Afghanistan Location and Geography:
Afghanistan is located between Central and South Asia. It is a landlocked country, which means it does not have access to the ocean. The latitude and longitude of Afghanistan are 33° 00' N and 65° 00' E, respectively. Afghanistan, the Heart of Asia, is bounded to the east and south by Pakistan, to the west by Iran, to the northwest by Turkmenistan, to the north by Uzbekistan, to the northeast by Tajikistan, and to the northeast and east by China.
Wakhan Corridor
China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan meet at the Wakhan Corridor in Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan. At its eastern end, Wakhan Corridor splits into two prongs that wrap around a Chinese bulge, forming the 92 km border between the two nations.
Physiography of Afghanistan:
Afghanistan is the 41st largest country in the world, slightly larger than France but smaller than Myanmar and approximately the size of Texas in the United States.
- Mountains: Hindukush
- Plains: Turkestan and Sistan Basin
- Rivers: The Amu Darya is 879 miles long, while Helmand is 715 miles long.
Afghanistan Climate
Afghanistan's climate is continental. In the Central Highlands, winters are extremely harsh. Glaciers dominate the northeastern part.
Afghanistan Capital
Kabul is the largest city and capital of Afghanistan. It is situated on the banks of the Kabul River. Kabul is strategically located at the intersection of the east-west and north-south trade routes in a valley surrounded by towering mountains.
Afghanistan Time
AFT or Afghanistan Time has a UTC offset of +4:30. This indicates that the time zone is 4.5 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
Afghanistan Population
The current population of Afghanistan is 42,239,854 (2022). It has witnessed a 2.9 % population growth rate (World Bank). Afghanistan's infant mortality rate in 2023 is 44 deaths per 1000 live births.
Afghanistan Language
It is ethnically a divided country based on linguistic lines. Pashtuns constitute 39 percent of the country's population, followed by Tajiks at 37 percent. Hazaras and Uzbeks are the other two important racial groups. Officially recognized languages are Dari and Pashto.
Afghanistan Food
Its food is influenced by Persian, Central Asian, and Indian food to some degree due to proximity and old cultural and historical ties. Some mouthwatering dishes are, Bolani (stuffed flat-bread), Kabuli Pulao (rice cooked with lamb meat), and Aushak (Dumplings), while ordinary people relish tokhme banjanromi (egg dish) for breakfast.
Afghanistan Economy
Afghanistan has a lot of resources, like gold, oil, bauxite, rare earth, chromium, copper, natural gas, uranium, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, gemstones, talc, sulfur, travertine, gypsum, and marble. According to Bloomberg, Afghanistan is sitting on the largest reserves of Lithium. Its estimated value is around $ 1 trillion.
Afghanistan Religion
Afghanistan is an Islamic country where most people adhere to Islam. 90% of the population practices Sunni Islam. Around 10 % of people follow Shia Islam, mainly in the Herat province, situated at the Iran border.
Afghanistan Taliban
The Taliban are a largely Pashtun Islamic extremist group that reclaimed control in Afghanistan in 2021 after a two-decade insurgency. Taliban are Talibs, which means students who are Islamic Guerilla fighters (mujahideen) who fought against the Soviets in the 1990s. They believe in the country's strict implementation of Islamic law and restrict women's rights.
Is Afghanistan Safe?
Currently, it is not considered safe due to the following reasons:
- Volatile and unpredictable political situation.
- Civil unrest, frequent bomb explosions, and terror attacks.
- Crime and Kidnappings
- Corruption by warlords