Kabul ( /ˈkɑːbəl/, /ˈkɑːbuːl/ or /kəˈbuːl/; Persian: کابل Kābol IPA: [kɒːbol], Pashto: کابل Kābəl IPA: [kɑbəl]), spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan. According to the 2011 official estimates, the population of Kabul metropolitan area is 3.9 million people.