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Afghanistan is a country in southwestern Asia. Afghanistan consists of mountains, scorching deserts, fertile valleys, and rolling plains. The country is a little smaller than Texas. It is landlocked, having no borders near water. The surrounding countries are Russia, China, Pakistan, and Iran. Afghanistan is one of the world’s least developed countries in the world. Nomads make up a sixth of the population along with three-fourths of Afghanistan workers who farm the land. Kabul is the largest city and also the capital of Afghanistan. Ninety-nine percent of Afghans are Muslims. One common link among them is their religion, Islam. The major population consists of 20 ethnic groups which are then separated into several different tribes. Most ethnic groups have different languages and different cultures which makes it really hard for Afghanistan to develop into a unified modern nation. This leads to the troubles they have had over the centuries. They have suffered foreign interference by Russia and Great Britain. A bitter struggle over power in the country tore Afghanistan. The purpose of this paper will reveal Afghanistan’s people their history and the current events which contribute to the country’s conditions. Afghanistan can be divided into three regions-the northern plains, the central mountains, and the southern plateau. The northern plains have some of the most fertile land in Afghanistan, the country’s major agricultural area. However, because rainfall is scarce, only river valleys and regions where water is available can be cultivated. Afghanistan’s mountain ranges are an extension of the Himalayan Mountains and cover about two-thirds of the country; this forms the backbone of Afghanistan’s central mountains. The Kuh-e-Baba Mountains, which rise to almost 17,000 feet, are not the highest peaks of Afghanistan. The mountains with the highest elevation are found near the northeastern border with Pakistan and rise to 24,557 feet. In the twentieth century alone, more than a dozen earthquakes have occurred in the area around Kabul. The Northeastern part of the highlands is the most active. Within the past few months a new earthquake has again damaged this area. The 320-mile Kabul River is a vital source of water here, as its tributaries irrigate some of the most productive agricultural land in the country. The southwestern region consists primarily of desert and semi desert. The largest deserts here are the Registan, Dasht-i-Margo, and Dasht-i-Khash. These barren areas cover over 40,000 square miles, and lie between 1,500 and 2,000 feet about sea level. The entire region is bisected by the Helmand River, which flows from the Hindu Kush to Lake Helmand. Afghanistan has very severe winters and extremely long, hot summers. The climate is influenced more by high altitude than by latitude.
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