ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF AFGHANISTAN

Location and map

Flag Emblem
Anthem: Suroudi Milli
Capital(largest city) ;Kabul34°31′N 69°08′E
Official languages ;PashtoPersian (Darī)
Government; Islamic Republic
President; Hamid Karzai
Vice President; Ahmad Zia Massoud
Vice President; Karim Khalili
Independence from the United Kingdom- Declared;August 8, 1919 -Recognized;August 19, 1919 Area
- Total; 652,090 km² (41st)251,772 sq mi
Population; - 2005 estimate; 29,863,000 (38th) - 1979 census; 13,051,358
- Density; 46/km² (150th)119/sq mi

GDP (PPP)
2006 estimate- Total $31.9 billion (91st)
- Per capita $1,310 (162nd)
HDI (2003) n/a (n/a) (unranked)
Currency ; Afghani (Af) (AFN)

Time zone (UTC+4:30) - Summer (DST)
(UTC+4:30)
Internet TLD ; .af
Calling code; +93

Afghānistān, officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is generally considered a part of Central Asia, and is sometimes ascribed to a regional bloc in either South Asia or the Middle East as it has cultural, ethno-linguistic, and geographic links with most of its neighbours. It is largely bordered by Pakistan in the south and east,[2] Iran in the west, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in the north, and the People's Republic of China in the far east. The name Afghanistan means "Land of the Afghans".
Afghanistan is a mosaic of ethnic groups and cultures, and a crossroads between east and west. An ancient land that is a focal point of trade, it has often been plundered, and the region of present-day Afghanistan has seen many invading forces come and go, including Persians, Greeks, Arabs, Turks, Mongols, British and Soviets. Afghanistan was created in 1747 as a large empire, its modern-day shape being recognized by the international community as a fully independent state in 1919, when foreign intervention ceased following the Anglo-Afghan wars. Since 1979, the country has suffered almost continous conflict, beginning with the Soviet invasion followed by the civil war and finally by the 2001 US war on terror, in which the ruling Taliban regime was toppled. In December 2001, the United Nations Security Council authorized the creation of an International Security Assistance Force. This force, composed of US and NATO troops is assisting the government of President Hamid Karzai in establishing authority across the country.