Afghanistan – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Afghanistan i// (Persian/Pashto: , Afnistn), officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in Central Asia, South Asia, and is a part of the Greater Middle East.[8][9] It has a population of around 30 million inhabiting an area of approximately 652,000km2 (252,000sqmi), making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world. It is bordered by Pakistan in the south and the east, Iran in the west, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan in the north, and China in the far northeast.
Afghanistan has been an ancient focal point of the Silk Road and human migration. Archaeologists have found evidence of human habitation from as far back as the Middle Paleolithic. Urban civilization may have begun in the area as early as 3,000 to 2,000 BC.[10] Sitting at an important geostrategic location that connects the Middle East culture with Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent,[11] the land has been home to various peoples through the ages[12] and witnessed many military campaigns, notably by Alexander the Great, Arab Muslims, Genghis Khan, and in modern-era Western forces.[10] The land also served as a source from which the Kushans, Hephthalites, Samanids, Ghaznavids, Ghorids, Mughals, Durranis and others have risen to form major empires.[13]
Most of Afghanistan's history prior to the modern state of Afghanistan took place within the context of the various Persian Empires.[14] The political history of the modern state of Afghanistan begins in 1709 with the rise of the Pashtuns - historically known as "Afghans" - when the Hotaki dynasty was established in Kandahar followed by the rise of the Durrani Empire in 1747.[15][16][17] In the late 19th century, Afghanistan became a buffer state in the "Great Game" between British India and the Russian Empire. Following the 1919 Anglo-Afghan War, King Amanullah began a European style modernization of the country but was stopped by ultra-conservatives. During the Cold War, after the withdrawal of the British from neighboring India in 1947, the United States and the Soviet Union began spreading influences in Afghanistan,[18] which led in 1979 to a bloody war between the US-backed mujahideen forces and the Soviet-backed Afghan government in which over a million Afghans lost their lives.[19][20] This was followed by a 1990s civil war, the rise and fall of the extremist Taliban government, and the 2001present war.[21] In December 2001, the United Nations Security Council authorized the creation of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to help maintain security in Afghanistan and assist the Karzai administration.[22]
Three decades of war made Afghanistan one of the world's most dangerous countries.[23] While the international community is rebuilding war-torn Afghanistan, terrorist groups such as the Haqqani Network and Hezbi Islami[24] are actively involved in a nationwide Taliban-led insurgency,[25] which includes hundreds of assassinations and suicide attacks.[26] According to the United Nations, the insurgents were responsible for 80% of civilian casualties in 2011 and 2012.[27][28] It suffers from several challenges, including being world's most corrupt country and is the World's largest source of refugees.
The name Afghnistn (Persian: , [avnestn])[29] means "Land of the Afghans",[30] which originates from the ethnonym "Afghan". Historically, the name "Afghan" mainly designated the Pashtun people, the largest ethnic group of Afghanistan.[31] This name is mentioned in the form of Abgan in the third century CE by the Sassanians[32] and as Avagana (Afghana) in the 6th century CE by Indian astronomer Varahamihira.[31] A people called the Afghans are mentioned several times in a 10th-century geography book, Hudud al-'alam, particularly where a reference is made to a village: "Saul, a pleasant village on a mountain. In it live Afghans."[33]
Al-Biruni referred to them in the 11th century as various tribes living on the western frontier mountains of the Indus River, which would be the Sulaiman Mountains.[34]Ibn Battuta, a famous Moroccan scholar visiting the region in 1333, writes: "We travelled on to Kabul, formerly a vast town, the site of which is now occupied by a village inhabited by a tribe of Persians called Afghans. They hold mountains and defiles and possess considerable strength, and are mostly highwaymen. Their principle mountain is called Kuh Sulayman."[35] One prominent 16th-century Persian scholar explains extensively about the Afghans. For example, he writes:
"The men of Kbul and Khilj also went home; and whenever they were questioned about the Musulmns of the Kohistn (the mountains), and how matters stood there, they said, "Don't call it Kohistn, but Afghnistn; for there is nothing there but Afghns and disturbances." Thus it is clear that for this reason the people of the country call their home in their own language Afghnistn, and themselves Afghns."[36]
It is widely acknowledged that the terms "Pashtun" and Afghan are synonyms,[31] something that is even mentioned in the 17th-century poetry of Khushal Khan Khattak: For example, he states: "Pull out your sword and slay any one, that says Pashtun and Afghan are not one! Arabs know this and so do Romans: Afghans are Pashtuns, Pashtuns are Afghans!"[37]
The last part of the name, -stn is a Persian suffix for "place". The name "Afghanistan" is described by the 16th century Mughal Emperor Babur in his memoirs as well as by the later Persian scholar Firishta and Babur's descendants, referring to the traditional ethnic Pashtun territories between the Hindu Kush mountains and the Indus River.[38] In the early 19th century, Afghan politicians decided to adopt the name Afghanistan for the entire Afghan Empire after its English translation had already appeared in various treaties with Qajarid Persia and British India.[39] In 1857, in his review of J.W. Kaye's The Afghan War, Friedrich Engels describes "Afghanistan" as:
"an extensive country of Asia... between Persia and the Indies, and in the other direction between the Hindu Kush and the Indian Ocean. It formerly included the Persian provinces of Khorassan and Kohistan, together with Herat, Beluchistan, Cashmere, and Sinde, and a considerable part of the Punjab... Its principal cities are Kabul, the capital, Ghuznee, Peshawer, and Kandahar."[40]
Original post:
Afghanistan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- British couple in their 70s arrested by the Taliban in Afghanistan - The Guardian - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- Children of UK couple arrested in Afghanistan appeal to Taliban for release - The Independent - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- British couple in their 70s arrested by the Taliban in Afghanistan - The Independent - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- These Soldiers Risked Their Lives Serving in Afghanistan. Now They Plead With Trump to Let Their Sister Into the U.S. - ProPublica - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- Taliban withdraw Afghanistan from International Criminal Court - Voice of America - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- Men, women experience near daily floggings in Afghanistan - Voice of America - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- British Couple in Their 70s Arrested by Taliban in Afghanistan for Teaching Mothers - SOFREP - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- Opinion | The U.S. Can No Longer Ignore the Threat Arising in Afghanistan - The New York Times - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- Analysis: From Afghanistan to America: the rising reach of the Islamic State Khorasan Province - Long War Journal - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- Champions Trophy 2025: Afghanistan cricket team to ignore debate caused by boycott calls - BBC.com - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- Taliban arrest Brit couple in their 70s for teaching parenting skills to mothers in Afghanistan - MSN - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- Taliban arrest Brit couple in their 70s for teaching skills to mothers in Afghanistan as family beg for t... - The Sun - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- British couple in their 70s arrested by the Taliban in Afghanistan - MSN - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- UN Security Council raises alarm over rising IS-K threat from Afghanistan - Voice of America - February 11th, 2025 [February 11th, 2025]
- Afghanistan women's cricket: The refugee team who will not be silenced - BBC.com - February 11th, 2025 [February 11th, 2025]
- Five killed in suicide bomb blast in northeastern Afghanistan, police say - The Jerusalem Post - February 11th, 2025 [February 11th, 2025]
- Hegseth to look into 'what went wrong' in Afghanistan and pledges accountability, slams diversity motto - Fox News - February 11th, 2025 [February 11th, 2025]
- Exclusive: US has not provided aid payments through UN to Afghanistan since Trumps return - Amu TV - February 11th, 2025 [February 11th, 2025]
- 3 killed as explosive device strikes car in W. Afghanistan - CGTN - February 11th, 2025 [February 11th, 2025]
- The struggle to access cancer care in Afghanistan - WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean - February 11th, 2025 [February 11th, 2025]
- Spotlight Afghanistan, China Bumpy road for Beijing's security negotiations with Taliban - Intelligence Online - February 11th, 2025 [February 11th, 2025]
- Afghanistan people who helped the U.S. military are blocked from coming to Westchester - Westfair Online - February 11th, 2025 [February 11th, 2025]
- She fled the chaos in Afghanistan when U.S. troops left. Now she's thriving in Westchester - The Journal News - February 11th, 2025 [February 11th, 2025]
- Concerned about ISIS-K's capabilities to plot, conduct attacks in Afghanistan, Pakistan: US tells UN - The Economic Times - February 11th, 2025 [February 11th, 2025]
- UNSC members warn of rising terrorist threats in Afghanistan - Amu TV - February 11th, 2025 [February 11th, 2025]
- Afghanistan cricket boycott: What has happened so far in debate over Champions Trophy fixture? - BBC.com - February 11th, 2025 [February 11th, 2025]
- Hearts of Iron 4's new DLC lets you cast off the Brits as India, cast off the Brits as Iraq, resist the Brits as Iran, or ignore the Brits as... - February 11th, 2025 [February 11th, 2025]
- At UNSC, Pakistan demands action against terrorist safe havens in Afghanistan - Geo News - February 11th, 2025 [February 11th, 2025]
- Iran says water dispute with Afghanistan has been resolved - Amu TV - February 11th, 2025 [February 11th, 2025]
- Afghanistan soccer is on the rise as cricket faces boycott threats - Nikkei Asia - February 11th, 2025 [February 11th, 2025]
- Why The World Can't Save The Women Of Afghanistan - Worldcrunch - February 11th, 2025 [February 11th, 2025]
- Kyrgyzstan earns $37 million on export of gasoline to Afghanistan - AKIpress - February 11th, 2025 [February 11th, 2025]
- England will not boycott Afghanistan game despite Taliban gender apartheid - The Guardian - February 11th, 2025 [February 11th, 2025]
- ISIS Remains Major Threat To Afghanistan & Region, Warns UN - Afghanistan International - February 11th, 2025 [February 11th, 2025]
- US: ISIS-K terrorists Engaged In Recruitment Campaigns In Pakistan & Afghanistan; Trump Administration Ready To Eliminate Them - News24 - February 11th, 2025 [February 11th, 2025]
- Inside Afghanistan more than 3 years after U.S. withdrawal - CBS News - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- What the West can do now in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan - Chatham House - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Two brothers from Afghanistan share how refugee funding now in limbo helped them settle in Milwaukee - WUWM - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Taliban shows life in Afghanistan over 3 years after U.S. withdrawal - CBS News - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Arab sheikhs flock to southern Afghanistan to hunt rare birds - Amu TV - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Taliban shows life in Afghanistan over 3 years after U.S. withdrawal - Yahoo! Voices - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Taliban minister forced to flee Afghanistan after supporting girls education at graduation - MSN - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Uzbekistan Announces Trans-Afghan Railway Construction To Begin In 2025 - Afghanistan International - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- UN warns of rise in maternal deaths in Afghanistan due to US funding pause - Press TV - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- A woman is seen in November 2021 working at Kabul's Radio Begum, a women's radio station that has been raided by Afghanistan's Taliban authorities -... - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Taliban minister forced to flee Afghanistan after speech in support of girls education - The Guardian - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- Trump executive prevents families of U.S. troops from leaving Afghanistan - Defense News - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- Taliban reject US report on presence of ISIS in Afghanistan - Anadolu Agency | English - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- Khalilzad Cautions Anti-Taliban Leaders Against Pakistani Intelligence Influence - Afghanistan International - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- Afghanistan veteran, pilot who served in the Navy were two of three soldiers killed in Army helicopters midair crash over DC - Stars and Stripes - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- Taliban To Conduct Assessments For Lithium & Uranium Mining In Southern Afghanistan - Afghanistan International - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- It will become the Afghanistan of the European Union: Orban makes scandalous statement about Ukraine's future without negotiations with Russia - - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- Afghanistan Womens Cricket Team To Take Field With Pride, But Thorny Issue Remains In A Stalemate - Forbes - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- Polio Diplomacy Between Pakistan and Afghanistan - The Diplomat - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- Taliban reject SIGAR report on presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan - Amu TV - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- Polio Cases on the Increase in Afghanistan: How is the Emirate handling immunisation? - ReliefWeb - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- "Just bread and tea": WFP says aid cuts to Afghanistan leave millions hungry this winter - Reuters - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
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- Afghanistan: Filmmaker tortured and denied care in Taliban prison - Amnesty International - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
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- UN report: Armed attacks, explosions kill 18 in Afghanistan over three months - Amu TV - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
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- "Just bread and tea": WFP says aid cuts to Afghanistan leave millions hungry this winter - MSN - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- First Iran FM visit to Afghanistan since Taliban takeover focuses on water, migration, security - Middle East Monitor - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- Afghanistan womens team set to take the field after 2021 - The Times of India - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- Statement of ICC Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC: Applications for arrest warrants in the situation in Afghanistan - the International Criminal Court - January 24th, 2025 [January 24th, 2025]
- Exiled Afghanistan women players to men's team: 'Please be the voice of the girls' - ESPNcricinfo - January 24th, 2025 [January 24th, 2025]
- Taliban announce release of two Americans held in Afghanistan in a prisoner exchange - NPR - January 24th, 2025 [January 24th, 2025]
- Afghanistan: The price of peace - Al Jazeera English - January 24th, 2025 [January 24th, 2025]
- 2 Americans freed from Afghanistan in prisoner swap, family and Taliban say - ABC News - January 24th, 2025 [January 24th, 2025]
- How the Taliban restrict women's lives in Afghanistan - The Times of India - January 24th, 2025 [January 24th, 2025]
- International Criminal Court seeking arrests over LGBTQ+ and gender persecution in Afghanistan - PinkNews - January 24th, 2025 [January 24th, 2025]
- Funding cuts to Afghanistan are the biggest threat to helping women, aid agency chief warns - ABC News - January 24th, 2025 [January 24th, 2025]
- Afghanistan refugees plead with Trump to be exempt from relocation: 'Many of us risked our lives to support the U.S. mission' - Fortune - January 24th, 2025 [January 24th, 2025]
- U.S. and Afghanistan carry out prisoner swap, confirm Taliban and family - UPI News - January 24th, 2025 [January 24th, 2025]
- AFGHANISTAN ICC to consider arrest warrant for Taliban leaders, increasingly divided among themselves - AsiaNews - January 24th, 2025 [January 24th, 2025]
- For Trumps national security adviser, Afghanistan still looms large - The Washington Post - January 24th, 2025 [January 24th, 2025]
- How the Taliban restrict women's lives in Afghanistan - Wyoming Tribune - January 24th, 2025 [January 24th, 2025]