Afghanistan Districts

The district (wuluswali) is the second tier of Afghanistan, between the 34 provinces and the villages, and the unit most news about the country is placed by. The quiz draws 398 of them, from the one-city districts of Kabul and Herat to the vast desert districts of Helmand and Nimruz.

The quiz: Name to place, on the map
Grouped by: Province: the 34 of the country
In the game: 398 districts

Start

What you are looking at

The districts of Afghanistan, as geoBoundaries draws them. Afghanistan has no single published list: districts are created by decree from year to year, so the count depends on the date of the map, and 398 is what this one draws rather than a statutory number. A newer district may sit inside one of these.

Seven names are used twice in different provinces, and the quiz writes the province after them so that each answer is one place: Arghandab in Kandahar and in Zabul, Baharak in Badakhshan and in Takhar, Dawlatabad in Balkh and in Faryab, Fayzabad in Badakhshan and in Jowzjan, Kohistan in Badakhshan and in Faryab, Muqur in Badghis and in Ghazni, and Qarabagh in Ghazni and in Kabul.

The districts are very uneven. In the Kabul basin and round the cities of Mazar-i-Sharif, Jalalabad and Herat they are packed tightly, and the smallest have a tap area wider than their outline, so zooming in is the way to reach them. In the south and west the opposite holds. Badakhshan alone has 28, and its Wakhan district is the long arm that reaches the Chinese border.

The groups are the provinces, and since there are 34 of them a first run opens on Kabul alone. Each province answers under the same name in Afghanistan Provinces.

How to place one

Pick one province and learn it. Panjshir has three districts and Nimruz and Uruzgan five each; Kabul has fifteen and Badakhshan twenty-eight.
Start with the capital. Kabul province is small, and its districts radiate from the city of Kabul in the middle.
Use the cities. Mazari Sharif, Jalalabad, Herat and Kandahar are the district at the heart of each province's biggest city, and each is small.
Read the south and west as basins. The districts of Helmand and Farah are large, so a point in the desert is usually a handful of candidates.

Every district, by province

Herat16 districts: Adraskan, Chishti Sharif, Farsi, Ghoryan, Gulran, Guzara, Hirat, Injil, Karukh, Kohsan, Koshk, Koshki Kohna, Obe, Pashtun Zarghun, Shindand, Zanda Jan
Helmand13 districts: Baghran, Dishu, Garmser, Kajaki, Lashkar Gah, Musa Qala, Nad Ali, Nahri Sarraj, Naw Zad, Nawa-I- Barak Zayi, Reg (Khanshin), Sangin, Washer
Kabul15 districts: Bagrami, Chahar Asyab, Dih Sabz, Farza, Guldara, Istalif, Kabul, Kalakan, Khaki Jabbar, Mir Bacha Kot, Musayi, Paghman, Qarabagh (Kabul), Shakardara, Surobi
Balkh16 districts: Balkh, Chahar Bolak, Chahar Kint, Chimtal, Dawlatabad (Balkh), Dihdadi, Feroz Nakhchir, Kaldar, Khulm, Kishindih, Marmul, Mazari Sharif, Nahri Shahi, Sholgara, Shortepa, Zari
Kandahar15 districts: Arghandab (Kandahar), Arghistan, Daman, Ghorak, Kandahar, Khakrez, Maruf, Maywand, Nesh, Panjwayi, Registan, Shah Wali Kot, Shorabak, Spin Boldak, Zhari
Badakhshan28 districts: Arghanj Khaw, Argo, Baharak (Badakhshan), Darayim, Darwaz, Darwazbala, Fayzabad (Badakhshan), Ishkashiem, Jurm, Khash, Khwahan, Kishim, Kohistan (Badakhshan), Kuf Ab, Kuran Wa Munjan, Raghistan, Shahada, Shahri Buzurg, Shaki, Shighnan, Tagab (Kishmi Bala), Tashkan, Wakhan, Warduj, Yaftal Sufla, Yamgan (Girwan), Yawan, Zebak
Ghazni21 districts: Ab Band, Ajristan, Andar, Bahrami Shahid (Jaghatu), Dih Yak, Gelan, Ghazni, Giro, Jaghatu, Jaghuri, Khwaja Umari, Malistan, Muqur (Ghazni), Naw Bahar, Nawa, Nawur, Qarabagh (Ghazni), Rashidan, Waghaz, Wali Muhammadi Shahid, Zana Khan
Farah11 districts: Anar Dara, Bakwa, Bala Buluk, Farah, Gulistan, Khaki Safed, Lash Wa Juwayn, Pur Chaman, Pusht Rod, Qala Ka, Shib Koh
Kunduz7 districts: Aliabad, Chahar Dara, Dashte Archi, Imam Sahib, Khanabad, Kunduz, Qalay-I- Zal
Nangarhar21 districts: Acheen, Bati Kot, Bihsud, Chaparhar, Dara-I-Nur, Deh Bala, Dur Baba, Goshta, Jalalabad, Kama, Khogayani, Kot, Kuz Kunar, Lal Por, Muhmand Dara, Nazyan, Pachier Agam, Rodat, Shinwar, Shirzad, Surkh Rod
Ghor10 districts: Chaghcharan, Charsada, Dawlat Yar, Du Layna, Lal Wa Sarjangal, Pasaband, Saghar, Shahrak, Taywara, Tulak
Bamyan7 districts: Bamyan, Kahmard, Panjab, Sayghan, Shibar, Waras, Yakawlang
Paktia12 districts: Ahmad Abad, Ali Khail (Jaji), Chamkani, Dand Patan, Gardiz, Jani Khail, Laja Ahmad Khail, Mosa Khail, Sayed Karam, Shawak, Zadran, Zurmat
Faryab14 districts: Almar, Andkhoy, Bilchiragh, Dawlatabad (Faryab), Gurziwan, Khani Chahar Bagh, Khwaja Sabz Posh, Kohistan (Faryab), Maymana, Pashtun Kot, Qaramqol, Qaysar, Qurghan, Shirin Tagab
Uruzgan5 districts: Chora, Dihrawud, Khas Uruzgan, Shahidi Hassas, Tirin Kot
Takhar17 districts: Baharak (Takhar), Bangi, Chah Ab, Chal, Darqad, Dashti Qala, Farkhar, Hazar Sumuch, Ishkamish, Kalfagan, Khwaja Bahawuddin, Khwaja Ghar, Namak Ab, Rustaq, Taluqan, Warsaj, Yangi Qala
Badghis7 districts: Ab Kamari, Bala Murghab, Ghormach, Jawand, Muqur (Badghis), Qadis, Qala-I- Naw
Maidan Wardak8 districts: Chaki Wardak, Day Mirdad, Hisa-I- Awali Bihsud, Jalrez, Markazi Bihsud, Maydan Shahr, Nirkh, Saydabad
Zabul11 districts: Arghandab (Zabul), Atghar, Daychopan, Kakar, Miya Nishin, Mizan, Qalat, Shahjoy, Shamulzayi, Shinkay, Tarnak Wa Jaldak
Baghlan15 districts: Andarab, Baghlani Jadid, Burka, Dahana-I- Ghuri, Dih Salah, Dushi, Farang Wa Gharu, Guzargahi Nur, Khinjan, Khost Wa Firing, Khwaja Hijran (Jilga Nahrin), Nahrin, Puli Hisar, Puli Khumri, Tala Wa Barfak
Khost12 districts: Bak, Gurbuz, Jaji Maidan, Khost (Matun), Mando Zayi, Nadir Shah Kot, Qalandar, Sabri, Shamal, Spira, Tani, Tere Zayi
Jowzjan11 districts: Aqcha, Darzab, Fayzabad (Jowzjan), Kham Ab, Khaniqa, Khwaja Du Koh, Mangajek, Mardyan, Qarqin, Qush Tepa, Shibirghan
Nimruz5 districts: Chahar Burjak, Chakhansur, Kang, Khash Rod, Zaranj
Kunar15 districts: Asadabad, Bar Kunar, Chapa Dara, Chawkay, Dangam, Dara-I-Pech, Ghaziabad, Khas Kunar, Marawara, Narang, Nari, Nurgal, Sarkani, Shaygal wa shital, Wata Pur
Daykundi9 districts: Gaiti, Gizab, Ishtarlay, Kajran, Khadir, Miramor, Nili, Sangi Takht, Shahristan
Samangan6 districts: Aybak, Dara-I-Sufi Bala, Dara-I-Sufi Payin, Hazrati Sultan, Khuram Wa Sarbagh, Ruyi Du Ab
Paktika19 districts: Barmal, Dila, Gayan, Gomal, Jani Khel, Mata Khan, Nika, Omna, Sar Hawza, Sarobi, Sharan, Turwo, Urgun, Waza Khwa, Wor Mayi, Yahya Khel, Yosuf Khel, Zarghun Shahr, Ziruk
Sar-e Pol7 districts: Balkhab, Gosfandi, Kohistanat, Sangcharak, Sari Pul, Sayyad, Sozma Qala
Parwan13 districts: Bagram, Chaharikar, Hisa-i-Duwumi Kohistan, Jabalussaraj, Kohi Safi, Mahmudi Raqi, Salang, Sayd Khel, Shekh Ali, Shinwari, Shutul, Sia Gird (Ghorbund), Surkhi Parsa
Laghman5 districts: Alingar, Alishing, Daulatshahi, Mihtarlam, Qarghayi
Nuristan8 districts: Bargi Matal, Du Ab, Kamdesh, Mandol, Nurgaram, Parun, Wama, Waygal
Kapisa8 districts: Alasay, Dara, Hisa-i-Awali Kohistan, Koh Band, Nijrab, Rukha, Tagab, Unaba
Logar8 districts: Azra, Baraki Barak, Charkh, Hesarak, Kharwar, Khoshi, Mohammad Agha, Puli Alam
Panjshir3 districts: Bazarak, Khenj (Hese- Awal), Paryan

Worked examples

Wakhan

The long arm

Wakhan is the district that reaches east along the Wakhan Corridor, a strip of high valley between Tajikistan and Pakistan that ends at the border with China. It belongs to Badakhshan and is among the most remote places in the country.

Mazari Sharif

The smallest of them

Mazari Sharif is the district of the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, in Balkh, and one of the smallest on the map. It needs a tap area, because the districts round it are many times its size.

Arghandab (Zabul)

The name that appears twice

There are two Arghandabs, one in Kandahar and one in Zabul, and the quiz asks for them with the province in brackets. Many maps and news reports leave the province out, so it is worth knowing both.