The 2005 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

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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

      

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