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 live mines.
Location
Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran
Area Comparative
Slightly smaller than Texas
Maritime Claims
none (landlocked)
Climate
Arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
Natural Hazards
Damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding
Environment Current Issues
Soil degradation; overgrazing; deforestation (much of the remaining forests are being cut down for fuel and building materials); desertification
Environment International Agreements
Party to: Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban
Signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation
