Among the population, what are the major religious, ethnic, and linguistic groups?
Afghanistan has been for centuries a land of diverse peoples. Communities with separate religions, languages, and ethnic backgrounds have lived side by side. With a multitude of distinct ethnic groups, Afghanistan still remains a country of dynamic diversity. The main ethnic groups are Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Turkmen, Aimaq, Baluch, Nuristani and Kizilbash. Pashto and Dari are Afghanistan’s official languages. Afghanistan’s Consitution stipulates that all other languages are “official” in the areas in which they are spoken by a majority of the population. Dari is spoken by more than one-third of the population and Pashto is spoken throughout Kabul and eastern and southern Afghanistan. Many Afghans are multi-lingual. Tajik and Turkic languages are spoken widely in the north. Smaller groups throughout the country also speak more than 70 other languages and numerous dialects. Afghanistan is an Islamic country. An estimated 80% of the population is Sunni, following the Hanafi School
