Afghanistan | |
|---|---|
| Land Area | 652230km² |
| Land Area + Seaarea | |
| Population | 32738376 |
| Population density | 50.2 / km² |
Afghanistan ( (listen); Pashto/Dari: افغانستان, Pashto: Afġānistān [avɣɒnisˈtɒn, ab-], Dari: Afġānestān [avɣɒnesˈtɒn]), officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country in South and Central Asia. Afghanistan is bordered by Pakistan to the east and south; Iran to the west; Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan to the north; and China to the northeast. Occupying 652,000 square kilometers (252,000 sq mi), it is a mountainous country with plains in the north and southwest. Kabul is the capital and largest city. The population is around 32 million, mostly composed of ethnic Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras and Uzbeks. Human habitation in Afghanistan dates back to the Middle Paleolithic Era, and the country's strategic location along the Silk Road connected it to the cultures of the Middle East and other parts of Asia. The land has historically been home to various peoples and has witnessed numerous military campaigns, including those by Alexander the Great, Mauryas, Muslim Arabs, Mongols, British, Soviets, and by the United States with allied countries. The land also served as the source from which the Kushans, Hephthalites, Samanids, Saffarids, Ghaznavids, Ghorids, Khaljis, Mughals, Hotaks, Durranis, and others have risen to form major empires. The political history of the modern state of Afghanistan began with the Hotak and Durrani dynasties in the 18th century, with Ahmad Shah Abdali being considered as the founder of the state. In the late 19th century, Afghanistan became a buffer state in the "Great Game" between British India and the Russian Empire. Its border with British India, the Durand Line, was formed in 1893 but it is not recognized by the Afghan government and it has led to strained relations with Pakistan since the latter's independence in 1947. In the First Anglo-Afghan War, the British East India Company seized control of Afghanistan briefly, but following the Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919 the country was free of foreign influence, eventually becoming a monarchy under Amanullah Khan, until almost 50 years later when Zahir Shah was overthrown and a republic was established. In 1978, after a second coup Afghanistan first became a socialist state and then a Soviet protectorate. This evoked the Soviet–Afghan War in the 1980s against mujahideen rebels. By 1996 most of Afghanistan was captured by the Islamic fundamentalist group the Taliban, who ruled as a totalitarian regime for over five years. Following the 9/11 attacks, an intervention by the US and its allies forcibly removed the Taliban from power, and a new democratically-elected government was formed, but the Taliban still control a significant portion of the country. Afghanistan is a unitary presidential Islamic republic. The country has high levels of terrorism, poverty, child malnutrition, and corruption. It is a member of the United Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Group of 77, the Economic Cooperation Organization, and the Non-Aligned Movement. Afghanistan's economy is the world's 96th largest, with a gross domestic product (GDP) of $72.9 billion by purchasing power parity; the country fares much worse in terms of per-capita GDP (PPP), ranking 169th out of 186 countries as of 2018.
Source: WikipediaIsrael | |
|---|---|
| Land Area | 20330km² |
| Land Area + Seaarea | |
| Population | 7836300 |
| Population density | 385.5 / km² |
Israel (; Hebrew: יִשְׂרָאֵל; Arabic: إِسْرَائِيل), formally known as the State of Israel (Hebrew: מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל Medinat Yisra'el), is a country in Western Asia, situated on the northeast coast of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern coast of the Red Sea. It has land borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the northeast, Jordan on the east, the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip to the east and west and Egypt to the southwest. Features that are geographically are contained by the country within its area that is small. Israel's economic and technological centre is Tel Aviv, while its seat of government and proclaimed capital is Jerusalem, although the state's sovereignty over Jerusalem has only partial recognition.Israel has evidence of the earliest migration of hominids out of Africa. Canaanite tribes are attested since the Middle Bronze Age, while the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah arose during the Iron Age. Israel was destroyed by the Neo-Assyrian Empire around 720 BCE. Judah had existed as autonomous provinces and was later conquered by the Babylonian, Persian and Hellenistic empires. The successful Maccabean Revolt led to an Hasmonean kingdom by 110 BCE, which in 63 BCE became a client state of the Roman Republic that subsequently installed the Herodian dynasty in 37 BCE, and in 6 CE created the province of Judea. Judea continued as a Roman province until the failed revolts resulted in the renaming of the region from Iudaea, the expulsion of the Jewish population and destruction to Syria Palaestina. Jewish presence in the region has persisted to a certain extent over the centuries. In the 7th century CE, the Levant was taken from the Byzantine Empire by the Arabs and remained in Muslim control until the First Crusade of 1099, followed by the Ayyubid conquest of 1187. The Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt extended its control over the Levant in the 13th century until its defeat by the Ottoman Empire in 1517. During the 19th century awakening among Jews led in the diaspora. In 1947, the United Nations (UN) adopted a Partition Plan for Palestine advocating the creation of independent Arab and Jewish states and an internationalized Jerusalem. The plan was approved by the Jewish Agency, and rejected by Arab leaders. The next year, the Jewish Agency announced the independence of the State of Israel, and the 1948 Arab -- Israeli War saw the establishment of Israel over the majority of the former Mandate land, while the West Bank and Gaza were held by Arab states. Israel has since fought several wars with Arab nations, and because the Six-Day War in June 1967 held occupied territories including the West Bank, Golan Heights and the Gaza Strip (still considered occupied after the 2005 disengagement, although some legal experts dispute this claim). It extended its laws to the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem, but not the West Bank. Israel's occupation of the territories is the world's longest military occupation in modern times. Efforts to solve the Israeli--Palestinian conflict haven't resulted in a peace agreement, while Israel has signed peace treaties with both Jordan and Egypt. In its Fundamental Laws, Israel defines itself as the Jewish people's nation state and a democratic and Jewish state. The country has a liberal democracy (one of only two in the Middle East and North Africa region, the other being Tunisia), with a parliamentary system, proportional representation, and universal suffrage. The prime minister is head of government and the Knesset is the legislature. With a population of about 9 million of 2019, Israel is an OECD member and a developed country. It has the world's 31st-largest market by nominal GDP, and is the most developed country currently in battle. It's the highest standard of living in the Middle East, and ranks among the world's top nations by percentage of citizens with military training, percentage of citizens holding a tertiary education degree, research and development spending by GDP percent, women's safety, life expectancy, innovativeness, and happiness.
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