Kandahar Province

Kandahar کندهار
Province
From the top, Panjwayi District, Kandahar University, Dahla Dam
Nickname:  Loy kandahar
Map of Afghanistan with Kandahar highlighted
Coordinates (Capital): 31°00′N 65°30′E / 31.0°N 65.5°E / 31.0; 65.5
Country	Afghanistan
Capital	Kandahar
Government
• Type	Province
• Body	Ulema Council[1]
• Governor	Mullah Shirin Akhund[2]
• Deputy Governor	Maulvi Hayatullah Mubarak[3]
Area [4]
• Total	54,844 km2 (21,175 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[5]
• Total	1,431,876
• Density	26/km2 (68/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+4:30 (Afghanistan Time)
Postal code	38xx
Area code	AF-KAN
Main languages	Pashto

Kandahār (Pashto: کندهار; Kandahār, Dari: قندهار; Qandahār) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, located in the southern part of the country, sharing a border with Pakistan, to the south. It is surrounded by Helmand in the west, Uruzgan in the north and Zabul Province in the east. Its capital is the city of Kandahar, Afghanistan's second largest city, which is located on the Arghandab River. The greater region surrounding the province is called Loy Kandahar. The Emir of Afghanistan sends orders to Kabul from Kandahar making it the de facto capital of Afghanistan, although the main government body operates in Kabul. All meetings with the Emir take place in Kandahar, meetings excluding the Emir are in Kabul.

The province contains about 18 districts, over 1,000 villages, and approximately 1,431,876 people (the 6th most populous province), which is mostly tribal and a rural society.^[5] The main inhabitants of Kandahar province are the ethnic Pashtuns. They are followed by the Baloch people, Tajiks, Uzbeks, Turkmens and Hazaras.^[6]