Southwest Asia; northwest part of Indian subcontinent.

GMT + 4.5.

652,225 sq km (251,773 sq miles).

32 million (UN estimate 2007).

46 per sq km.

Kabul. Population: 2.5 million (2006 estimate).

Afghanistan is a landlocked country, sharing its borders with Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikstan to the north, China to the northeast, Pakistan to the east and south and Iran to the west. On the eastern tip of the Iranian plateau, central Afghanistan is made up of a tangled mass of mountain chains. The Hindu Kush is the highest range, rising to more than 7,500m (24,600ft). The Bamian Valley separates the Hindu Kush from Koh-i-Baba, the central mountain range and source of the Helmand River. To the north and southwest of these mountains, alluvial plains provide fertile agricultural soil. To the northeast is Kabul, the capital. The other major cities are Jalalabad, Kandahar, Mazar-i-Sharif and Herat.

Republic. Civil war since 1992.

President Hamid Karzai since December 2001 (officially elected as president in October 2004).

Hamid Karzai won Afghanistan's first direct presidential elections in October 2004 despite reports of voting irregularities. The president is serving a five-year term and is implementing Afghanistan's new constitution. The first parliamentary and local elections for more than 30 years were held in September 2005. Only about 55% of registered voters cast their ballots, more than 20% down on the previous year's presidential poll. Fighting continues in Afghanistan, with many regions still controlled by warlords and attacks by the Taleban are becoming more common-place.

The principal languages are Pashto and Dari Persian. Some English and Russian may also be spoken.

Islamic majority with 89% Sunni Muslims, 9% Shi'ite, and Hindu and Sikh minorities.

220 volts AC, 50Hz. Supplies may be seriously affected and powercuts frequent.

Outside Kabul, Afghanistan is still very much a tribal society. Religion and traditional customs have a strong influence within the family, and there are strict male and female roles in society. It is considered insulting to show the soles of the feet. Women are advised to wear trousers or long skirts and avoid revealing clothing. Homosexuality is illegal, as is alcohol, narcotics and pork products. Handshaking is an acceptable form of greeting, though nose-rubbing and embracing are more traditional. Eye contact between men and women should be avoided.

Photography: Care should be taken when using cameras. Military installations should not be photographed.