Afghanistan

American  

[af-gan-uh-stan] / æfˈgæn əˌstæn /

noun

1. a republic in central Asia, NW of India and E of Iran. 250,000 sq. mi. (647,500 sq. km). Kabul.

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Afghanistan British  

/ æfˈɡænɪˌstɑːn, -ˌstæn /

noun

1. a republic in central Asia: became independent in 1919; occupied by Soviet troops, 1979–89; controlled by mujaheddin forces from 1992 until 1996 when Taliban forces seized power; in the US-led `war on terror' (2001) the Taliban were overthrown and replaced by an interim administration, although the Taliban insurgency continues; generally arid and mountainous, with the Hindu Kush range rising over 7500 m (25 000 ft) and fertile valleys of the Amu Darya, Helmand, and Kabul Rivers. Official languages: Pashto and Dari (Persian), Tajik also widely spoken. Religion: Muslim. Currency: afghani. Capital: Kabul. Pop: 31 108 077 (2013 est). Area: 657 500 sq km (250 000 sq miles)

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Afghanistan Cultural  

1. Republic in south-central Asia, bordered by Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan to the north, China to the northeast, Pakistan to the east and south, and Iran to the west. Kabul is its capital and largest city.

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In 1992, various rebel groups entered Kabul and took over the government; however, they soon fell to warring. Between 1994 and 1995, Islamic students, called the Taliban, seized Kabul and imposed both order and strict and repressive Islamic law. By 1998, the Taliban controlled ninety percent of the country. The most serious resistance to the Taliban came from the Northern Alliance, a body dominated by ethnic Tajiks and Uzbeks. In October 2001, the United States launched attacks on the Taliban in response to the Taliban's refusal to expel Osama bin Laden and his terrorist Al Qaeda network.

The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979 but met stiff resistance from Muslim rebels, called mujahideen, who received support from the United States. The Soviets agreed to withdraw in 1986 and completed their withdrawal in 1989.

Afghanistan is a poor nation with a history of warfare among its rival ethnic groups and of fierce resistance to outsiders.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Afghanistan

Central Command and coalition forces in Afghanistan, and served as director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2026

The challenge comes as Afghanistan faces the return of 6.6 million Afghans since 2023, climate disasters, dwindling aid and banking isolation since the Taliban movement returned to power in 2021.

From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026

He fell short of equalling his record for India's fastest T20 hundred, which came off 30 balls against Afghanistan last month.

From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026

The Noor’s opening similarly attracted an influx of Ohioans with family roots in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.

From Slate ● Oct. 23, 2026

By the time the smoke cleared his rule extended deep into what is now Afghanistan; one source even asserts—dubiously—that his sway ran straight to the gates of India.

From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro

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