Afghanistan is bordered to the west by Iran, to the north by Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan and to the east and south by China and Pakistan.
Its topography is dominated by a complex of irregular highlands which increase in height from the west to the east (where peaks over 22,965 feet or 7000 metres are found) and form part of the Hindu Kush. Almost half of the country lies at about 2,000 metres or more above sea level. Afghanistan constitutes a major watershed with the Oxus (Amu-Darya) rising on the north side of the Hindu Kush and flowing into central Asia, whereas on the south side several rivers form tributaries of the Indus. The climate is of an arid steppe type with dry summers and cold winters. Water supplies vary widely within Afghanistan. Although some areas regularly receive heavy snowfalls in winter, there has been widespread drought in recent years.
Afghan Girl
Afghanistan
Bouskatchi
Burkay
Herat Mosque
Kabul Mountings
Mother in Burka
Sweet Bananas
Area: 251,740 square miles (652,000 sq km)
Population: estimated to be 27.1 million (UN) with an estimated total of 2 million refugees in Pakistan and 800,000 in Iran (UNHCR)
Capital city: Kabul, population estimated to be 4 million (Deputy Mayor of Kabul December 2002). Other main cities are Herat, Jalalabad, Kandahar and Mazar-e Sharif.
People: The population comprises numerous ethnic groups, the major ones being Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, Uzbeks, Chahar Aimaks and Turkmen.
Language: Dari (related to Farsi) and Pashto
Religion: approximately 99% Islam -around 80% of whom are Sunni Muslim
Currency: The Afghani
