AFGHANISTAN - About Afghanistan

Afghanistan, in southwestern Asia, bounded on the north by Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan; on the east by China and the part of the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir controlled by Pakistan; on the south by Pakistan; and on the west by Iran. 

Afghanistan was a monarchy from 1747 to 1973, when the king was overthrown by military officers and the country was proclaimed a republic; the republic dissolved in 1992 as the country erupted in civil war. Afghanistan lies across ancient trade and invasion routes from central Asia into India. This position has been the greatest influence on its history because the invaders often settled there. 

Today the population includes many different ethnic groups. Most of the present borders of the country were drawn up in the 19th century, when Afghanistan became a buffer state, or neutral zone, between Russia and British India. Kabul is the capital and largest city.

Ahmad Shah Durani also known as (Ahmad Shah Baba) is the founder of today's Afghanistan. Pir Sabir Shah, the spiritual guide of the time, showered his praise for the young Ahmad Shah by declaring him Dar-e-Durran (pearl of the pearls) not because that he was a military giant but for his humanity a definite quality of a statesman. He was the King of Afghanistan from 1747-1772 AD.

KEY DATA

Region:      Asia

Area Total:         647,500 km2

Area Land:         647,500 km2

Coast Line:         0 km (Landlocked) km

Capital:     Kabul

Climate:    Dry to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers

Languages:         Pashto, Pashtu or Pukhto number of Speakers in Afghanistan approximately 14 million and Dari (Farsi) is spoken by almost every ethnic division, they are Indo-European languages and are the major two languages spoken in Afghanistan; other Indo-European, Indo-Aryan languages, such as Balochi, Pashayi and Eastern Farsi, are also spoken; Turkic and Altaic languages, such as Uzbek and Turkmen, are present; Tajiki is also used.

Currency: Afghani

Holiday:    Independence Day, 19 August

BOUNDARIES

Pakistan:   2,430km

Tajikistan:          1,206km

Iran: 936km

Turkmenistan:  744km

Uzbekistan:       137km

China:        76km

ETHNIC DIVISIONS

Pashtun    52%

Tajiks        21%

Hazara       9%

Baloch       7%

Uzbek        6%

Turkmen  2%

Qizilbash  1%

Other         1%

RELIGIONS

Sunni Muslim    88%

Shi`a Muslim     11%

Other (including Zoroastrian, Jewish, Hindu, Baha'i and Christian)