Afghanistan

The Islamic state Afghanistan (till 1992 - Democratic Republic Afghanistan) - the country in Southwest Asia, bounds on Iran, Pakistan, India, China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. The country square 652,2  thousand sq. km. The population - 20,3  million persons: from above 1/2 - Afghans, and also Tadjiks, Uzbeks, Turkmans, hazarejtsy, etc. country Capital - Kabul. State languages - pushtu also give.

The Bulk of terrain of Afghanistan is occupied with mounts. From the east on the West ridges of Hindu Kush (to 6729 were drew through;, switching on a belt of perpetually snow. In a southern part of the country there is Ghazni-Kandahar plateau, and on northern and southwest suburbs - deserted plains.

The Vegetation differs the big diversity, but almost everywhere, even in the southeast range testing agency of monsoons, in it drought-resistant aspects predominate. Only date palms, cypresses, olive arbours grow in an irrigated Dzhelalabadsky valley, citrous.

Capital - the ancient city of Kabul (1,4  million persons), is favourably had on a crossroads of the important transport pathes. Other large cities - Mazar-i-Sharif long since known as the centre of craft effecting and trade with a colourful bazaar; ancient Herat - an oasis and the cultural centre where in ÕV a century there was vozdvignuta giant mosque Dzhuma-Masdzhid.

Afghanistan - the agrarian country which basis of economy was compounded always by pascual animal husbandry. The war which has begun in the late seventies, has caused a huge loss to a national economy, considerably having destroyed developed infrastructure of agriculture and having annihilated hundreds libraries, schools, hospitals.