Afghanistan displays some of Asia's most splendid natural beauty. Afghanistan is located in the heart of Asia stretching from central Asia in the North, where some of the world's most spectacular mountain ranges are located, to southern Asia. Afghanistan is also archeological heaven with sites that date back to the world's earliest settlements rivaling those of ancient Egypt.

Afghanistan shares borders with Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan in the north, Iran in the west and Pakistan in the south and east. Afghanistan also shares a 76 km border with China in the northeast.

The country is mountainous with Hindu Kush mountains running northeast to southwest dividing the northern provinces from the rest of the country. The highest peak is in the northern Wakhan rising to heights of 24,000 ft (7,315 m). With the exception of the southwest, most of the country is covered by high snow-capped mountains and is traversed by deep valleys.

Afghanistan, ravaged by conflict and political instability in the 80’s and 90’s, is currently on a surer path of recovery and reconstruction. Despite limited state infrastructure, Afghanistan Interim Administration (December 2001 to June 2002) and its successors, the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (June 2002 to December 2004) and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (December 2004 to present), have managed to restore basic government institutions, reverse the humanitarian disaster, prepare a National Development Framework, adopt a new constitution and implement it through the national development budget and have the first ever presidential election.