Geography
• Landlocked country
• Hindu Kush Mts, 2nd
highest in the world
• Mountains form a
central backbone and
divide country into 3
regions
> fertile valleys at foot
of mountains
> north dry plains
> south desert
• Khyber Pass
connected Middle East
to China and India
•Capital Kabul, 3 million
Culture
• Population 25 million
• Many ethnic groups
and languages due to
division by mountains
• United by Islamic faith
• Among the world’s
poorest people
The Blue Mosque
History
• For a long time was a “buffer nation”
between the British Empire in India and
Russia to the north
• Became an ally of the Soviet Union in 1953
• In 1979 the Soviet
Union invaded,
supposedly invited by
the government to stop
a revolt
• 1/3 of population fled
to Pakistan and Iran
• The U.S. helped arm
the Mujahidin to fight
against the Soviets,
1.5 million die
fighting
• In 1989 the Soviets
withdrew
• Fighting continued
among Afghan groups
for control of
government
• Taliban gained power
in 1998 and imposed
strict Islamic law,
especially harsh to
women
Burka
Binyan Buddhas
Afghans flee to Pakistan
Destruction of Buddhas
• Taliban allowed
Osama bin Laden to
train his alQaeda
terrorists in Afghan
camps
Bombing of USS Cole
• Following the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001, the
U.S. and British bombed Afghanistan and
brought down the Taliban government
• Bin Laden is believed to be hiding in
mountains caves near the Pakistan border