Knowra Afghanistan Afghanistan Afghanistan is a landlocked country in Central and South Asia, bordered by Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and China. Its mountainous terrain and position between major regions have shaped its history and politics.
Durrani Empire : An Afghan empire founded by Ahmad Shah Durrani in 1747, regarded as a predecessor of the modern Afghan state. Its foundation in 1747 marks the rise of an Afghan state centered on Kandahar.
Hindu Kush : A major mountain range extending through Afghanistan and neighboring parts of South and Central Asia. Its high passes and rugged valleys shape travel, settlement, and military access.
Afghan refugees : People forced to leave Afghanistan by conflict, persecution, or hardship, especially in large movements since the late twentieth century. Wars and political upheavals have displaced millions within Afghanistan and across its borders.
Central Asia : A region of inland Asia commonly comprising Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Afghanistan’s northern provinces connect it to Central Asian states and trade routes.
Anglo-Afghan Wars : A series of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century conflicts between Afghanistan and the British Empire. These wars shaped Afghan sovereignty and the country’s buffer role between British India and Russia.
Kabul : The capital and largest city of Afghanistan, located in a mountain valley in the east. National institutions are concentrated in Kabul, far from many peripheral regions.
Taliban : An Islamist movement that governed Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 and returned to power in 2021. Its rule has profoundly altered the country’s institutions, rights, and international relations.
South Asia : The region of Asia centered on the Indian subcontinent and commonly including Afghanistan. Afghanistan’s political and cultural ties also extend toward the Indian subcontinent.
Durand Line : The boundary established in 1893 between Afghanistan and British India, now separating Afghanistan and Pakistan. The disputed boundary still influences Afghanistan’s relations with Pakistan and Pashtun communities.
Pashtuns : An Iranian-speaking people concentrated in Afghanistan and Pakistan, with diverse tribal and regional identities. Pashtun communities span the Pakistan border and have strongly influenced Afghan state politics.
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