Afghanistan shares its borders with 6 different countries

Afghanistan shares its borders with 6 different countries: • Iran • Turkmenistan • Pakistan • China • Tajikistan • Uzbekistan

Afghanistan has a hugely varied landscape; there are lush green hills and snow-capped mountains, not just rocky deserts. _

Afghanistan has at least 14 different ethnic groups, including Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara and Uzbek

The Nomadic Kuchi people • The Kuchi people are a group of nomadic tribes of Pashtun ethnic origin, based mainly in the South of the country • About 2. 5 million Kuchis live in Afghanistan • The Afghan-Pakistan border allows them and their flocks of sheep and goats to move freely in seasonal migrations • They exchange their animal produce for grain, vegetables and fruit • Kuchis live in portable tents made of yak hair

Local people see hospitality as a religious obligation in Afghanistan

Buddhas of Bamiyan • • Bamiyan Province was once home to the largest standing Buddha statues in the world In 2001 the Taliban destroyed the statues. . . • . . . which Buddhist monks built over 1500 years ago • Refugees & civilians have found 1000 s of relics and cave paintings at the site • Countries such as Japan & Switzerland have pledged support for the rebuilding of the statues

The Leaning 'Minaret of Jam' Like the caves of Bamiyan, the Minaret of Jam is a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site. Over 800 years old, the 62 meter-high minaret has started to lean; in 2014 the BBC reported that it was in imminent danger of collapse. Made entirely of baked bricks, its surface is intricately decorated with ornate carvings of calligraphy, geometry and Qur'anic verses. It is located in a near-inaccesible region of central Afghanistan.

'Out of the Ashes' • Since its prohibition and repression under the Taliban, sport is flourishing, and is now a source of national pride • 2015: The Afghanistan National Cricket Team made their World Cup debut in Australia • 2017: They gained Test Status and are ranked in the worlds top 10 teams

Olympic 'Goat-Grabbing'? • • Afghanistan boasts one of the most dangerous national sports in the world 'Buzkashi', or 'Goat-Grabbing', involves competitors on horseback vying to capture a goat carcass • The aim is to carry it into the opposition's area, rather like a horse-bound 'try'! • Previous Olympic Committees have discussed it for future games, but there is no sign of any imminent involvement. . .

'The Afghan Girl' June 1985: The cover of National Geographic had one of the most iconic & memorable images in the world. The magazine now runs a fund in Sharbat Gula's name, seeking to bring education to young Afghan girls. Afghan Connection has built 46 schools (including one from Sharbat Gula's fund) and has trained nearly 1000 teachers In 2002 only 5000 girls were in school. Today there are 7 million Afghan children in schools, 40% of whom are girls.