Kandahar or
Qandahar ( ,
Persian: قندهار, , known in older literature as
Candahar) is the
second-largest city in
Afghanistan, with a population of about 491,500 as of 2012. Formerly called
Alexandria Arachosia, the city is named after
Alexander the Great, who founded it in 329 BC around a small ancient
Arachosian town. Kandahar is the capital of
Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at an altitude of 1,010 m above sea level. The
Arghandab River runs along the west of the city. The city of Kandahar has a population of 557,118. It has 15 districts and a total land area of 27,337 Hectar. The total number of dwellings in Kandahar is 61,902.