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. more…

The Taliban earned global notoriety when it destroyed the famous Bamian Valley Buddhas. Today only a gaping hole remains where the enormous statues stood for some 1,500 years.

Since Alexander the Great, invading armies and peaceful migrations have brought in diverse peoples to this Central Asian crossroads. As a result, Afghanistan is a country of ethnic minorities: Pashtun (38 percent), Tajik (25 percent), Hazara (19 percent), and Uzbek (6 percent). The towering Hindu Kush range dominates and divides Afghanistan. The northern plains and valleys are home to Tajiks and Uzbeks. Pashtuns inhabit the desert-dominated southern plateaus. Hazara live in the central highlands. Kabul, south of the Hindu Kush, is linked by narrow passes to the northern plains. more…