Archaeological exploration began in Afghanistan in earnest after
World War II and proceeded promisingly until the Soviet invasion
disrupted it in December of 1979. Artifacts typical of the Paleolithic,
Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze, and Iron ages were found. It is
not yet clear, however, to what extent these periods were contemporaneous
with similar stages of development in other geographic regions.
The area that is now Afghanistan seems in prehistory--as well
as ancient and modern times--to have been closely connected by
culture and trade with the neighboring regions to the east, west,
and north. Urban civilization in the Iranian plateau, which includes
most of Iran and Afghanistan, may have begun as early as 3000
to 2000 B.C. About the middle of the second millennium B.C. people
speaking an Indo-European language may have entered the eastern
part of the Iranian Plateau, but little is known about the area
until the middle of the first millennium B.C., when its history
began to be recorded during the Achaemenid Empire.
Country
name Afghanistan conventional long form Islamic State of
Afghanistan conventional short form Afghanistan local long
form Dowlat-e Eslami-ye Afghanestan local short form Afghanestan former Republic of Afghanistan
Area
- total: 647,500 sq km land: 647,500 sq km water: 0 sq km
Terrain
- mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
Climate
- arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
Geography
- landlocked; the Hindu Kush mountains that run northeast to southwest divide
the northern provinces from the rest of the country; the highest peaks are in
the northern Vakhan (Wakhan Corridor)
Waterways
- 1,200 km note: chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to 500 DWT (2001)
Natural hazards - damaging earthquakes
occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts
Information
Courtesy: The Library of Congress - Country Studies
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