Afghanistan, once known as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located

at the intersection of Central and South Asian nations. The country is located in the "Heart of
Asia" and shares borders with Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and China.
The nation-state covers an area of 652,864 square kilometers (252,072 square miles) and is
mostly mountainous, with the Hindu Kush mountain range separating plains in the north and
southwest. Kabul, the largest city and capital of the nation, acts as the epicenter. The population
of Afghanistan is expected to reach 40.2 million by 2021, according to the World Population
Review.[6] Afghanistan's population is expected to reach 32.9 million by 2020, as reported by
the National Statistics Information Authority.[28]
Humans have inhabited Afghanistan from the Middle Paleolithic epoch. The area, known as the
"graveyard of empires," has been inhabited by diverse populations and has been the site of
numerous military confrontations involving various powers such as the Mongols, the United
States, the Soviet Union, the British, the Persians, Alexander the Great, and the Mauryan Empire.
Furthermore, powerful empires like the Mughals and the Greco-Bactrians arose in
Afghanistan.The region saw notable theological and historical progress as a result of several
conquests and periods influenced by the cultural spheres of Iran and India, which led to the
emergence of Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam. [31]Dost Mohammad Khan is
recognized by some as the foundation of the first modern Afghan state, while the Durrani Afghan
Empire is viewed as its precursor.[35] Dost Mohammad died in 1863 following his last attempt
to unify Afghanistan, resulting in a resurgence of internal warfare in the country. Afghanistan
stayed neutral in the geopolitical competition called the Great Game between the Russian and
British empires. During the First Anglo-Afghan War, the British attempted to seize Afghanistan
from India but were unsuccessful. Britain won the Second Anglo-Afghan War, strengthening
their political dominance. Amanullah Khan created the Kingdom of Afghanistan in June 1926,
marking the country's independence from foreign domination following the conclusion of the
Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919. The monarchy lasted for more than fifty years and came to an
end with the formation of the Republic of Afghanistan in 1973 following the death of Zahir
Shah.

Afghanistan has seen enduring violence since the late 1970s, with civil wars, invasions, coups,
and insurgency. In 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in response to internal unrest and
the aftermath of a communist revolution that established a socialist regime in 1978. The
Mujahideen engaged in combat against the Soviet Union during the Soviet-Afghan War and
persisted in the struggle following the Soviet withdrawal in 1989. In 1996, the Taliban, an
Islamic fundamentalist group, held significant power in Afghanistan, but the Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan was not widely recognized globally until the US invasion in 2001. The 21st-century
conflict, which lasted from 2001 to 2021, ended in 2021 when the Taliban took control of Kabul
and overthrew the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.Thirty-six In September
2021, the Taliban restored the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.[37] The Taliban's governance has
not yet received international recognition.Afghanistan has significant natural resources including
copper, iron, zinc, and lithium. It is the second-largest producer of cannabis and ranks third in
cashmere and saffron production.[41] The country is a founding member of the South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
(OIC). In recent decades, the country has faced increased terrorism, poverty, and child hunger as
a result of the aftermath of the fight. Afghanistan is positioned at 180th place on the Human
Development Index, indicating it is among the least developed nations globally. Afghanistan's
GDP is $20.1 billion in nominal terms and $81 billion in terms of purchasing power parity. It is
expected that its GDP per capita will be among the lowest of any country by 2020.