Portal:Afghanistan

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The Afghanistan Portal

Flag of Afghanistan

Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the east and south, Iran to the west, Turkmenistan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, Tajikistan to the northeast, and China to the northeast and east. Occupying 652,864 square kilometers (252,072 sq mi) of land, the country is predominantly mountainous with plains in the north and the southwest, which are separated by the Hindu Kush mountain range. Kabul is the country's capital and largest city. According to the World Population review, as of 2023^[update], Afghanistan's population is 43 million. The National Statistics Information Authority of Afghanistan estimated the population to be 32.9 million as of 2020^[update].

Human habitation in Afghanistan dates to the Middle Paleolithic era. Popularly referred to as the graveyard of empires, the land has witnessed numerous military campaigns, including those by the Persians, Alexander the Great, the Maurya Empire, Arab Muslims, the Mongols, the British, the Soviet Union, and a US-led coalition. Afghanistan also served as the source from which the Greco-Bactrians and the Mughals, among others, rose to form major empires. Because of the various conquests and periods in both the Iranian and Indian cultural spheres, the area was a center for Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and later Islam. The modern state of Afghanistan began with the Durrani Afghan Empire in the 18th century, although Dost Mohammad Khan is sometimes considered to be the founder of the first modern Afghan state. Afghanistan became a buffer state in the Great Game between the British Empire and the Russian Empire. From India, the British attempted to subjugate Afghanistan but were repelled in the First Anglo-Afghan War; the Second Anglo-Afghan War saw a British victory. Following the Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919, Afghanistan became free of foreign political hegemony, and emerged as the independent Kingdom of Afghanistan in 1926. This monarchy lasted almost half a century, until Zahir Shah was overthrown in 1973, following which the Republic of Afghanistan was established.

Afghanistan is rich in natural resources, including lithium, iron, zinc, and copper. It is the second-largest producer of cannabis resin, and third largest of both saffron and cashmere. The country is a member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and a founding member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Due to the effects of war in recent decades, the country has dealt with high levels of terrorism, poverty, and child malnutrition. Afghanistan remains among the world's least developed countries, ranking 180th in the Human Development Index. Afghanistan's gross domestic product (GDP) is $81 billion by purchasing power parity and $20.1 billion by nominal values. Per capita, its GDP is among the lowest of any country as of 2020^[update]. (Full article...)

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Route Trident (known locally as the New or Big Road) was built by the British Army's Royal Engineers in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The construction of the road was codenamed Operation Lar Jarowel by the Ministry of Defence. Route Trident (named after the Regimental emblem of 28 Engineer Regiment—the Amphibious Engineers who have the Trident as their emblem) replaced an older road that was vulnerable to attack by insurgents on convoys supplying three patrol bases established in the Gholam Dastagir Kalay area as part of Operation Panther's Claw. In the immediate aftermath of operation the Light Dragoons Battlegroup were suffering casualties as they tried to secure the area and resupply their patrol bases. The attacks resulted in the deaths of two British servicemen and led to the cancellation of the convoys, forcing the bases to be resupplied by air.

Following a meeting between the Commanding Officer of the Light Dragoons (Lt Col Fair) and Commanding Officer of 28 Engineer Regiment (Lt Col MTG Bazeley) it was decided that a new and easier to protect road would be constructed by the Royal Engineers. 28 Engineer Regiment had used a Neoloy Geocell cellular confinement system for road construction on an exercise in the UK prior to deployment and this was considered to be a practical option to reduce aggregate cost and provide a barrier to the planting of IEDs. Construction began in December 2009 and was completed in March 2010, during which time the construction teams and security forces came under frequent attack. This was the first road to be built under fire since British operations in the Dhofar Rebellion in the early 1970s, the completed road allowed resupply convoys to travel its length in about 30 minutes, compared to 36 hours along the old road. The success of the project led to the approval of plans for an extension to connect the provincial capital Lashkargah with the economic capital of Grishk. Construction of the extension began in July 2010 and was completed in April 2011. (Full article...)

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... that after travelling around 8,300 km (5,200 mi) from Afghanistan to Ireland, Muzamil Sherzad was named a member of Ireland's squad for the 2022 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup?
... that University of Nebraska alumnus M. Khalid Roashan helped draft the 1964 Constitution of Afghanistan?
... that artefacts from Ai-Khanoum, a Hellenistic city rediscovered by the King of Afghanistan in 1961, include a "remarkable" disc displaying "hybrid Greek and Oriental imagery"?
... that background research for Dujanah included interviews with Muslim apostates and a Scottish veteran of Afghanistan?
... that the ruined stronghold of Alexandria Ariana, a city founded by Alexander the Great, may lie underneath the citadel of Herat in present-day Afghanistan?

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The following are images from various Afghanistan-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Gandhara Kingdom in Early Vedic Period, around 1500 BCE (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 2Modern-day sketch work of Mahmud Hotak (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 3Some of the popular Afghan dishes, from left to right: 1. Lamb grilled kebab (seekh kabab); 2. Palao and salad; 3. Tandoori chicken; and 4. Mantu (dumplings). The Afghan cuisine includes a blend of Central Asian, Eastern Asian, South Asian and the Middle Eastern cuisines. Nearly all Afghan dishes are non-spicy. (from Culture of Afghanistan)
Image 4Ethno-linguistic map of Afghanistan 1997 (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 5Kabul during civil war in 1993 (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 6Map of the region during the 7th century (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 7Vishnu Nicolo Seal representing Vishnu with a worshipper (probably Mihirakula), 4th–6th century CE. The inscription in cursive Bactrian reads: "Mihira, Vishnu and Shiva". British Museum. (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 8Women dancing in traditional dress in San Francisco (from Culture of Afghanistan)
Image 9Kushan territories (full line) and maximum extent of Kushan dominions under Kanishka (dotted line), according to the Rabatak inscription (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 10The Mahajanapadas, including the Gandhara and Kambojas kingdoms and Achaemenid Empire in West, around c. 500 BCE (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 11Arachosia, Aria and Bactria were the ancient satraps of the Achaemenid Empire that made up most of what is now Afghanistan during 500 BCE. (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 12An Afghan man with a tasbih (from Culture of Afghanistan)
Image 13A miniature from Padshahnama depicting the surrender of the Shia Safavid garrison of Kandahar in 1638 to the Mughal army of Shah Jahan commanded by Kilij Khan. (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 14Ethnolinguistic groups in Afghanistan in 1982 (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 15Map of the situation in Afghanistan in late 1996; Massoud (red), Dostum (green) and Taliban (yellow) territories. (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 16Mohammad Zahir Shah in 1963
Image 17Afghan President Hamid Karzai speaking before U.S. Congress in June 2004 (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 18Alexander Empire in South Asia (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 19Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf sent more troops against the United Front of Ahmad Shah Massoud than the Afghan Taliban. (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 20The Bimaran casket, representing the Buddha surrounded by Brahma (left) and Śakra (right) was found inside a stupa with coins of Azes inside. British Museum. (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 21Players in a game of buzkashi, the national sport (from Culture of Afghanistan)
Image 22Present-day location of Afghanistan in Asia (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 23Much of the area corresponding to modern-day Afghanistan was subordinated to the Achaemenid Empire (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 24The Sasanian Empire at its greatest extent c. 620, under Khosrow II (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 25Approximate maximum extent of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom circa 180 BCE, including the regions of Tapuria and Traxiane to the West, Sogdiana and Ferghana to the north, Bactria and Arachosia to the south. (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 26Elements of Afghan culture including: tabla and harmonium musical instruments, an GhaderKooni, teapot, and sheer pira dessert (from Culture of Afghanistan)
Image 27Alexander's troops beg to return home from India in plate 3 of 11 by Antonio Tempesta of Florence, 1608. (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 28Herat Citadel in the western Afghan city of Herat (from Culture of Afghanistan)
Image 29King Yaqub Khan with Britain's Sir Pierre Louis Napoleon Cavagnari, 26 May 1879, on the occasion of the signing of the Treaty of Gandamak (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 30Afghan musicians in Farah, Afghanistan. (from Culture of Afghanistan)
Image 31NATO's military terminal at Kabul International Airport (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 32An Afghan boy with a kite (from Culture of Afghanistan)
Image 33Songbirds in cages at a farm in Nangarhar Province, used for the pleasure of the site's farmers (from Culture of Afghanistan)
Image 34From left to right: Abdullah Abdullah, John Kerry and Ashraf Ghani during the 2014 Afghan presidential election (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 35President Hamid Karzai observing the honor guard of the Afghan armed forces during the 2011 Afghan Independence Day. (from Culture of Afghanistan)
Image 36Tents of Afghan nomads in the northern Badghis Province of Afghanistan. Early peasant farming villages came into existence in Afghanistan about 7,000 years ago. (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 37Map of Afghanistan 1839–1863, showing the First Anglo-Afghan war, and unification of Afghanistan by Dost Mohammad Khan (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 38The day after the Marxist revolution on April 28, 1978 (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 39Timurid Empire at its greatest extent in 1405 (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 40Map of the Hotak Empire during the Reign of Mirwais Hotak, 1715. (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 41Map of the situation in Afghanistan in August 2001 until October 2001 (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 42Women painting at the Center for Contemporary Arts Afghanistan (CCAA) in Kabul. (from Culture of Afghanistan)
Image 43Map of Afghanistan (Emirate) and surrounding nations, dated 1860. (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 44Outside the Presidential Palace in Kabul, a day after the Marxist revolution on April 28, 1978. (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 45Soldiers of the Afghan National Army in 2010, including the ANA Commando Battalion standing in the front.
Image 46Taliban fighters patrolling Kabul in a Humvee, 17 August 2021 (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 47Map of Ghurid territory, before the assassination of Muhammad of Ghor. In the west, Ghurid territory extended to Nishapur and Merv, while Ghurid troops reached as far as Gorgan on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Eastward, the Ghurids invaded as far as Bengal. (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 48A map of Afghanistan showing the 2021 Taliban offensive (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 49Hotaki Empire, 1728 (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 50Ghaznavid Empire at its greatest extent in 1030 CE (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 51Gandhara Buddhist reliquary with content, including Indo-Parthian coins. 1st century CE.
Image 52Mongol invasions and conquests seriously depopulated large areas of Afghanistan (from History of Afghanistan)
Image 53Typical Afghan food table (from Culture of Afghanistan)

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President Hamid Karzai's August 2007 visit to the United States, where he was met by George and Laura Bush at Camp David in Maryland

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