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This page was last updated on 27 September, 2005
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@Afghanistan
Introduction Afghanistan
Background:
Afghanistan's recent history is a story of war and civil unrest.
The Soviet Union invaded in 1979, but was forced to withdraw 10
years later by anti-Communist mujahidin forces. The Communist regime
in Kabul collapsed in 1992. Fighting that subsequently erupted among
the various mujahidin factions eventually helped to spawn the
Taliban, a hardline Pakistani-sponsored movement that fought to end
the warlordism and civil war that gripped the country. The Taliban
seized Kabul in 1996 and were able to capture most of the country
outside of Northern Alliance strongholds primarily in the northeast.
Following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, a US, Allied, and
Northern Alliance military action toppled the Taliban for sheltering
Osama BIN LADIN. In late 2001, a conference in Bonn, Germany,
established a process for political reconstruction that ultimately
resulted in the adoption of a new constitution and presidential
election in 2004. On 9 October 2004, Hamid KARZAI became the first
democratically elected president of Afghanistan. The new Afghan
government's next task is to hold National Assembly elections,
tentatively scheduled for April 2005.
Geography Afghanistan
Location:
Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran
Geographic coordinates:
33 00 N, 65 00 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 647,500 sq km
land: 647,500 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 5,529 km
border countries: China 76 km, Iran 936 km, Pakistan 2,430 km,
Tajikistan 1,206 km, Turkmenistan 744 km, Uzbekistan 137 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
Terrain:
mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m
highest point: Nowshak 7,485 m
Natural resources:
natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites,
sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones
Land use: arable land: 12.13% permanent crops: 0.22% other: 87.65% (2001)
Irrigated land:
23,860 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding;
droughts
Environment - current issues:
limited natural fresh water resources; inadequate supplies of
potable water; soil degradation; overgrazing; deforestation (much of
the remaining forests are being cut down for fuel and building
materials); desertification; air and water pollution
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping
signed, but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Life Conservation
Geography - note:
landlocked; the Hindu Kush mountains that run northeast to
southwest divide the northern provinces from the rest of the
