Afghanistan

Afghanistan is a country in south-central Asia. It has no coastline, which means it is landlocked. Afghanistan is bordered by Iran to the west, Pakistan to the east and south, and several countries to the north, including Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. It also shares a tiny border with China. About 40 million people live there. The capital and largest city is Kabul.

Much of Afghanistan is covered by tall, rugged mountains. The biggest range is the Hindu Kush, which cuts across the middle of the country. Some of its peaks rise more than 20,000 feet, taller than any mountain in the lower 48 states of the United States. Winters in the mountains are long and cold. Summers in the lowlands can be very hot and dry. Rivers flowing down from the mountains water narrow valleys where most people farm.

Afghanistan sits in an important spot on the map. For thousands of years, the Silk Road passed through it, carrying goods, ideas, and travelers between China, India, and Europe. Because of this location, many empires tried to control it. Persians, Greeks under Alexander the Great, Mongols under Genghis Khan, and the British all marched armies through Afghanistan. The mountains made it very hard to conquer. Afghans have fought off so many invasions that the country is sometimes called "the graveyard of empires."

The people of Afghanistan belong to many different groups. The largest are the Pashtuns, followed by Tajiks, Hazaras, and Uzbeks. The two main languages are Pashto and Dari, which is a form of Persian. Almost everyone in Afghanistan is Muslim. Families often gather for long meals of rice, bread called naan, and stews. A popular dish is kabuli pulao, a mix of rice, raisins, carrots, and lamb.

Afghanistan has been at war for much of the last 50 years. The Soviet Union invaded in 1979 and left ten years later. In 2001, the United States and other countries invaded after the September 11 attacks. American forces left in 2021, and a group called the Taliban took control of the government. Under Taliban rule, girls are not allowed to attend school past sixth grade, which has drawn protests from many countries around the world.

Afghanistan is also a land of deep beauty. The lakes of Band-e Amir, high in the mountains, glow a bright blue because of minerals in the water. They sit inside the country's first national park, created in 2009. For many Afghans, these lakes are a reminder that their home is more than the wars fought over it.