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@Afghanistan

Afghanistan Introduction

Background: Afghanistan was invaded and occupied by the Soviet Union
in 1979. 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 land
mines.

Afghanistan Geography

Location: Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran

Geographic coordinates: 33 00 N, 65 00 E

Map references: Asia

Area: total: 647,500 sq km

land: 647,500 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries: total: 5,529 km

border countries: China 76 km, Iran 936 km, Pakistan 2,430 km,
Tajikistan 1,206 km, Turkmenistan 744 km, Uzbekistan 137 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Mari