iran. It is one of the largest cities of western Afghanistan in terms of population, with about 1.5 million people living in its urban area.
Maidan Shar, also Maidan Shahr or simply Maidan, is the capital of Maidan Wardak province in central Afghanistan. Its population was estimated to be 35,008 in 2003, of which is mostly Hazaras.
Charikar, officially renamed to Imam Abu Hanifa or Imam Azam, is the main town of the Koh Daman Valley. It is the capital of Charikar District, and the capital of Parwan Province in northern Afghanistan. It has a population of around 171,200, which is majority Tajik populated. The town was officially renamed in December 2022 by the Taliban to honor the Sunni Muslim theologian and jurist Abu Hanifa, who is also sometimes called Imam Azam and was the founder of the Hanafi school of Islamic law.
Grishk, also spelled Gereshk, is the new name of Zamindawar which is named after the invasion the region by Nader Afshar army and given to Ghilji tribe in 18th century. Grishk a town in Grishk District of Helmand province, geographically located along the Helmand River in Afghanistan, some 120 km (75 mi) northwest of Kandahar, at 817 metres (2,680 ft) altitude. Upstream lies the Kajaki Dam which diverts water to the Boghra Irrigation Canal, an essential infrastructure for the region's crops. Grishk Dam is also nearby. Grishk was originally built around a fort on the east bank of the river but was later rebuilt on the west. The fort was twice captured by the British: first in the First Anglo-Afghan War and again in 1879. In both cases the fort was later abandoned. Grishk has a population of about 48,546 and has a hospital and a school of engineering which was built back in 1957.
Puli Khumrī, also spelled Pul-i-Khumri or Pol-e Khomri, is a city in northern Afghanistan. Puli Khumri is the capital and largest city of Baghlan Province, whose name comes from the other major town in the province, Baghlan. The city has an estimated population of about 221,274 as of 2015, making it about the 9th-largest city of Afghanistan, and the second-largest city in northeastern Afghanistan after Kunduz. It is a major industrial city.
Qalat, sometimes spelled as Kalat, and historically referred to as Qalāti Khaljī or Qalat-i Ghilzai, is a city in southern Afghanistan that serves as the capital of Zabul Province. It is linked by Highway 1 with Kandahar to the southwest and Ghazni to the northeast. The city had 5,462 dwellings in 2014, with an estimated population of approximately 49,158 people. Qalat is divided by at least 4 police districts (nahias) with land area of 4,820 hectares.
Taloqan is the capital of Takhar Province, in northeastern Afghanistan. It is located in the Taluqan District. The population was estimated as 196,400 in 2006.
Bāzārak is the provincial capital of Panjshir Province, in the Panjshir Valley of northeastern Afghanistan. It is a small city with a total population of 24,723 as of 2015 and has only three police districts (nahias). The total land area of Bazarak city is 9,122 hectares and there are 2,747 dwellings in the city. It comprises six villages: Khanez, Jangalak, Malaspa, Parandeh and Rahmankhel. The tomb of Ahmad Shah Massoud, known as the "Lion of Panjshir", is located in Bazarak.
Qala-e-Naw is a town in Qala e Naw District and the capital of Badghis Province, in north-west Afghanistan. Its population was estimated at 9,000 in 2006, of which mostly Sunni Hazaras. Other significant communities include Tajiks, Pashtuns, Balochs, and Uzbeks.
The city of Mahmud-i-Raqi is the capital of Kapisa Province and center of Mahmud Raqi District in Afghanistan. It has a population of 50,490 and is made up of four districts. Mahmood Raqi, located to the northeast of Kabul, is classified as an urban village. It is approximately 70 km from Kabul and 20 km to Charikar.
Torghundi, also spelled Turghundi or Towrgondi, is a border town in northern Herat Province of Afghanistan. The town's main attraction is the Torghundi custom house and border checkpoint, which officially connects Afghanistan by road with Turkmenistan. Torghundi is the second checkpoint and border crossing between the two countries, with Aqina to the northeast being the other. Torghundi is connected by both a regular road and a 1520 mm gauge railroad with the neighboring town of Serhetabat in Turkmenistan. The city of Herat in Afghanistan is located about 100 km (62 mi) of driving distance south from Torghundi.
Sharana District or Sharan District is home to the city of Sharana, which is the capital of Paktika Province, Afghanistan. The Paktika Governor's compound is in Sharana, attached to the police headquarters for the province. The district is within the heartland of the Sulaimankhel tribe of Ghilji Pashtuns. The estimated population in 2019 was 63,626.
Puli Alam, also spelled Pul-i-Alam or Pol-e Alam, is the provincial capital of Logar Province, Afghanistan as well as of Puli Alam District. The population of the district is estimated to be around 108,000, and is composed of ethnic Pashtuns and Tajiks. The city of Puli Alam itself had a population of 22,914 in 2015. it has 4 districts and a total land area of 3,752 hectares. The total number of dwellings in the city is 2,546.
Bala Murghab is a city in the Badghis province of northwestern Afghanistan, located on the Murghab River. It is the district center for the Bala Murghab District. Bala Murghab is the largest city of Badghis Province, while Bala Murghab District, with a population of 109,381, is also the most populous district of the province. Close to Bala Murghab lie the ruins of the medieval city Marw al-Rudh, the historical capital of the medieval region of Gharjistan. Throughout the War in Afghanistan, it was heavily contested by the Taliban and Afghan National Security Forces. The city was captured by the Taliban during the 2021 Taliban offensive.
Parun, also called Prasûn and Prasungul, is a small town and administrative center of Nuristan Province and its Parun District in Afghanistan.
Waygal District is a district of Nuristan Province in eastern Afghanistan. It has nine major villages in the valley as following by area and population, Waygal, Zanchgal, Nishigram, Ameshdesh, Akun, Kegal, Muldesh, Jamach, and Want. The local Kalasha people speak the Waigali language, a Nuristani language. Pashto and Dari are also widely understood and used as official languages.
Urgun is the main town of the Urgun District of Paktika Province, Afghanistan. With an estimated population of 10,665, Urgun is the largest city of Paktika, while Urgun District, with a population of 89,718, is also the most populous district of the province. Urgun historically used to be the capital of Paktika, but in the 1970s, the capital was shifted from Urgun to Sharana in the west because Urgun was not easily accessible from the main Kabul–Kandahar Highway.
Afghanistan 
