Afghanistan

Afghanistan is a mountainous country in central Asia, with a rich culture dating back thousands of years. Its strategic position means that it has been a crossing poin tfor traders and conquerors throughout history. But today it is one of the poorest countries inthe world and, during the last three decades, has been torn apart by war which has badly damaged its infrastructure. Afghanistan has a sub-arctic mountain climate with dry, cold winters. It is rich in rsources, such as gemstones, gold, copper and coal, but the difficult terrain, climate and years of war mean that they have yet to be extracted. Ethnic or tribal groupings are very important and define who people are and how they fit in to the social structure. But living conditions are harsh and life expectancy and infant and maternal mortality rates are among the lowest in the world. During the 19902, a group called the Taliban governed Afghanistan and introduced strict Islamic law and repressive measures. A democratically electe dgovernment replaced the Taliban in 2004. This series provides a comprehensive, up-to-date view of individual countries around the world. Including discussion of the major challenges facing each country now and in the future.