and largest cityKabul34°32′N 69°08′EOfficial languagesPashto Dari[1]DemonymAfghan [alternatives]GovernmentIslamic republic - PresidentHamid Karzai - Vice PresidentsMohammed FahimKarim Khalili - Chief JusticeAbdul Salam AzimiLegislatureNational Assembly - Upper houseHouse of Elders - Lower houseHouse of the PeopleIndependence from Persia[2] - First Afghan stateApril 1709 - Afghan EmpireOctober 1747 - RecognizedAugust 19, 1919 Area - Total652,230 km2 (41st)251,827 sq mi - Water (%)negligiblePopulation - 2013 estimate31,108,077[3] (40) - 1979 census15.5 million[4] - Density43.5/km2 (150th)111.8/sq miGDP (PPP)2012 estimate - Total$33.740 billion[5] - Per capita$1,053[5]GDP (nominal)2012 estimate - Total$19.906 billion[5] - Per capita$621[5]Gini (2008)29[6]lowHDI (2011)0.398[7]low · 172ndCurrencyAfghani (AFN)Time zoneD† (UTC+4:30)Drives on therightCalling code+93ISO 3166 codeAFInternet TLD.afAfghanistan (i/æfˈɡænɨstæn/; Persian:افغانستان; Pashto: Afġānistān), officially theIslamic Republic of Afghanistan, is alandlocked sovereign state forming part ofSouth Asia,[8] Central Asia,[9] and to some extent Western Asia. It has a population of around 30 million inhabiting an area of approximately 647,500 km2 (250,001 sq mi), making it the 42nd most populous and 41stlargest nation in the world. It is bordered byPakistan in the south and the east, Iran in the west, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, andTajikistan in the north, and China in the far northeast.Afghanistan has been an ancient focal point of the Silk Road and human migration. Archaeologists have found evidence of human habitation from as far back as theMiddle Paleolithic. Urban civilization may have begun in the area as early as 3,000 to 2,000 BC.[10] Sitting at an importantgeostrategic location that connects the Middle East culture with Central Asia and theIndian subcontinent,[11] the land has been home to various peoples through the ages[12]and witnessed many military campaigns, notably by Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, and in modern era Western forces.[10]The land also served as a source from which the Greco-Bactrians, Kushans, Hephthalites,Samanids, Saffarids, Ghaznavids, Ghorids,Mughals, Durranis, Hotakis and others have risen to form major empires.[13]The political history of the modern state of Afghanistan begins in 1709 with the rise of the Pashtuns, when the Hotaki dynasty was established in Kandahar followed by the rise of the Durrani Empire in 1747.[14][15][16] In the late 19th century, Afghanistan became abuffer state in the Great Game betweenBritish India and the Russian Empire. Following the 1919 Anglo-Afghan War, King Amanullah began a European style modernization of the country but was stopped by ultra-conservatives. During the Cold War, after the withdrawal of the British from neighboring India in 1947, the United States and the Soviet Union began spreading influences in Afghanistan,[17] which led in 1979 to a bloody war between the US-backedmujahideen forces and the Soviet-backed Afghan government in which over a million Afghans lost their lives.[18][19] This was followed by a 1990s civil war, the rise and fall of the extremist Taliban government, and the2001–present war.[20] In December 2001, theUnited Nations Security Council authorized the creation of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to help maintain security in Afghanistan and assist the Karzai administration.[21]Three decades of war made Afghanistan one of the worlds most dangerous countries.[22]While the international community is rebuilding war-torn Afghanistan, terrorist groups such as the Haqqani Network andHezbi Islami[23] are actively involved in a nationwide Taliban-led insurgency,[24] which includes hundreds of assassinations andsuicide attacks.[25] According to the United Nations, the insurgents were responsible for 80% of civilian casualties in 2011 and 2012.[26][27] Etymology Geography History Governance Economy Health Education Demographics Culture See also Notes References Further reading External links Read in another language
Posted on: Fri, 08 Nov 2013 00:36:13 +0000
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