Afghanistan, Central Asian country in South-Central Asia
Afghanistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia sharing borders with Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and China. The territory covers roughly 252,000 square miles (652,000 square kilometers) and consists mostly of mountains, with plains lying in the north and southwest.
The territory lay on a major trade route between Asia and the Mediterranean and was ruled over centuries by Persian, Greek, Indian, and Mongol leaders. Archaeological evidence shows people lived here tens of thousands of years ago.
The population includes several ethnic groups such as Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, and Uzbeks, with approximately 85 percent following Sunni Islam while the remaining inhabitants primarily practice Shia branches or belong to smaller religious communities.
The capital Kabul has an international airport with connections to larger cities in the region. The road network links different provinces together, though travel conditions depend strongly on security and season.
The Wakhan Corridor forms a narrow strip of land in the east reaching the Chinese border and was created in the 19th century as a buffer zone between Russian and British spheres of influence. Today this corridor remains one of the hardest regions to reach in the country.
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