Afghanistan
Afghanistan is a country in Asia, located between Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and China. Kabul is the capital and largest city.
Afghanistan has been inhabitted by humans since the Middle Paleolithic, and has played an important role in Eurasian history, as a key point on the Silk Road. It has been described as the 'Graveyard of Empires', due to the number of powerful empires who have tried to conquer it, including the Persians, Alexander the Great, the Maurya Empire, Arab Muslims, the Mongols, the British, the Soviet Union, and a [U.S.-led coalition.
Since the 1970s, Afghanistan's history has been dominated by wars, begining in 1978 with a communist revolution, and subsequent invasion by the Soviet Union. Mujahideen fought against the Soviets in the Soviet–Afghan War and continued fighting amongst themselves following the Soviets' withdrawal in 1989. The Islamic fundamentalist Taliban controlled most of the country by 1996, until its overthrow in the 2001 US invasion of Afghanistan.
