Asian country bordered by
Iran,
Turkmenistan,
Uzbekistan,
Tajikistan,
China, and
Pakistan. The
Soviet Union tried to invade it after backing a government
coup in
1978 but found they'd gotten in way over their heads, and in
1989 finally withdrew all the troops.
As of 16 February 2000, the majority of the country, including its major cities, are under the rule of Islamic group the Taliban (also spelled Taleban). Much of the rest of the country is under the control of the United Front. The Taliban have recently declared the country an Emirate, however, to their opponents, it is still called the Islamic State of Afghanistan.
As of 6 February 2002, the Taliban have largely been expelled from power in Afghanistan after their shelter of Osama bin Laden caused the country to be attacked by the U.S. and other countries interested in stopping bin Laden's terrorism. The United Nations sponsored talks which led to an accord between the various ethnic groups of the country. Signed on 5 December 2001, this agreement set up an interim government with a cabinet of 29 members, representing the different ethnic groups, headed by Hamid Kazai. This cabinet is supposed to govern for six months starting 22 December 2001, after which a permanent government should be in place.
Source: various pages on cnn.com