Alexander the Great conquered Afghanistan in B. Genghis Khan's Mongols invaded in the 13th century. In , Pashtun elders held a council meeting called a Loya Jirga and created the kingdom of the Afghans.
The British and Afghans fought in three wars in the 19th and 20th centuries, but the Afghans finally defeated the British in and formed an independent monarchy in In , the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan PDPA seized power in the country, setting in motion a series of events that would turn the poor, mostly peaceful country into a breeding ground for terrorism.
Soviet forces invaded Afghanistan in and remained in the country until The Taliban emerged in and quickly began to take over cities across Afghanistan, with military support from Pakistan. During the Taliban's rule, the group was condemned by the international community for murdering innocent Afghan civilians and denying food supplies to starving citizens.
In , following the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11 of that year, the U. The Taliban refused. The United States and its allies then took military action in Afghanistan and drove the Taliban from power in December Both the Taliban and al Qaeda fled Afghanistan and relocated to nearby Pakistan, where they set up political and military outposts.
Thousands of girls—who were banned from being educated under Taliban rule—went to school for the first time. Women were free to get jobs and take part in government activities, both of which were forbidden under the Taliban. In , Afghanistan adopted its current constitution and became an internationally recognized government, electing Hamid Karzai as its first president. Under its constitution, the president and two vice presidents are elected every five years. But the government struggled to extend its authority beyond the capital city of Kabul because the Taliban forces continued to try to regain control of the country.
In , the Taliban and the Afghan government began to discuss a peace treaty, and though some people were concerned that the talks wouldn't progress, U. His successor, Joe Biden , extended the date for the withdrawal to August 31 of that year.
After nearly 20 years of U. By August 15, , the Taliban had taken control of all major cities, including the capital of Kabul. President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, and the Afghan government all but collapsed. The United States is sending military troops to the country to help the American diplomats and support staff still remaining at the U.
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Map created by National Geographic Maps. Watch "Destination World". Now Playing. Up Next. According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs OCHA , at least , people, of which 59 percent are children, were displaced within Afghanistan from January 1 to July 24, In June alone, , people were internally displaced within the country.
The highest internal flows within the same province occurred in Kunduz 85, , Nangarhar 38, and Takhar 25, Almost 86 percent of those registered refugees are in three of the neighbouring countries, with an additional 12 percent living in Europe.
In recent days, several European countries , including Germany, the Netherlands, France, Finland, Sweden and Norway, announced that they would temporarily halt any efforts to deport Afghan asylum seekers, a move that acknowledges the rapidly deteriorating security situation in the war-torn country.
By Mohammed Haddad and Alia Chughtai. Published On 12 Aug Here are 10 maps to help you understand Afghanistan. How big is Afghanistan? Who controls what? Supply routes and border crossings Landlocked Afghanistan relies on its neighbours for trade and supply routes. A country of mountains and deserts It is the eighth most mountainous country in the world making many parts difficult to access.
Opium poppy cultivation Afghanistan is the biggest producer of opium in the world. Most Afghans live in poverty Before the coronavirus pandemic, at least Very low literacy rates Following decades of devastating wars, literacy rates in Afghanistan are among the lowest in the world at 43 percent.
Internally displaced people According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs OCHA , at least , people, of which 59 percent are children, were displaced within Afghanistan from January 1 to July 24, Refugees in neighbouring countries According to the latest report from UNHCR, the total number of Afghan refugees globally in reached 2.
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