Afghanistan

Afghanistan explores the history, culture, and people of one of the world's most troubled countries. Afghanistan's strategic location-sandwiched between the Middle East, central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent-has made it a battleground for world powers from the empire of Genghis Khan to the Soviet Union. Its most recent conflict began closer to home, when the country was taken over in 1996 by the Taliban, an Islamist regime so strict that it banned music, television, and education for girls. The Taliban's support for terrorist leader Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda brought its downfall when Afghanistan was invaded by coalition led by the United States after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Today, Afghanistan struggles to build a new government that represents its wide variety of ethnic groups, to take advantage of its natural resources, and to recover from the devastation caused by years of war and dictatorship. The country, however, faces enormous challenges from warlords and illegal drugs to widespread poverty and illiteracy to the continuing threats of the Taliban and al-Qaeda.