Kabul (Kābul) also spelled Cabool, Caubul, Kabol, or Cabul,
mostly in historical contexts, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan.
It is also the capital of Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan. According to a
2012 estimate, the population of the city is 3,289,000. Kabul is the 64th
largest and the 5th fastest growing city in the world.
The city serves as the nation's cultural and learning centre,
situated 1,791 metres (5,876 ft) above sea level in a narrow valley, wedged
between the Hindu Kush mountains along the Kabul River. It is linked with
Kandahar, Herat and Mazar-e Sharif via the circular Highway 1 that stretches
across Afghanistan. It is also the start of the main road to Jalalabad and
further to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Kabul International Airport is
located about 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) from the center of the city, next to the
Wazir Akbar Khan neighborhood. Bagram Airfield is about 25 miles (40 km)
northeast of Kabul.
Kabul's main products include fresh and dried fruit, nuts,
beverages, Afghan rugs, leather and sheep skin products, furniture, antique
replicas, and domestic clothes. The wars since 1978 have limited the city's
economic productivity but after the establishment of the Karzai administration
in late 2001 some progress has been made.
