User:Mrandrewnohome/List of countries

Afghanistan
Afghanistan is a largely mountainous country: more than half the territory is above 2,000 metres. Its central highlands are the western end of the Himalayan chain and include the Hindu Kush mountain range. The richest and most intensively cultivated agricultural land is in the lowland plains of the north. The land to the south and south-west is mostly desert or semi-desert. In recent years the environment has been devastated by conflict and drought.

The main ethnic group in Afghanistan are the Pashtun. They live throughout the country, but particularly in the south and south-east. Though they are the dominant group, the Pashtun are by no means homogenous and there have been frequent conflicts between different tribes and sub-tribes. The second largest group are the Tajiks. Not organized on tribal lines, they are found mainly in the north-east and west, particularly in the capital, Kabul, where they have made up most of the educated elite. The third main group, and among the poorest, are the Hazara, who live in the central highlands or as labourers or servants in Kabul.

Other groups include the Uzbeks and Turkmen, descendants of refugees from the former Soviet Union who live in the northern plain. Almost all Afghans are Muslims, mostly Sunni.

In 2007 the population was estimated at 26 million. Since 1979, at least one million people have been killed. Millions more became refugees; around 4.5 million have returned, but in mid-2006 there were still 2.6 million in Pakistan. Levels of human development in Afghanistan are were never high and are now among the worst in the world. Rates of infant mortality are high and most parts of the country lack access to clean water, adequate sanitation, and sufficient food.