Afghanistan

Overview

Afghanistan is a landlocked country in Central-Asia. It has long borders with Iran and Pakistan . It borders on three of the new Central Asian republics: Kyrgyzstan , Uzbekistan , and Tajikstan. It has a very short border with China which is the result of a strange 19-th century Anglo-Russian deal. Afghanistan used to be quite a popular travel destination in the 70's when hippies would go overland to India. The capital Kabul was a popular hangout, back then. Things have changed big time since then. It started in 1979 when Afghanistan was invaded and occupied by the Soviet Union. The USSR was forced to withdraw 10 years later by anti-communist mujahidin forces supplied and trained by the US, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and others. Fighting subsequently continued among the various mujahidin factions, but the fundamentalist Islamic Taliban movement has been able to seize most of the country. In addition to the continuing civil strife, the country suffers from enormous poverty, a crumbling infrastructure, and widespread live mines. This means that you have to be brave in order to venture into Aghanistan. Tourists are not particularly welcome. For the adventurous, who have their mind set on going there, the most sensible thing to do might be crossing the Khyber Pass from Pakistan and move on to Jalalabad . (Note-while the city of Jalalabad is fairly safe, the border area is Taliban country.) You are on the road to Kabul...more

History

Afghanistan is a very diverse country ethnically. Tribal or local allegiances are strong, which complicates national politics immensely. The two largest linguistic groups speak Pushtu and Dari (Afghan Persian). Pushtu speakers predominate in the South and East, Dari in North and central Afghanistan. About 11% of the population have Turkic languages, Uzbek or Turkmen, as their first language. Many of them are in the North, near Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Baluchi tribesmen, still largely nomadic, can be found anywhere between Quetta Pakistan and Mashad Iran, including much of Western Afghanistan. They make marvellous, if often somewhat simple, rugs. Hazaris in the Central mountains look much more Asiatic than other Afghans. They are descended from Ghengis Khan's soldiers. Afghanistan has a long history of warfare, both among Afghans and against invaders from Alexander of Macedon, to the Mongol hordes, to the British empire. Recent history is no exception. The Soviet Union invaded in 1979, to support a local socialist government. They were forced to withdraw 10 years later by anti-Communist mujahidin forces supplied and trained by the US, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and others. Fighting subsequently continued among the various mujahidin fractions, giving rise to a state of warlordism. The Taliban grew out of this chaos, providing a ruthless solution to what was by this time a civil war. Backed by foreign sponsors, and inspired...more