Snow Leopard
This pale, spotted cat with its thick tail lives high in the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan, hunting wild sheep and goats across the rocky slopes.
Flag of Afghanistan
Field Report
Afghanistan is a rugged, mountainous country in the heart of Central Asia, sitting roughly between the Middle East and China. It is home to millions of people from many different ethnic groups who speak different languages and have lived in these ancient lands for thousands of years. Very few people there have ever heard the name of Jesus, which is why Christians around the world pray for Afghanistan as one of the least-reached places on earth.
From the Field Notebook
Snow Leopard
This pale, spotted cat with its thick tail lives high in the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan, hunting wild sheep and goats across the rocky slopes.
Marco Polo Sheep
Named after the famous explorer who described them in the 1200s, these large wild sheep have record-breaking curved horns that can stretch over four feet long.
Bactrian Camel
Unlike the one-humped camels of Arabia, the two-humped Bactrian camel is built for the cold deserts of Central Asia and has been used in Afghanistan as a working animal for thousands of years.
Mantu
These small steamed dumplings filled with spiced lamb and onion are draped in a sauce of yogurt and tomato, and Afghans often make them together as a family for special gatherings.
Kabuli Pulao
Considered the national dish, this fragrant rice is slow-cooked with lamb, raisins, and julienned carrots until the flavors are rich and slightly sweet.
Naan
Baked in a clay tandoor oven, Afghan naan is a long, thick flatbread with a slightly crisp crust that is eaten at almost every meal alongside soup, meat, or tea.
Afghanistan is landlocked and surrounded by six countries — Iran, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and China — meaning it has no coastline or ocean access at all.
The Band-e-Amir lakes in central Afghanistan are a vivid deep blue, held in place by natural mineral dams called travertine walls, making them look almost too bright to be real.
Afghanistan has been a crossroads for traders and travelers for over 3,000 years, and the ancient Silk Road — the trade route connecting China to Europe — passed right through it.
More than 40 different languages are spoken in Afghanistan, with Dari and Pashto being the two most widely used, which means a single country holds an enormous number of distinct people groups.
The ancient city of Balkh in northern Afghanistan is one of the oldest cities in the world, sometimes called the Mother of Cities, and was already a major center of civilization over 2,500 years ago.
Daily Life
66
Years life expectancy
37%
Can read and write
100%
Kids go to school
Missions Field Report
Afghanistan is home to 58 distinct people groups — 58 of them haven’t yet heard about Jesus.
Nearly all Afghanistan's people follow Islam (99.4%). Less than 1% of people in Afghanistan are Evangelical Christians.
What People Believe
Unreached People Groups
These are communities of people who haven’t had the chance to hear about Jesus yet. They need missionaries — and they need kids like you to pray for them.
Afghan, Tajik
12,313,000 people
Pashtun, Southern
8,840,000 people
Pashtun, Northern
4,588,000 people
Pashtun, Southeast
4,165,000 people
Hazara
3,769,000 people
Prayer Journal
Tick each one as you pray. God hears every word.