The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is a large landlocked country in southern central Asia. It is bounded to the north by Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, to the east by China, SSE by Pakistan and to the west by Iran.

The country is split into 34 provinces and each of these is divided into provincial districts covering cities and townships.

Kabul is the capital city in the north-east of the country and Helmand province in the south is the most dangerous place in the country.

Afghanistan is mainly very rugged with steep mountains and deep valleys. However the southern and western margins are tablelands with flat or undulating surfaces which lead into deserts.

Due to its altitude and latitude the climate varies between very hot, dry summers and very cold winters with considerable rain.

Culture

Afghanistan has an estimated population of 28,150,000 in 2009. About 20 per cent of the population live in towns whilst the remainder live in small villages.

The official languages spoken are Dari (Persian) and Pashto.

Population is divided into a variety of ethnic groups with Pashtun being the largest group (42 per cent).

Afghanistan's main religion is Islam. Apart from a few very small Minority groups, Afghans are either Sunni or Shia Muslims.

For many Afghans, particularly in the Pashtun south, religious schools or madrassas, usually attached to mosques, have been the primary means of education for boys.

History

Following the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1992 and the subsequent reduction in Afghan Communist power, more than 90 per cent of the Afghan countryside and the capital Kabul fell under the rule of the Islamic mujahadeen multi-ethnic insurgency.

Despite attempts in 1993 by Pakistan to broker an agreement between different factions, a lasting political consensus among the various squabbling groups could not be obtained.

It was in the midst of this final power struggle in and around Kabul, which descended into an open civil war, that the Taliban movement emerged.

Follow the link in the right-hand panels to learn more about the Taliban.

Government

The central government comprises a directly elected executive presidency; an appointed cabinet of 25 ministers heading government departments; and a bi-cameral parliament.

Outside Kabul, a governor and an elected provincial council controls each of the 34 provinces.

The president is Hamid Karzai (pictured), who headed up the provisional administration that was set up when the Taliban were driven from power in 2001. Mr Karzai is a Pashtun.

Following fraudulent activities at polling stations during the first round of the Afghan presidential elections, held on 20 August 2009, a second round of elections was planned for late 2009.

However, this second round was cancelled when President Karzai's only opposition Dr Abdullah Abdulla pulled out of the running. Therefore President Karzai was reappointed.